Still has it.
OK, OK, OK. Joe knows the guys on the field for the Chiefs playing against the Bucs in Saturday’s second worthless preseason game of the season will be coaching high school ball in two weeks or doing your taxes next spring. But still, results are results.
And Joe was glad to see Bucs outside linebacker Anthony Nelson show up tonight, get results and make an impact.
Nelson, a Bucs backup since 2019, has had a fairly quiet training camp. Joe can only think of once or twice Nelson has been noticed.
With fellow outside linebackers Rueben Bain in the house and David Walker being the flavor of the month, is Nelson at risk of The Turk showing up next weekend? (Cutdown Day to get to 53 is Aug. 30.) Nelson will earn a $4 million salary if he makes the roster.
Well, Nelson showed up tonight. Yeah, he was going up against two stiffs. But at least he was making an impact. Nelson had a strip and a sack on two separate plays, both against Justin Fields.
On the strip, Nelson completely blew past Chiefs undrafted rookie right tackle Kahlil Benson and punched the ball away from Fields.
On his sack, Nelson bullrushed left tackle Esa Pole to push Pole back into Fields, who was flushed as a result.
Nelson was able to chase down Fields after preventing him from getting outside the pocket. Mohamed Kamara boxed in Fields from the left side and Fields had nowhere to go as Nelson slammed him to the ground.
Nelson is streaky. He’s not a physical guy; physical teams too easily take him out. But when he’s on, like in the win over the slimy Saints on the road last year, Nelson can be destructive.
Do the Bucs go cheap and stick with younger, less-talented, less-proven talent, or do they keep a reliable backup like Nelson?
Joe guesses Nelson showed the Bucs tonight he’s still got gas in the tank.