A Pass Rush Arrived!

September 30th, 2024

“Thank you, God!”

It was like a classic scene from “Animal House.”

Comedy fans will know it: The kid sitting on his bed with an adult magazine when a woman comes crashing through his bedroom window, landing on the bed. The kid looks to the sky and says, “Thank you, God!

That’s just what Joe was thinking watching the Bucs hammer Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts yesterday for what was the Bucs’ best pass rush in almost three years.

That’s the intel from Michael Baca of NFL.com by way of NextGen Stats.

The Buccaneers generated their highest pressure rate (48.6%) in a game since Week 6, 2021, which was also against the Eagles. The Buccaneers were effective on blitzes, recording eight pressures and four sacks on 15 blitzes. Lavonte David had two sacks and four pressures on eight pass rushes. On the season, David has nine pressures, second-most on the Buccaneers and most among off-ball linebackers in the NFL through the early slate of Week 4.

Joe doesn’t know if it is a good thing for an off-ball linebacker to be one of a team’s best pass rushers. But you know what? Whatever it takes.

The Bucs before yesterday’s curb-stomping of the Eagles had a grand total of two sacks, both coming against a rookie quarterback in Week 1. The Bucs simply couldn’t continue with such a putrid pass rush if they wanted to make noise in January.

Six sacks? It was like manna dropping from the skies right into your bedroom.

29 Responses to “A Pass Rush Arrived!”

  1. pewter941 Says:

    Vea arrived.

  2. BA’s Red Pen Says:

    I didn’t think it would be possible without Hassan Reddick.

  3. DavidBigBucsFan99 Says:

    It arrived but will it stay. That’s what inquiring Buc fans want to know. 3 years of futility aren’t wiped out in one game

  4. Paratrooper Buc Says:

    I was happy we got 6 sacks but circumstances played a big part. 1) the heat sucked the life out of the eagles Oline 2) our conditioning in the heat helped us. 3) hurts struggles against Bowles defense 4) three of their best players were out (2 star wide receivers and oline guy). Those things contributed to the sacks and we can’t replicate that again. We need Kancey back.

  5. BigPoppaBuc Says:

    A lot of it has to do with the game flow. We were up big and the front seven no longer had to worry about stopping Barkley. This is the recipe for this team and we have the chef’s to execute. Get the lead, play stout defense, stop the run, build the lead, get after the QB and close it out.

  6. ModHairKen Says:

    It was one game.

  7. doolnutts Says:

    We all love Vea but I think we had a pass rush because of his presence.

  8. Dave Pear Says:

    Keep it up. Kirk’s Cousin is vulnerable to such tactics, and is a QB who doesn’t seem to shred Todd’s favorite pass defense schemes.

    Very important to bring the heat on the Cousin.

  9. Matt_PcAfee Says:

    Hassan Reddick would have had 7!

  10. PSL Bob Says:

    Doolnutts, you’re absolutely right. The big difference between yesterday and the previous two games was VV. He is dominant in the middle and it take pressure off the edge rushers and blitzers.

  11. BucsBeast Says:

    What’s up with Kancey, Winfield and Luke?
    They need to play Thursday.

  12. Lightningvinny Says:

    Mr Hurts your average is 1.8,,,, Mr Barkley your average is 2.2,,, Mr Goddard you lead Eagle House with a 2.5 average,, Mr White .. you have no Average , and Mr Siri,,,,,,,, Mr Siriani,, Zero Point Zero!

  13. Fred Says:

    That should be a pic of Vita Vea not Diaby

  14. HC Grover Says:

    Beating Lions and Eagles means that hopefully Denver was an outlier and they will be in the race for another division title.

  15. Dave Pear Says:

    Lightningvinny Says:
    September 30th, 2024 at 12:37 pm
    Mr Hurts your average is 1.8,,,, Mr Barkley your average is 2.2,,, Mr Goddard you lead Eagle House with a 2.5 average,, Mr White .. you have no Average , and Mr Siri,,,,,,,, Mr Siriani,, Zero Point Zero!

    *******************************

    That, sir, is Genius!

    And considering the heat, CGJ might have said “I can’t believe I threw up in front of Coach Siriani.” To which Blankenship replied, “Face it, Chauncy. You threw up ON Coach Siriani.”

  16. Pewter Power Says:

    Great pass rush game but it hasn’t arrived until it’s consistent so hopefully they are motivated to show up for prime time

  17. SlyPirate Says:

    Just imagine if we had a super quick DT?

  18. A Bucs Fan Says:

    It’s a good first step, but don’t hold your breath. Jalen Hurts holds the football longer than any other starting QB this season

  19. Rover Says:

    If LVD doesnt slip and catches that 2nd half interception, he would have easily been NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

  20. LakelandBuc Says:

    There’s 6 games we need to see a dominant pass rush. And those 6 games are against our NFC South opponents.

    We don’t a sometimes pass rush, consistency is what we need.

  21. David Says:

    Some is on the Eagles O line
    Some game plan
    A lot is VEA in the middle
    Cannot wait for KANCEY to play alongside him

    Must keep it up against ATL!!

  22. Cobraboy Says:

    Cousins is a statue, Hurts has wheels.

  23. Cobraboy Says:

    Vea made the difference. Add Kancey, and Thursday pressure on a statue might be fun…

  24. Lightningvinny Says:

    Sirianis face did look like the mayors daughter told him she was only 15!!!
    ( ok enough animal house)
    Why did our punter get replaced by a guy who can’t hold and punts like crap?

  25. Jake been there since the beginning Says:

    Let’s always remember the Broncos, don’t get all bloated in the head and lay an egg come Thursday. That’s a thing with the Bucs Bucs, always has been to. Keep it mellow and get a good game plan, Cousins is still Cousins. Let’s hope we can relive last year in Minnesota and walk out of the dome with the Win. Let’s Go Bucs!!!!

  26. stpetebucfan Says:

    “Let’s always remember the Broncos,’

    Yes indeed but let’s keep them in perspective. The Bucs DID lose a game they coulda/shoulda won on paper. They didn’t bring their game on Sunday.

    Having said that the very next week the Broncos D keeps the Jets and Aaron Rodgers out of the end zone completely! 3 freaking FG’s and a loss for the Jets.

    As the cliche goes they pay the other guys too. I dislike Sean Payton. He comes across like a smarmy arsehole and is a dirty coach. Having said that I do have a very high regard for his coaching ability. Like him or not he is a winner!

    He obviously learned a lot about his team last year, made some moves and no Denver may not be the AFC favorite but the team is much better. Ask the JETS.

    And speaking of the folly of comparing results against teams…Buc fans were modest in their appreciation of the opening day win as it was expected against a very young team with a rookie QB making his first start. The Commanders and especially Jayden Daniels are better than we thought. That win is looking very valuable right now. A home win in the Conference against a team that figures to be in the playoff hunt.

  27. David Says:

    Cousins is a statue, but they block pretty well. He has only been sacked 6 times. Need that push in the middle from VEA.

    Trying to figure out what they do well and nothing jumps out. Their opponents are better in almost every single category. Cousins has only been sacked 6 times so maybe they pass block well.
    As much as they talk about Bijon at RB…
    55 carries for 224 1 TD
    Bucky-
    35 carries for 203 1 TD

    Basically, I am not sure what the gameplan is. I imagine stuff the run is always the 1st component with Bowles. Seems very doable.

    If they can jump out to a lead again and unleash after Cousins, they can force turnovers.

  28. Rod Munch Says:

    It’s a one off. Bowles, for actually allows himself to go full, all-out blitz vs Hurts, yet sits back in a super soft zone for everyone else. The week before, super soft zone vs a rookie QB. Vs the Falcons with a QB that can’t move? Super soft zone. Not sure why he’s made an exception for Hurts, but until I see Bowles going all out against someone else, I’m going to stand by this was just a one off, and next week teams will be moving the ball at will with all day to pass the ball.

  29. garro Says:

    LVD was used in blitz packages succesfully early in his career here. He knows how. Not sure why but Todd has never really used him that way. Schiano loved to send him from OLB. He had seven sacks in 2013.

    Maybe Bowles is on to something?

    Go Bucs!