More problems than edge rush?
It isn’t the same as it always was because not too long ago the Bucs actually had edge rushers. And weird thing too: When those edge rushers still had gas in the tank, the Bucs were one of the best teams in the league and also won a Super Bowl.
Funny how that works.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN typed a few sentences on the Bucs earlier this week. He noted that unlike previous years when the Bucs had their annual midseason swoons, the Bucs’ defense is getting dragged up and down the field this fall.
Fowler cited the lack of an edge rush.
Despite losing three straight games, the Bucs are in an all-too-familiar position — poised to make a December playoff push against a weaker schedule. The Bucs have been one of the league’s most depleted teams, and their losing streak came against teams with a combined 25-8 record. There’s no shame in losing to the Patriots, Bills and Rams. What’s truly concerning is their lack of pass rush.
Tampa is not generating enough edge pressure, and though defensive tackle Vita Vea faces frequent double-teams, the defense doesn’t have a healthy complement to take advantage. Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was probably the team’s best pass rusher entering 2025, but he has been out for most of the season. Despite all of that, I’m still bullish on the Buccaneers. They have a top-10 roster when healthy, and they’re getting closer to that every week. And Todd Bowles’ late-season track record is strong as the Bucs have finished the past two seasons with 5-1 and 6-1 records, respectively.
Well, since Shaq Barrett had 10 sacks in 2021 (hhhmmm, what happened the next season?) the Bucs have not had an edge rush. So Joe doesn’t believe the defense blowing chunks the past three games is directly responsible for a lack of an edge rush (hell, YaYa Diaby sacked Matt Stafford last week).
Now Joe sees people beginning to point fingers at Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht for not drafting a quality edge rusher (Lord knows he’s tried). OK, fair.
But Joe was talking to a hardcore Bucs fan this week about this. This man said to Joe, “Name me a player in college Licht can draft who can get sacks when he’s guarding wide receivers 20 yards downfield.”
In other words, you can’t blame just a lack of an edge rush on the defense suddenly imploding and looking like the Smiths snuck in through the hole in the fence near the Glazer Shed.