It’s not often that a guy hauls in back-to-back interceptions in the first quarter of an NFL game.
That’s what Bucs linebacker Alex Anazalone did on Sunday. Atlanta’s second and third drives ended in the mitts of Anzalone. That led to him being named NFC Defensive Player of the Week today.
No other NFL player had two picks through last week’s slate of games.
Per the Bucs, Analzone’s 36 passes defensed rank fourth among NFL linebackers since the start of the 2021 season, when Anzalone became a starter for Detroit. Over the past six seasons (2021-26), Anzalone is the lone NFL linebacker with 500-plus tackles, 35-plus passes defensed and 10 or more sacks.
Translation: this guy is no SirVocea Dennis.
For those who want to argue Anzalone’s horrid tackling in Weeks 1 and 2 cost the Bucs a loss, one could argue Anzalone won the game for the Bucs on Sunday. His plays on the ball seemed to change Atlanta’s offensive approach, and they led to an early score in a shutout win.
Regardless, Anzalone has been an impact pickup by Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht.