Sacks Will Kill The Bucs
January 10th, 2025
When these guys ball, Bucs often score.
Sacks are drive-killers. You read that from Joe in one of many, many, many, many rants and screeds about the lack of a proven, healthy, young edge rusher.
Joe will never let up on this until the Bucs succeed at doing something about it. As in finding a legit edge rusher.
Anyway, sacks are drive-killers. When offenses suffer a sack, the odds that a touchdown is scored on the same drive plummets like a bad penny stock.
So if the Bucs could get more sacks from the edge, it would sure help out the defense.
Alas, this works both ways. When the Bucs, who have one of the better offenses in the NFL, see quarterback Baker Mayfield eat a sack, the Bucs’ scoring chances fall off the cliff, as documented by Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis.
When Tampa Bay was not sacked on possession, they averaged 3.13 points per drive, second in the NFL.
But on any drive with a sack, they averaged 0.95 points per drive, which was 20th.
Now Hribar wasn’t specific if that meant 20th overall or 20th for teams whose quarterbacks have to swallow a sack on a possession.
Regardless, Joe isn’t out of line with the following:
Calling All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs and his posse. We know it is now the playoffs and your antennae are raised high and are alert.
But if you guys can keep Mayfield upright, Joe likes the Bucs’ chances against the Commandos.
Carry on!
January 10th, 2025 at 3:46 pm
Some of the sacks are the bad that comes with the great good that comes of having Baker as QB.
In situations where Brady immediately would say, “Yuck!”, and airmail the ball into next week, Baker is still saying, “I can make this work!” It is exciting, and Baker often makes it work – except when he doesn’t. It’s fun football! And, Baker very often makes it work!
But, when the sacks do come, if seems like they most often come on plays where Baker is in the pocket, a lot of pressure is coming, and the play design doesn’t really give Baker a receiver near the sideline where he can readily airmail it out of bounds from inside the pocket.
I have not done an extensive film study. But, that is the impression that I have developed watching the Bucs play this season.
January 10th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
This is one of the areas Baker needs to improve to take another step next season. O-Line has the 2nd best pressure rate yet tied for 15th in sacks taken
January 10th, 2025 at 5:19 pm
In this game the Bucs are going to have to contend with a QB that can run to the outside and escape the guys on the edge. Bucs better have someone like Winfield patrolling the edge, because if there is pressure up the middle, Daniels will run.
January 10th, 2025 at 6:11 pm
On the other hand will we see Shaq Barrett in the rotation for this game? Will Yaya Diaby get a couple of sacks in this one? Will our defense have any surprises for Jaydon Daniels? If so we can prevent this game from being a shootout and win somewhat easily.
January 10th, 2025 at 6:18 pm
Baker takes some sacks while trying/hoping to make something happen. If he just did 2022 Brady and dirted the ball at 2.4 seconds if nobody was open, would his net production be lower? I’m guessing yes
January 10th, 2025 at 7:30 pm
JtS and Diaby have to contain the pocket and keep him inside so our rush up the middle can get to him. We often run behind the qb and that simply won’t work against him. He will run for days if they don’t contain the pocket imho!
January 10th, 2025 at 7:46 pm
The OL struggled against the Saints, so I expect them to bounce back and dominate the LOS. No penalties!
January 10th, 2025 at 8:11 pm
Slightly off topic but NFL had QB rankings on the site today and Mayfield was 6th. Anyway, where this pertains to sacks is they had him listed with 13! Fumbles. This is obviously a typo or I need to get my eyes and head checked.
I do not recall Mayfield eating a lot of sacks (40 is more than I would have guessed) and I certainly don’t recall seeing 13 fumbles ! That number must be 3 fumbles.
January 10th, 2025 at 8:36 pm
Saskbucs I think he either has zero turnovers on fumbles or one turnover on fumble but I don’t remember one. His 16 interceptions only 5 were in the second half. His pocket presence is good so he’s not sacked too much. Trust what you can see we’ve got a good QB who will be judged by playoff wins and Super Bowls as to whether or not he’s a great QB.