Zero pass rush. A ton of us called it out before the season and were told “we’re good.”
This is sort of my point about the team right now and whether the team actually saw this season as a chance at the Super Bowl OR just part of an ongoing rebuilding and cap process? The fan consensus seems to be "we won the Division last year, its still weak . .. LETS GO!." That may be reasonable, but the team's actions do not match that IN ANY WAY.
Actions speak way louder than (ticket selling) words, so take a look:
In the run up to the Super Bowl we added all kinds of players through free agency and that included Suh, Barrett and JPP. So, our biggest pass rushing threat came from outside OBP and in the case of JPP by giving up a 3rd round pick? We also dedicated an absolute premium pick to the defense for White, to be next to an IN HIS PRIME LVD and our corners were 2nd and 3rd round picks.
The defense was loaded with talent and reflected a serious commitment to win it all.
Our corners right now are a 5th round pick and an UDFA? LDV is past his prime and his playing partner is now going to be an UNDRAFTED practice squad player . Our edge pass rush now has a rookie we took as the 4th or 5h DE off the board and a 4th round pick (we selected for for DEPTH) and a last year of his contract BUST who was also a product of the "win now" movement around the SB. By comparison, JPP was a 1st round pick and an All-Pro, Pro Bowler. And Barrett arguably the best edge rusher in 2019?
Our biggest defensive free agent this year was Whitehead? We took value guys and some of those guys are now hurt.In the lead up to the Super Bowl it was JPP and Barrett and Suh and Brady and Gronk and Lenny. . . . etc
In the lead up to the Super Bowl we specifically used the FIFTH PICK OVERALL to grab a player who would be a key cog of the SB win. That is COMMITMENT to a defene that already had talent. In 2024, we were replacing the FIFTH OVERALL pick with a fifth ROUND pick who is now injured.
TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT APPROACHES . . . And there is absolutely no way that the STARK contrast between those two approach is not fully and completely KNOWN and UNDERSTOOD by everyone inside OBP before the season starts.
@bucsbits - All offseason anytime I mentioned our biggest problem being our edge pass rushers I got pushback. "Yaya is great" "JTS is on a contract year" “Bowles will manufacture with blitzes" “Watts and Ramirez will be huge.” And on and on. And here we are.
Responding to the OP, all true about the Bucs defense. Everyone can see this is the Achilles heel of the Bucs.
Regarding the Bucs offense, those YTD stats are glorious and all, but they include Evans and Godwin for almost the entire season contributing 49% of the offense. Sure, the Bucs offense was able to move the ball and score 26 points vs the Falcons, but they also turned the ball over 3 times.
This Monday Night's game vs the Chiefs does not set up well at all for the Bucs. The Chiefs defense is not the Ravens or the Falcons defense. Their pass rush can get home with 4. They yield the 2nd least yards to the run, and only 4 rushing TDs so far this season. They will get a lead and force Mayfield to throw the ball. Mayfield will continue his recent trend of turning the ball over. Mahomes and the Chiefs offense will march up and down the field with ease vs the Bucs defense, similar to what Jackson and the Ravens did 2 week prior. It's going to be an ugly game for the Bucs.
@bucsbits - All offseason anytime I mentioned our biggest problem being our edge pass rushers I got pushback. "Yaya is great" "JTS is on a contract year" “Bowles will manufacture with blitzes" “Watts and Ramirez will be huge.” And on and on. And here we are.
Oh, you mean on the board. Kudos to you for calling it right.
I think fans are generally optimistic and hoping for the best but most would probably agree that a great 4 man rush is the goal.
I was only saying I dont think X and Os are the issue as much as the cap etc.
FWIW, quirky stats considering we are talking about pressure
The Falcons beat us twice and pretty easily. They have 6 sacks on the season. I think we have 20 (is that right?)
I think the Falcons have two great safeties and two 1st round CBs, one an All-Pro.
