No, Pressures Are Not Better Than Sacks
September 23rd, 2024
“Hey Lavonte, you have enough juice in those old bones to rush the passer more?”
Joe typed what most Bucs fans feel today, and felt yesterday, and many have felt for way too long.
The Bucs simply do not prioritize quarterback sacks. That’s not to say the Bucs don’t care about a pass rush, they just do not value sacks from an edge rush like the majority of NFL teams do, and apparently ignore ample data that demonstrates how sacks destroy offenses.
Did the Broncos look like a team yesterday that doesn’t value sacks?
Everyone in the NFL knew the biggest (maybe the only) team weakness the Bucs had this offseason was an edge rush. So what did the Bucs do to address this? They sat back and watched other teams get better and said to themselves, “Nah, we’re good.”
If Joe’s contention is wrong, where’s the evidence to the contrary? Hell, the Bears traded a sixth-round pick for Seattle backup outside linebacker Darrell Taylor.
Yes, Joe knows full well the Bucs drafted Chris Braswell in the second round. No one in their right minds would expect a rookie second-day draft pick to be a beastly pass rusher by Week 3.
This Taylor, if the Bucs had been proactive and acquired him, would currently be leading the Bucs in sacks with two. Let that sink in for a moment.
When Bucs coach Todd Bowles was asked about the lack of sacks yesterday against a rookie quarterback (zee-row), Bowles responded, “It’s not frustrating if we get the pressures.”
And that right there is all you need to know. Bowles doesn’t value sacks like he should. Go ahead, in Bowles’ career now stretching into his seventh season as a head coach, name a strong edge rusher he developed.
Shaq Barrett, after four years learning from Von Miller in Denver, came along when Bowles was the Bucs’ defensive coordinator. A big reason why Bowles has not developed an edge rusher as a head coach is, again, he doesn’t value them like the rest of the league.
After watching the Bucs defense get embarrased by a rookie quarterback completing 70 percent of his passes, do you think Bowles’ philosophy is revolutionary thinking that will change the NFL’s approach to building defenses? Is it akin to Knute Rockne utilizing the forward pass or Bill Walsh developing the West Coast offense or Sid Gillman using five-receiver sets?
Joe doesn’t think so.
To be fair to Bowles, he stated he was “frustrated” by defenders getting near the quarterback but not putting him on the ground. He’s 100 percent correct. However, Bowles apparently doesn’t get this point across clearly enough when players think it’s OK to just have pressures.
As Joe pointed out, the Bucs are on pace for 11 sacks this season. Eleven! That is absolutely appalling!
For a team that gets (understandably) triggered when someone in the national media mocks them as an NFC pretender, the fact the team did not resolve its barren edge rush with someone proven is terrible in Joe’s mind, and sort of reinforces the haters.
(Don’t get Joe started about Randy Gregory!)
“You can’t win a championship without a fourth quarter pass rush.” — Chucky https://t.co/CeL4RA5olx
— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) September 22, 2024
September 23rd, 2024 at 4:31 am
There were a few holds not called yesterday that didnt help. Need Vea and Kancey back in the line up too. Totally depressed this morning after that performance yesterday.
September 23rd, 2024 at 4:32 am
Joe … ‘A big reason why Bowles has not developed an edge rusher as a head coach is, again, he doesn’t value them like the rest of the league.’
Joe … ‘To be fair to Bowles, he stated he was “frustrated” by defenders getting near the quarterback but not putting him on the ground.’
Don’t you see a minor contradiction there Joe? Bowles is frustrated we’re not getting sacks, but he ‘doesn’t value them’?`
After watching these last 2 games, it’s obvious that the Bucs have some MAJOR defensive flaws. Our interior DLine right now is a joke. Saw several times where we had Gaines, Brewer & Greene on the field at the same time … THREE 2nd-stringers. They got ZERO pressure through the middle, but they compensated for it by doing a terrible job of playing the run. JTS & Diaby were also on the field & they were being easily taken out of the plays. And on far too many plays, their ‘contain’ was a joke.
On most plays yesterday, Nix just sat back in the pocket, stared down his receivers, waited for them to get open, then hit them. He had all the protection in the world. Their OLine whooped our DLine. And their DLine whooped our OLine. The game was won in the trenches.
September 23rd, 2024 at 4:47 am
Nice take as always DR
In addition to that. Our guys really did get a hose job from the refs. It sucks when the first play of the game sets the tone for the officials the way it did in this one.
From that point on it was obvious and Denver took advantage.
Even the goal line penalty on Barton. How often PER game and season do you think that happen. Granted not always on the goal line.
Several illegal blocks and holds not called on Nix’s scramble.
It would have been a good game to just keep throwing jump balls to Mike. Just not into triple coverage.
September 23rd, 2024 at 5:01 am
Let’s don’t blame officiating. Let’s blame poor coaching and players who coasted.
If this was high school, the stadium steps would be being pounded this morning. But this is the NFL, so they may be told no checking your Fidelity or Schwab account until after massages are over.
I did not see a single solid effort yesterday.
September 23rd, 2024 at 5:12 am
Bottom line those draft choices like YaYa we’ve been raving about really aren’t very good. I’ve seen enough of JTS, and YaYa to say they will never be elite pass rushers. They’re not even average. Same with Hall, doesn’t have it. Jury is out on Braswell, but he’ll probably turn out to be a decent back up, we hope. Kancey can’t stay healthy. Did you all see Dennis play like garbage yesterday? These are the players we’ve been counting on to take off. They all can’t get off the ground. We drafted, we developed, it didn’t work. I’d trade YaYa, and JTS tommorrow for a real edge rusher. There is one out there. Going to have to go back to the drawing board for edge rushers, and LBs. Might want to add guard to the list, Mauch sucks too.
September 23rd, 2024 at 6:28 am
Im still a Devin white fan. I understand he has not worked in Philly, but this defense was better with him in there.
September 23rd, 2024 at 6:50 am
The entire Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization is the laughingstock of the NFL today. Congratulations for a miserable failure you BUMS!
September 23rd, 2024 at 6:52 am
The fact that there were only about 2-3 plays where any of our DL or OLB’s were able to win a 1v1 matchup is probably the most glaring indictment from yesterday.
September 23rd, 2024 at 11:12 am
After getting some sleep after that embarrassing showing by the entire team & coaching staff on our home field, in front of our fans, I’ve calmed down a bit. My conclusion is not ‘no big deal, it’s just one bad game etc.’ That was a complete utter unacceptable display of sorry arse professional football. What a slap in the face of the fan base, especially those who paid to be there in the sun and heat in support of the team. No wonder we get no national respect. The fans have every right to rip on the Bucs disgraceful showing. For the team to be so inept in all 3 phases of the game at HOME, to the Broncos no less, is 1,000 % on the Head coach, entire staff, and the captains of the team. The coaching staff & players should do nothing but run gassers Tuesday & Wednesday before even thinking about installing the game plan for the Eagles on Thursday. To disrespect the fans & supporters of the team like yesterday is on you, Bucs! We haven’t had a distinct ‘home field advantage’ since the Brooks, Sapp, Lynch, Barber, Alstott days. Want proof? Behold the sea of green Eagles jerseys in the stands in OUR crib come Sunday. For the Broncos coming in from mile high cool crisp weather to our sauna home field for a 1pm game with Payton as the coach, should’ve been a bloodbath for the visitors. Yet, we were the ones who melted down and wilted! This team should be twice as pissed and embarrassed as we fans are. Are they?
September 23rd, 2024 at 11:23 am
Before the season when Bowles wasn’t worried about having a good pass rush, or an elite pass rusher, I was like ok, maybe he’s right, maybe his blitz can make up for a lack of all that. But now I agree with Joe one hundred percent. Not having that guy is going to be our downfall
September 23rd, 2024 at 11:27 am
Has anyone ever claimed they were BETTER than sacks?
Nope, they simply say they’re also important. And obviously less effective against mobile QBs vs stationary ones.
What a disingenuous take.
September 23rd, 2024 at 3:11 pm
Nobody anywhere ever has ever said that pressures are “better” than sacks. But that won’t stop you guys from repeating this tired narrative. Let’s take your perspective as 100% true – pressure doesn’t matter. Sacks matter. Sack production in 2020 was 48. Exact same sack production as 2023. And yet nobody would confuse last yrs pass rush with the 2020 squad. Apparently pressure does in fact matter!
Here’s the reality: the Bucs have decided that they can get pass rush production via the interior. You can quibble with that philosophy, but you can’t say they don’t value sacks! They have spent several premium picks at edge (JTS, YaYa, Braswell) but 50 and 94 drive the bus, and they have been mostly injured so far. That is far and away the main impediment to the pass rush.
September 23rd, 2024 at 3:42 pm
And I know you’re gonna say there were veteran edge options available, but again, you can’t just go get those guys. This isn’t madden. They’ve got to want it, they’ve got to be available. If they aren’t available, the other team has to be willing to deal with you and then you’re giving up draft capital and now you’ve probably got a big contract to go with it. For a team with a lot of dead money commitments still on the books *next year* not to mention *this year* that doesn’t feel like a good use of your assets. Paying a vet edge probably means your young guys don’t play, hampering their development. It almost definitely means you don’t have the money to keep some of the veteran core (Evans, Lavonte, Winfield, Wirfs, Godwin) together. I think Bowles and Licht dealt the hand they were played, and this is what life looks like for any team without their top 2 pass rushers.