The Bucs have been near the top of the NFL in almost every offensive category all season long. Defensively, the year has been much more of an adventure. Injuries and pass rush struggles have contributed to rollercoaster play, but things are starting to stabilize. Currently, the Bucs rank around league average or better in most defensive areas, with a few exceptions.

One of those exceptions is tackling. According to Pro Football Reference, the Bucs have missed more tackles than any other team in the NFL this season. PFR has Tampa Bay with 105 misses, one of only three teams to crack 100 missed tackles this season. The other two are the Lions and the Jaguars. Pro Football Focus mostly agrees, with the Bucs carrying the third-worst tackling grade of any defense in the league. Only the Lions and Texans are worse.

In Week 13 against Atlanta, the Bucs hit a season-low 15 missed tackles. They were slightly improved in Week 14, missing 12 stops against the Bills.

“Overall it was better,” Arians said on Bucs Total Access this week. “We still missed a couple on Josh Allen. But I thought overall it was better, especially in the open field.”

Bucs ILB Devin White and Bills QB Josh Allen – Photo by: USA Today

On the season, Devin White and Antoine Winfield Jr. have been the chief transgressors. PFF has each player with 16 missed tackles, while Jordan Whitehead has missed 12 more. Considering how few snaps he’s played, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka might be the worst offender. In 364 snaps, Tryon-Shoyinka has missed nine tackles. In just a handful more snaps, Carlton Davis has missed eight.

Last year, missed tackles were not a major issue for Tampa Bay. In fact, the team missed just 103 in 16 games, two less than they’ve missed in 13 games this season.

One of the main areas of failure in 2021 has been behind the line of scrimmage. The Bucs have had quarterbacks dead to rights all season, but finishing has been elusive. On Bucs Total Access, Arians claimed the defense had 20 unblocked shots at Josh Allen without getting him down. The pressures were effective, but sacks would be even more deadly. If the Bucs can return to their 2020 tackling ways, the ceiling on the 2021 season will go up as a result.