Catalyst, says ESPN talking head.
Damn, just one friggin’ punt.
The Bucs played such lousy defense last year that just one friggin’ punt was the difference in maybe the Bucs advancing to the NFC title game and being a one-and-done team.
All the defense had to do was force Washington to punt once — once! — and the Bucs win that playoff game, even with two massive screw ups on offense with rookies involved.
Force one measly punt. Just sad.
On Mina Kimes’ podcast, former Football Outsiders scribe and former Stinking Panthers beat writer A.P. Acosta said SirVocea Dennis is the new X-factor for the Bucs because if Lavonte David has to blitz nonstop pressure quarterbacks, Dennis can handle things in coverage.
Last year, linebackers K.J. Britt and J.J. Russell were exposed and incapable of pass coverage, which helped the Bucs defense fell apart.
Acosta said had he not picked Dennis as his X-factor, he would have picked YaYa Diaby. Because if the Bucs’ stink in pass defense (again), the Bucs must get after the quarterback.
Kimes fully agreed that the Bucs have to get an edge rush if they want to contend for a Super Bowl — non-negotiable.
Kimes is preaching common sense here. The only two times the Bucs made a Super Bowl, they had a feared edge rush. Imagine that.
So Kimes’ selection as a Bucs’ X-factor really shouldn’t surprise. She threw her money down on Haason Reddick.
“If Haason Reddick can go back to being Haason Reddick, that’s a big deal for this team,” Kimes said. “Because he obviously had a chaotic season last year, offseason, and didn’t play well when he came back.
“He’s still a young man, like he’s not that far removed from being a dominant pass rusher with Philadelphia. Now he gets to play for Todd Bowles.
“This is a team that’s not been able to rush the passer well in recent years. [Reddick], to me, could be a pretty significant pickup for them on him.
“He’s one a one-year, prove-it deal, so he has a lot of incentive to play well.”
With the way the Bucs restocked their secondary, the question for the defense boils down to two things: listening to Kimes and Acosta.
Can Dennis find a way to only miss one game a season like he did his final three years at Pitt?
Can someone, anyone, rookie David Walker, Diaby, Reddick, some unknown camp meat, find a way to get double-digit sacks?
If these two questions are answered in the affirmative, this could be a memorable 2025.