SR’s Fab 5 is a collection of reporting and analysis on the Bucs from yours truly, Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds. Here are four things that caught my attention this week, plus some random tidbits in my Buc Shots section at the end. Enjoy!

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FAB 1. Barrett, Bucs Pass Rush Must Deliver vs. Chiefs

The last time Bucs outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett played the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, it was a great night. The best of nights – for Barrett and the Bucs defense – as Tampa Bay beat Kansas City, the defending champion, to win Super Bowl LV, 31-9, at Raymond James Stadium. Barrett had one of his finest games, recording a career-high 10 pressures, including three QB hits and a sack, according to Pro Football Focus. Barrett hounded Mahomes all night, and there were some that thought he should have been the Super Bowl MVP instead of quarterback Tom Brady.

Barrett wasn’t the only one pressuring Mahomes. The Bucs sacked Mahomes three times in the Super Bowl and pressured him an unreal 44 times on 57 dropbacks. Kansas City’s offensive line was down its top two offensive tackles.

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

This time around, the Chiefs’ offensive line only features one remaining starter from Super Bowl LV in right tackle Andrew Wylie. Kansas City now has a Pro Bowl left tackle in Orlando Brown Jr., a new left guard in Joe Thuney, a new center in Creed Humphrey and a new right guard in Trey Smith.

But Barrett doesn’t see much of an upgrade on film and even said as much in this week’s press conference with reporters.

“I really don’t think it’s too much of a difference,” Barrett said with a laugh. “I think we have a lot of favorable matchups. I think we have the opportunity to really dominate the game. We have an opportunity to really impose our will as pass rushers, as edge rushers, this game. We could really have a coming out party.”

That’s quite a boast from Barrett, but one he feels confident in making. Not only did Barrett terrorize Mahomes in the Super Bowl, he also recorded four pressures, a sack and a forced fumble in a 27-24 Week 12 loss to Kansas City earlier in the 2020 season.

There’s no doubt that Barrett’s words have made it to the Chiefs’ bulletin board. Some would say that Barrett should have kept his mouth shut and not rile up the Chiefs offensive line.

But Barrett must be feeling pretty confident in order to publicly laugh at Kansas City’s offensive line, and he could be putting it out there as a clarion call for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Logan Hall, Vita Vea and the rest of the defense to come at Mahomes with both barrels.

“I know we had six sacks the other game [at New Orleans], but we could really have a coming out party as edge defenders in the position group for this game,” Barrett said.

Bucs inside linebacker Devin White, who picked off Mahomes in the end zone at the end of Super Bowl LV, said that the entire defense has a lot of respect for what the star quarterback can do.

Bucs OLB Shaquil Barrett and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“He’s one of the greatest quarterbacks that I’ve ever faced,” White said. “But obviously besides that, when you’re facing him, you have to be patient with him and you have to be able to go card for card with him. If he throws out an ace, you have to throw out a king. You have to be able to go back and forth with him. I think that’s where Coach [Todd] Bowles and the coaching staff come into play. They have to have a great game plan for him to be able to try to decipher through the defenses that we’re throwing at him as well.”

It wasn’t just the pass rush that helped the Bucs beat the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. Tampa Bay also benefited from great pass coverage the last time it squared off against Kansas City as both Pro Bowl weapons Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill were held below 100 yards receiving and kept out of the end zone.

But it all starts up front with Barrett, the Bucs’ Pro Bowl pass rusher. He’s coming off his worst game of the season, notching just four tackles and one hurry against Green Bay. Barrett had six hurries, including two sacks and a forced fumble the week prior against the Saints.

“Hopefully we won’t have to cover for too long because the pressure is getting there, but he’s a playmaker,” Barrett said of Mahomes. “He’s going to make guys miss and he’s going to extend the plays and try to make a play. So we can just limit that as much as possible because it’s hard to cover people for five or six seconds no matter who you are or what caliber of DB you are. We have a lot of great ones on our team. So, if we can just get him on the ground when we have an opportunity and not miss or him make us miss, it will help out our defense a lot.”

FAB 2. Bucs Defense Needs A Fast Start

Tampa Bay’s defense did a remarkable job shutting down Green Bay’s offense last week after the first two drives of the game. The Packers raced out to a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter before winning the game 14-12. Green Bay racked up 146 yards on 22 plays to start the game. But Tampa Bay’s defense stiffened and allowed just 149 yards on the last 39 plays of the game, forcing seven punts and creating two takeaways.

Todd Bowles’ defense is among the league’s leaders when it comes to scoring defense, third down defense, sacks and takeaways to start the 2022 season. But the one thing the Bucs defense isn’t doing well is starting fast.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and OLBs coach Bob Sanders – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“The first three games, I like the effort and I like the communication,” Bowles said. “That has picked up and we’ve played defense once you get past the first drive. We talked about it [Wednesday morning] and we’ve talked about it all week. We’ve given up 27 points and 20 of them have been on the first drive or the first two drives in Green Bay’s case. Three to the Saints and three to the Cowboys. So, we have to learn to start faster, and we’re looking for ways to start faster and communicate and play better right off the top.”

The Bucs defense has yet to pitch a three-and-out on the first drive or create a turnover. Starting fast against Kansas City will be paramount for Tampa Bay when the Bucs host Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.

Bucs outside linebacker Shaq Barrett said that the defense has to come out and play well from the start like they did the last time they played against Kansas City.

“It’s just about us, taking what we see – and trusting what we see in practice – into the game,” Barrett said. “From my position group anyway. Because there will be some times where we jump out of our gaps or there will be times where we don’t trust what we see and we end up giving up a five- or six-yard run, or something like that. That hurts at the start. That hurts at any point in time in the game, but definitely at the start of the game because they are trying to gather momentum and gain momentum. To be able to limit that to two or three yards instead of five or six yards we’ll be in a better position.”

Pro Bowl inside linebacker Devin White said that the Bucs defenders need to do a better job of communicating right off the start at the beginning of games.

“I don’t think it’s a pinpoint thing – just an in-the-moment thing,” White said. “On each play, the guy has got to make the play. Whoever it is on third down or second down or whatever it is. We just have to make the play. We have to be able to communicate and get off to a better start. The other day we gave up two touchdowns and then we gave up none after that. I think the communication got so much better throughout the game, but really we have to come out talking and seeing eye to eye. The game gets going and moving fast and everybody is so happy to play and wanting to make a play that we leave the communication [behind]. I just think it’s the communication.”

FAB 3. Matchups To Watch: Bucs Offense vs. Chiefs Defense

Each week, you can find five matchups to watch on offense and defense in my SR’s Fab 5 column. Here are the five key matchups to watch on offense in the Bucs’ home game against the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.

WR Russell Gage vs. NCB L’Jarius Sneed

Sneed has been a great find for Kansas City since being drafted in the fourth round of 2020. At 6-foot-1, 192 pounds, Sneed is a big slot cornerback with good length and quickness. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likes to blitz Sneed from the slot, where he’s recorded six sacks in three years in the league, including two already this season. Sneed also has five career interceptions, but has yet to get one this year.

The Bucs are hopeful that Chris Godwin can play on Sunday Night Football, but if he can’t go, then Gage will have to continue to step in. Gage played in the slot 39 times and out wide 12 times last week against Green Bay and hauled in 12 receptions for 87 yards and one touchdown. But prior to that, Gage had eight catches for 41 yards in the first two weeks of the season. Gage has been slowed down by a hamstring injury and is only averaging 6.7 yards per catch. He’ll need to play even better to get the best of his matchup with Sneed.

ADVANTAGE: Sneed

LG Luke Goedeke vs. DT Chris Jones

Bucs RT Tristan Wirfs and Chiefs DT Chris Jones – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Jones is Kansas City’s best defender. He’s a premier defensive tackle who has a 90.4 Pro Football Focus grade. He has a 79.2 run defense grade and an 86.8 pass rush grade this season, in addition to being tied for the team lead with two sacks. The three-time Pro Bowler could be in for a big game against a rookie making his fourth NFL start.

Goedeke is coming off his worst start, getting owned by Kenny Clark on several plays and playing a role in surrendering two sacks. Now, he faces his toughest test to date with the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Jones. The Bucs need to do a better job running the ball against the Chiefs than they did against the Saints and Packers. Goedeke can’t hold up for more than half the game in pass protection against a formidable rusher like Jones.

ADVANTAGE: Jones

RT Tristan Wirfs vs. DE Carlos Dunlap

Dunlap has been a good offseason pickup by the Chiefs. He’s been used as a situational pass rusher, rushing off the left edge and is tied for the team lead with two sacks and a forced fumble. Dunlap is coming off an 8.5-sack season and is still a dangerous rusher on passing downs even though he might have lost a step with age.

At 6-foot-5, 345 pounds, Wirfs is one of the biggest offensive tackles in the league. While he has about 65-70 pounds on Dunlap, the 33-year old edge rusher is 6-foot-6, 277 pounds and has a massive wingspan. Wirfs is an elite right tackle, but with 13 years in the league, Dunlap has a lot of experience going for him. Wirfs should win this matchup, but it will be a test.

ADVANTAGE: Wirfs

RB Leonard Fournette vs. ILB Nick Bolton

Bucs RB Leonard Fournette – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bolton was a second-round pick in 2021 who has stepped into his role as a playmaker in his second season as a starter. He leads the Chiefs with 29 tackles and is tied for first on the team with two sacks as an interior blitzer. Bolton is coming into his own and is just a solid, all-around linebacker who can tackle, cover and blitz. He poses a threat to Fournette in both the running game and the passing game.

Fournette has cooled off since his hot start in Dallas when he ran for 127 yards on 21 carries. He also injured his hamstring in that game, which may be limiting his effectiveness. Not only can Fournette get the job done on the ground when he has holes, he’s also a good receiver out of the backfield and has developed into a strong pass protector. Making Bolton miss when he has the ball in his hand and picking up blitzes will be key.

ADVANTAGE: Push

WR Mike Evans vs. CB Rashad Fenton

The 25-year old Fenton is actually the most experienced cornerback on the Chiefs’ roster. With him typically playing the right side of the defense, he’ll match up against Evans when he’s playing split end on the weak side of the formation. Fenton doesn’t have great ball skills, evidenced by just two interceptions and 19 pass breakups in four years.

Evans missed last week’s game against Green Bay due to a suspension from his altercation with Marshon Lattimore in New Orleans. He’ll need to come back with a vengeance this week and provide the Bucs with a touchdown or two to help the offense. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Evans has a decided size advantage over the 5-foot-11, 193-pound Fenton. That should come in handy in the red zone and the end zone.

ADVANTAGE: Evans

FAB 4. Matchups To Watch: Bucs Defense vs. Chiefs Offense

Each week, you can find five matchups to watch on offense and defense in my SR’s Fab 5 column. Here are the five key matchups to watch on defense for the Bucs as they battle Patrick Mahomes and the explosive Chiefs offense.

ILB Devin White vs. RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Edwards-Helaire is off to a hot start this season and is finally living up to his first-round draft billing. On the ground, he’s averaging 5.3 yards per carry and has rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Yet, one of those carries went for 52 yards, which shows off his explosiveness, but also inflates his average. Where Edwards-Helaire has been really dangerous is through the air as a receiver out of the backfield. Edwards-Helaire is the third-leading receiver with 12 catches for 115 yards (9.6 avg.) and a pair of scores.

White was just named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September and he’ll need to start October with a bang against a fellow former LSU Tiger in Edwards-Helaire. One of the areas White has improved the most this year is in pass coverage. With 4.42 speed, White is actually faster than Edwards-Helaire and will need to use that to track down the 5-foot-7, 207-pound weapon from sideline to sideline. White will also need to wrap up Edwards-Helaire every time he has a chance to make a tackle because of his elusiveness.

ADVANTAGE: White

OLB Shaq Barrett vs. LT Orlando Brown

Bucs OLB Shaquil Barrett and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Brown has a 55.4 pass blocking grade this season, per PFF. He’s allowed nine pressures through three games, including six hurries and three QB hits. The Chiefs traded for Brown last year and he made the Pro Bowl in his first season in Kansas City. Brown is playing on the franchise tag this season and wants to earn a lucrative, long-term deal. He’s off to a decent start this year.

Barrett is playing more on the right side of the defense than a year ago, and he has two sacks in three games. But the 6-foot-2, 250-pound Pro Bowler is an undersized edge rusher who has struggled against mammoth offensive tackles in years past. Brown has a decided size advantage at 6-foot-8, 345 pounds. Barrett will have to win with speed and great timing off the snap.

ADVANTAGE: Barrett

NT Vita Vea vs. LG Joe Thuney

This battle is strength vs. strength, as Thuney is Kansas City’s best and most consistent offensive lineman. Thuney has an 84.8 pass block grade via PFF and has only surrendered three pressures this year, and none against Indianapolis last week. Getting to Patrick Mahomes will be a challenge, as he’s only been sacked twice through three games. Keeping Vea at bay will be a tough task.

At 6-foot-4, 350 pounds, Vea will have to use his size and strength against Thuney, who stands just 6-foot-4, 305 pounds. The Pro Bowler has actually been playing a little more three-technique than he has nose tackle. So, that means he’ll be squaring off against center Creed Humphrey and Thuney on Sunday night.

ADVANTAGE: Push

ILB Lavonte David vs. TE Travis Kelce

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Without Tyreek Hill, there is even more pressure for Kelce to perform in Kansas City’s offense. The future Hall of Famer leads the Chiefs with 17 catches for 230 yards (13.5 avg.) and a pair of scores. Kelce, a seven-time Pro Bowler, has been targeted the most (24 times) by Patrick Mahomes and that’s not a surprise. He’s a vital cog in Andy Reid’s system, and he is still effective running intermediate routes at age 32.

The last time the Bucs played the Chiefs, David played a big role in helping to contain Kelce. David covered Kelce for five of his targets and held him to three catches for 23 yards in Super Bowl LV in Tampa. After a down year from a production standpoint, David is off to a great start this season entering a contract year in Tampa Bay. David has been one of the league’s best coverage linebackers and is still going strong at age 32.

ADVANTAGE: Push

CB Carlton Davis III vs. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

The Chiefs line up Smith-Schuster all over the field, splitting his time between the left and right side and also playing him in the slot. Smith-Schuster played more in the slot the first two weeks than he did last week. But with Jamel Dean and Antoine Winfield Jr. actually playing better than Davis, the Chiefs might look to match Smith-Schuster up against Davis. Smith-Schuster has 19 catches for 178 yards (12.7 avg.) on the season so far.

Davis is off to a good – but not great – start to the year. He could play the ball better than he has, evidenced by the fact that he’s had two pass breakups, but no interceptions. Davis has a 62.8 PFF grade, including a 61 coverage grade this year. He’s not the fastest cornerback in the league, but should have the speed to match up with Smith-Schuster, who isn’t that fleet of foot either. These two won’t square off against each other all game. But when they do, Davis must prevail.

ADVANTAGE: Davis

FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• WHITE PLAYING AT A HIGH LEVEL: Fresh off winning the NFC Defensive Player of the Month honors, Bucs inside linebacker Devin White was asked about where he thinks his game is at right now. White leads Tampa Bay with 24 tackles and two sacks. And his pass coverage has been better than ever to start the 2022 campaign.

“I’m in a good space with my game through three games,” White said. “Obviously I always feel like I can do more – way much more. But my coach gives me a challenge every week. Every week it will be different. Last week it was making sure 33 (Packers RB Aaron Jones) doesn’t get going. I think I did a great job of that besides one time I kind of let him slip through. I got a little greedy. But obviously he only had 11 receiving yards and he probably had way more than that before playing us. In the run game, make sure he didn’t get any tosses going. We did a great job with that. I’m fairly good. Obviously I want to sharpen tools and get my hands on a couple of picks. I think that will kind of keep me trending in the right direction. But so far I’m thankful for what I’ve been able to display on the field.”

Bucs DC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

• BOWLES READY TO SHUT THE CHIEFS DOWN AGAIN: Bucs head coach Todd Bowles’ shining moment as a play-caller in the NFL came in Super Bowl LV in beating Kansas City, 31-9, and keeping Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs out of the end zone. That led to Bowles becoming the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the league and ultimately being in line to replace Bruce Arians as Tampa Bay’s head coach. Bowles reflected on that accomplishment as his team prepares to face Mahomes and the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football this week.

“That was a special day, obviously long ago and far away,” Bowles said. “Something for the memory bank and something you’ll never forget. But we want to play that fast. We want to play that smart. And you want to be clicking on all cylinders at all times. If somebody is down, you want to be able to pick that guy up and move on from there. But you always strive for greatness. If you don’t achieve greatness you get excellence, so that’s always our motto. That’s always what we’re pushing for.”

While Mahomes and Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce are constants in Kansas City, quite a bit has changed since Super Bowl LV when it comes to the Chiefs offense.

“The running game has picked up,” Bowles said. “They have big linemen down there and they have bigger receivers as opposed to smaller, quicker receivers that can catch the ball very well. They still have Kelce and they still have Helaire. They still have a lot of pieces and Mahomes has only gotten better since we’ve played him. He was great then, he’s great now. He’s gotten better. He’s seeing things and running the offense well. They’re clicking on all cylinders as far as a unit. It doesn’t have to be an individual person. The unit is playing well.”

CELSIUS PEWTER REPORT TAILGATE PREGAME SHOW AT WALK-ONS

Bucs fans and Pewter Report fans can join the PR staff for a LIVE pregame show before each Bucs game – home and away – at Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux. The CELSIUS Pewter Report Tailgate Show is presented by Age Rejuvenation and is LIVE at the Walk-Ons in Midtown for the Bucs vs. Chiefs game this Sunday night. Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. ET and the PR Tailgate Show begins at 6:30 p.m. ET.

For those Bucs fans outside of the Tampa Bay area, the CELSIUS Pewter Report Tailgate Show presented by Age Rejuvenation will be streamed live on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel.

The Pewter Report Tailgate Show will feature a pair of Pewter Reporters and former Bucs tight end John Gilmore each week, offering up all of the analysis and matchups for that week’s Bucs game live on location. There will be CELSIUS and PR giveaways in addition to game day food and drink specials at Walk-Ons.

Miller Lite pints are $3.99 and 22 oz pours are $5.49. Blue Moon pints are $5.00 and 22 oz pours are $7.00.

The CELSIUS Pewter Report Tailgate Show presented by Age Rejuvenation is an hour-and-a-half show and begins two hours prior to kickoff each week. Thirty minutes prior to kickoff, Matt Matera and Josh Queipo take over on the livestream and add their insight and pregame analysis. Then, Pewter GameDay begins as the Bucs kick off with Matera and a special guest providing insight and commentary throughout the game. Pewter Report’s Paul Atwal joins Matera for this week’s Bucs game.

THIS WEEK’S PEWTER REPORT PODCASTS

• BUCS-CHIEFS PREVIEWS ON THE PEWTER REPORT PODCAST: The Pewter Report Podcast is energized by CELSIUS and broadcasts four live episodes each week. Next week’s schedule will feature PR Podcasts on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday as the Bucs begin preparations for Week 5 against Atlanta next Sunday.

Scott Reynolds and Matt Matera analyzed what went wrong with the Bucs in their 14-12 loss to the Packers, and how to fix Tampa Bay’s offense.

Matera and Reynolds preview the Bucs vs. Chiefs game on Friday as there were no podcasts on Wednesday and Thursday due to Hurricane Ian.

Watch the Pewter Report Podcasts live on our PewterReportTV channel on YouTube.com and please subscribe (it’s free) and add your comments. We archive all Pewter Report Podcasts. So, you can watch the recorded episodes if you missed them live.

There is no better time to listen to or watch a new Pewter Report Podcast – energized by CELSIUS – than Friday afternoon on the way home from work. Or early Saturday morning during your workout or while running errands.

The popularity of the Pewter Report Podcast continues to grow. In addition to listening to the Pewter Report Podcasts on PewterReport.com, you can also subscribe to the free podcasts at PodBean by clicking here and on SoundCloud by clicking here. And of course, the Pewter Report Podcast is also available on iTunes and YouTube. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode.

FINAL VIDEO

• HALL’S FIRST SACK IS QUITE MEMORABLE: Tampa Bay rookie defensive tackle Logan Hall came up with his first NFL sack in crunch time. Not only did the sack happen in the fourth quarter of the team’s 14-12 loss to Green Bay, but it also came on third down and forced a punt. Oh, and it just happened to be against a future Hall of Famer in Aaron Rodgers. Quite a moment for the promising rookie defender.  Click here to watch Hall’s first career sack.