DISCLAIMER: Definitely agree we need help on the edge
Using sacks as a metric (maybe someone can pull PFF) the Bucs are slightly ahead of pace compared to 2023 in a season where many teams are behind.
Through 9 games the Bucs are 8th in the league with 25 sacks. Last year the finished 10th with 48.
Most of the 2023 top teams are down, the Chiefs being an obvious example. The Ravens the exception. The league on the same general track ie 60+ is a top 5 number.
it sure does NOT feel that way, which is why I wonder about pressures etc. But, you can see why - IF IT IS A REBUILDING YEAR IN THE FO's VIEW - why they stood pat. See what they have in a contract year JTS (nothing much), see how Diaby does ina full season given that he had a late season surge last year.
Add to that the injury-driven collapse of the LB and CB group and you have disaster
Sacks are great, but I feel it's an overrated stat. I'd rather see consistent pressure on the QB. Get CONSISTENT pressure on the QB and sacks will come.
Let's just look at the dline player by player:
Vea and Kancey are generating pressure. They lead the team is sacks.
Braswell looks like a bust but maybe I'm being premature.
JTS in a contract year isn't generating pressure. I actually like a lot of the little things he does but pressure is not one of them.
Hall has a nice streak but he's back to being JAG.
Diaby has flashed and generated pressure but he's not an elite edge rusher.
Licht has thrown a ton of draft capital at the dline so I commend him for that but his ability to evaluate that talent has been subpar.
But he also has us competing with massive dead cap space so I somewhat give him a pass.
Ultimately I think the pass rush is underperforming because of Bowles:
- he does these delayed blitzes so often and QBs are just getting the ball out quick
- he does these exotic schemes and drops our players into coverage and it rarely works
- soft zone coverage encourages quick throws into easy windows.
Sacks are great, but I feel it's an overrated stat. I'd rather see consistent pressure on the QB. Get CONSISTENT pressure on the QB and sacks will come.
Yes agree that is why I referenced PFF. Would be good to see.
Sacks v pressures is a little like the defensive equivalent of grinding ou running versus the big break run or play action pass. The ability to consistently run well puts the defense under pressure and that leads to all kinds of good, like PA passing explosives.
Pressure for a defense is similar. The sack is the directly impactful play, but consistent pressure leads to those types of defensive "explosives" like INTs, fumbles etc
Great post Fire this would be my twist
Diaby has flashed and generated pressure but he's not an elite edge rusher.
I think Diaby is a wrecking machine in many ways WITH a true edge rusher opposite him. He is a very strong hard worker type who can set the edge and get TFL in the run game, but not a quick twitch bender.
Put that kind of guys opposite him though and we've really got something special with Diaby Vea Kancey and someone who is like Shaq
This is why I said that IF the FO actually thought we were close and we had the cap they would've gone out and gotten just that. we did ikt before with Shaq and JPP. We have not been in the tradition top 5-10 position to draft that kind of INDIVIDUAL talent, so weve gone out to get them in FA
Licht has thrown a ton of draft capital at the dline so I commend him for that but his ability to evaluate that talent has been subpar.
maybe we part ways a little here because the current D-line is LITTERED with reaches for a "win now" team.
if the team was not in "win now" mode they use their early second/last first round round picks differently, PROBABLY to move up to get a real premium rusher or to fill OTHER long term needs.
Hall's draft the top DEs are top 5 and then I think the guy for the chiefs. JTS is I think the 3rd or 4th DE off the chart that was a dead sort of DE draft? I think Micha Parsons is down in top 10 area, but the point is JTS was a real stretch, like Hall.
So yes the draft capital RETURN has been terrible but that is in part because of the circumstances
We got pressure and sacks (from the interior) against KC - but only because they are also missing a couple of receivers, and a LT that was filling in.
I bring it up because a lot of our sacks/pressures - were coverage driven, not because our anemic pass rush is getting better - it isn’t.
We could say SF was in a similar position, but they’re likely getting McCaffrey back - so even though Purdy has struggled more this season - getting their running game going takes a lot of pressure off of the QB and opens up their offense.
So, it’s going to continue to be a struggle. I expect they’ll have a similar game plan as KC. Slow down the offense, leverage their run game to open up the pass against our injury depleted secondary, and wear us down.
They may do it differently than KC, but they have similar components they can deploy to get out of the 3rd & long situations. The only question for me is, can Purdy execute when needed.
It would be nice if we could pressure with the front 4 and play some man in coverage - but who is going to do that? If we’re not playing zone - which ILB’s/corners do think can step up? Because, I don’t see any available on this roster. It’s kinda WHY we play this miserable zone scheme…
It would be nice if we could pressure with the front 4 and play some man in coverage - but who is going to do that? If we’re not playing zone - which ILB’s/corners do think can step up? Because, I don’t see any available on this roster. It’s kinda WHY we play this miserable zone scheme
Last year people will recall Bowles asked about the zone and his answer implied it was because they didnt have the talent to go man. I think a big part of that was the Nickel and the SS.
This year the nickel is most often a great ROOKIE, but still a rookie. And the SS has NOT played well
@bucsbits - we can blitz all out and build up sack numbers but not at the expense of giving up big plays and huge numbers. Getting pressure like we did during our first Super Bowl run was different. It came from our front four.
@bucsbits - we can blitz all out and build up sack numbers but not at the expense of giving up big plays and huge numbers. Getting pressure like we did during our first Super Bowl run was different. It came from our front four.
100% agree and I think (not sure) our blitz rate has been going up year over year, but thats also why I posted the difference in players.
We do not have a JPP or a Barrett. Kancey is promising, but out during much of the season.
Given the choice between generating pressure by 4 or blitzing, every DC including Bowles choose the 4 IF the results are the same, right? I assume we blitz more in part because we dont have the same front 4 talent?
maybe not
