FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• INSIDE THE BUCS’ SACK ATTACK THROUGH THE YEARS: It’s crazy to think that a franchise like the Buccaneers, that has been around since 1976, has just one season with 50 sacks. Meanwhile, the NFC South division rival Panthers, a franchise that has been in existence since just 1995, has had four seasons in which they have hit 50 sacks or more. In fact, Carolina even hit 60 sacks twice – in 2013 and in 1996, which was the second year of the franchise.

The Bucs have only had two seasons out of 43 years in which the team has had multiple double-digit sackers – and both involved Hall of Fame defensive end Warren Sapp. Those came in 1997 and in 2000.

1997 – BUCS’ DOUBLE-DIGIT SACKERS
DT Warren Sapp 10.5
DE Chidi Ahanotu 10

2000 – BUCS’ DOUBLE-DIGIT SACKERS
DT Warren Sapp 16.5
DE Marcus Jones 13

Bucs DE Simeon Rice and DT Warren Sapp – Photo by: Getty Images

Ironically, the duo of Sapp and defensive end Simeon Rice, who ranks third all-time in career sacks in Tampa Bay, never achieved double-digit sacks in the same season. Sapp’s last year with double-digit sacks with the Bucs came in 2000 when he had 16.5 QB captures. Rice arrived in Tampa Bay in 2001 and had double-digits in every season through the 2005 campaign, but the most sacks Sapp could muster alongside Rice was 7.5 during the Super Bowl season in 2002.

The Bucs came close to having a pair of double-digit sackers last year with Shaquil Barrett’s league-leading 19.5 sacks and Jason Pierre-Paul’s 8.5 sacks.

Despite only being in existence 24 seasons – 19 fewer than Tampa Bay, Carolina has had four seasons with double-digit sackers.

2017 – PANTHERS’ DOUBLE-DIGIT SACKERS
DE Mario Addison 11
DE Julius Peppers 11

2013 – PANTHERS’ DOUBLE-DIGIT SACKERS
DE Greg Hardy 15
DE Charles Johnson 11

2002 – PANTHERS’ DOUBLE-DIGIT SACKERS
DE Julius Peppers 12
DE Mike Rucker 10

1996 – PANTHERS’ DOUBLE-DIGIT SACKERS
OLB Kevin Greene 14.5
OLB Lamar Lathon 13.5

• BUCS’ ROOKIE CLASS HAS A LOT OF CATCHING UP TO DO: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 2020 rookie class is really behind the eight ball when it comes to all of the reps missed from not having a rookie mini-camp, a mandatory mini-camp and OTAs this offseason due to COVID-19.

It’s not just rookies like right tackle Tristan Wirfs, the Bucs’ first-round pick, or safety, Antonie Winfield, Jr., the team’s second-round selection, that the missed time hurts. While Wirfs and Winfield are expected to contend for starting jobs immediately in training camp, players that were drafted to be key reserves like defensive tackle Khalil Davis, are also way behind.

“I feel sorry for him and the rookies,” said Bucs defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches. “They are so far behind the eight ball not understanding the surrealness of being in the NFL. This isn’t like college. It’s your job now. You have to be a professional. That means you can’t be lackadaisical and you have to understand your playbook and their fit in the scheme in the playbook. They have to be around us as a whole to understand things. Right now, everything they have is on Zoom, but most defensive linemen – we learn by going through things and making mistakes, and my walkthroughs and things of that nature.

“Seeing it, hearing it and writing it down is not always the best learning mechanism for us. There are certain pointers you’re going to get from veteran players that you just aren’t going to get in the classroom or in the playbook.

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• NEW PEWTER NATION PODCAST COMING ON FRIDAY: Bucs training camp is slated to start on July 28 with rookies and quarterbacks expected to report to the AdventHealth Training Center a week prior. The Pewter Report staff will be recording a new Pewter Nation Podcast Friday afternoon on July 3 to help you celebrate Independence Day with a bang this weekend.

In case you missed our previous episode, I was joined by Pewter Reporters Matt Matera and Taylor Jenkins to record a new Pewter Nation Podcast on Thursday, June 25 where we discussed the most recent Bucs news, including Shaquil Barrett not signing his franchise contract, and the latest Tom Brady-led Bucs practice. If you are jonesing for some football, don’t miss this new podcast!

Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 197: Barrett’s Franchise Tag Dilemma, Practice Update

Yours truly was joined by Pewter Reporters Mark Cook, Matt Matera and Taylor Jenkins on the previous Pewter Nation Podcast, which addressed the team’s COVID-19 concerns. ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that one of the Bucs assistant coaches had tested positive for COVID-19, but apparently the coach has been quarantined and is asymptomatic. Clink on the link to check out the latest Pewter Nation Podcast.

Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 196: Concerns About The Start Of The Season

There is no better time to listen to a new Pewter Nation Podcast than right now or early Saturday morning during your workout or while running errands. The next Pewter Nation Podcast will be recorded next week. Stay tuned!

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• SUH IS BACK TO CONTINUE TO HELP VEA, BUCS RUN DEFENSE: Bucs reserve defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches is thrilled to have Ndamukong Suh back for another year in Tampa Bay. Nunez-Roches said that Suh, who turned 33 in January, played a huge role in the Bucs’ No. 1-ranked run defense, but that he still had a presence inside that helped the team reach 47 sacks in 2019, which was the second-most in franchise history.

Bucs DTs Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Suh brought his name because when you see Suh out there you have to respect him,” Nunez-Roches said. “He’s seasoned. He demands respect automatically and brought a workload. You can take the age out of it. Suh was playing over 60 percent of the snaps. He was a force to be reckoned with. He could still play against the double teams. He was awesome.

“Suh allowed Vita to have one-on-one blocks with the center. Vita, being as big and athletic as he is, can’t be blocked by any center in America one-on-one. Vita is a huge guy and you can’t block him one-on-one all the time. When they would slide protection to Vita and leave Suh one-on-one, that’s when it was time for Ndamukong Suh to go off. I loved how they fed off each other.”

Suh, who re-signed with Tampa Bay on a one-year, $8 million contract, recorded 41 tackles, 2.5 sacks and recovered a team-high four forced fumbles, and returned two of those for touchdowns. Vea had 35 tackles and 2.5 sacks during his second year in the league and his first in a 3-4 scheme since his playing days at the University of Washington.

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• BUCS’ RECORDED A RECORD 40 INTERCEPTIONS IN 2002: We’ve spent a lot of time talking about sacks in Tampa Bay in this week’s SR’s Fab 5, but one of the key elements to the Bucs’ Super Bowl season in 2002 was the fact that the team led the league with 31 interceptions during the regular season. Baltimore had the second-most INTs with 25 in 2002.

Those 31 interceptions, led by cornerback Brian Kelly’s eight, were the most in franchise history. Perhaps even more impressive was the fact that the Bucs recorded nine more interceptions in the postseason – an average of three per game. Of course Tampa Bay notched five of those in the Super Bowl XXXVII victory over Oakland, including three pick-sixes. Cornerback Dwight Smith set a Super Bowl record with two pick-sixes and Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks, who was the league’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year that season, also had one to clinch the victory.

Here is a look back at all 40 of Tampa Bay’s interceptions in 2002, including the postseason picks. Brooks led the way with three pick-sixes in the regular season, in addition to his Super Bowl pick-six. In all, including the postseason, Tampa Bay’s defense recorded eight pick-sixes in 2002.

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