Sacks Over Pressures: A Different Angle
October 16th, 2024
“Don’t worry Chris, pressures are a f@#$ing joke.”
There’s a not-so-new trend in the NFL where folks are trying to con innocent Americans into believing pressures are more important than sacks.
It’s the biggest pile of rubbish since NFL people tried to make fans think Marcus Mariota was a quality quarterback.
And Baker Mayfield is here to prove the pressures-are-better-than-sacks crowd doesn’t know what it’s talking about.
Joe has long maintained pressure doesn’t bother good quarterbacks. Think a pressure bothers Pat Mahomes? Or Josh Allen?
But sacks, that’s a different story. Sacks are definitive. You can’t complete a throw after a sack, forget about accurate or inaccurate. The play is done. Over. Finito. Stats back this up overwhelmingly: sacks are drive-killers.
As Joe’s old man often said, a quarterback can’t complete a pass when he’s lying on his ass.
But back to the Mayfield angle. It seems against the slimy Saints, Mayfield was deadly accurate last Sunday — when pressured.
Football Outsiders (RIP) refugee Derrik Klassen, now typing for The Athletic, broke down Mayfield’s game and documented how Mayfield lit up the slimy Saints with guys in his face.
The one area I want to make sure Mayfield gets his proper due is for what he did under pressure. Mayfield was accurate on 6-of-7 pressured attempts and made some serious throws in those instances, including a sweet touchdown pass to tight end Cade Otton.
Mayfield used to be so skittish and unsure of himself in cluttered pockets, especially while he was playing in Cleveland. That’s much less true now. Mayfield did a great job in this game of maintaining a solid base, finding areas of grass in the pocket and keeping his eyes down the field once the pocket started closing on him. That development, more than anything else, has been what’s set the Bucs’ version of Mayfield apart from that of the Browns’.
Pressures don’t affect good quarterbacks. And this year, the Bucs have a good quarterback.
Mayfield is among the statistical quarterback leaders, including touchdowns thrown. He looks to be on the brink of having a second career year in his two seasons with the Bucs. And a big reason why is pressures don’t bother him.
Sacks over pressures, people. Sacks over pressures. As the old saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
October 16th, 2024 at 11:52 am
He’s going to throw for 400 yards and 3+ TD’s Monday night.
October 16th, 2024 at 11:57 am
are the bucs’ offense all-time records gonna fall this year?
October 16th, 2024 at 11:59 am
so what do we do, sign liam to an extension that makes him highest paid coordinator of all time? only have to point to Canales to warn him how the HC deal can go
October 16th, 2024 at 12:00 pm
thinking about who liam could wind up coaching next year is too scary
October 16th, 2024 at 12:01 pm
Well we are top 10 with 17 sacks. 3 sacks from top 4.
It’s been a bit bipolar this season though. Either bringing it or no pressure at all
October 16th, 2024 at 12:03 pm
It makes sense, we don’t have a DC so why not give him both salaries.
Dave Canales being a HC right now still baffles me. I’m glad it’s the panthers but what on earth did he do last season for them to see a Head Coach in him. And don’t give me the BS about him being a ‘Quarterback whisperer’… that title makes even less sense than him being employed in the NFL
October 16th, 2024 at 12:05 pm
Sacks>QB Hits>Pressures>Bucs OLB’s
QB hits can wear down even the best QB’s, so put them on their backs if you can’t sack them. A free rusher running in the QB’s face is pretty effective against many QB’s. Against the Ravens, the Bucs need to mind their gaps to keep Jackson in the pocket.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:06 pm
So now Liam Coen is a hot commodity after 6 games
SMDH
October 16th, 2024 at 12:06 pm
A Bucs Fan – golly, sure hope you are right. We need him to in order to have a chance of out scoring the Ravens. Maybe we will catch a break and Dean will be out injured. Man does he suck.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:07 pm
It depends on the sacks,
Are they sacks during garbage time?
Or sacks during crucial moments of the game?
Numbers can be deceiving
October 16th, 2024 at 12:08 pm
@Baker Bowl – to fix Bryce Young and because he worked with Dan Morgan in Seattle.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:14 pm
“Pressures don’t affect good quarterbacks.”
The old saying was …
“The way to beat TB12 was to knock him down early.”
Watch NE-NYG Super Bowls. Watch Tampa-KC Super Bowl. Either, TB12 and Mahomes aren’t good QBs or pressuring QBs is a good thing. Turns out the body doesn’t like pain.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:17 pm
Co-Head Coach
October 16th, 2024 at 12:20 pm
It’s ludicrous to say pressures don’t effect good QBs.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:24 pm
And after 2 games Bryce Young was benched… Like I said, glad it was the Panthers, but wouldn’t be surprised if he was out of the league relatively soon. But actually, what did he do to earn that title? Actually asking as I am not well educated on his past.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:30 pm
LakelandBuc Says:
October 16th, 2024 at 12:06 pm
So now Liam Coen is a hot commodity after 6 games
SMDH
————————–
Read my mind.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:31 pm
@Dave Pear – it’s the perfect opportunity for the pass offense to explode.. The Ravens have the 31st ranked pass defense whereas their run defense is 1 overall. If they game plan it right this could be similar to Baker’s perfect game in Lambeau field last year.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:39 pm
think of it like this:
as a teen…
your mom could put pressure on you…
by father could sack you to the ground…
there is a difference 🙂
October 16th, 2024 at 12:42 pm
Luvd ur artumicle Joe, and, agree, pressures Dont affect good qb, perhaps if u had stated, preszures dont REALLY STOP good qb , then sme mighta not jumped up n complained
Hey, yall, Joe is just pointing out facts and that OUR QB has a bee
Tter outcome than most qb’s when he is pressured and THAT can make ALL the difference in, oh, lets say close And Championship games!!! BUCS R SUPER GOOD WITH BAKER BE HAPPY YALL N GO BAKER, GO BUCS!!!!
October 16th, 2024 at 12:44 pm
It will be interesting to see if canales lasts the season….
October 16th, 2024 at 12:46 pm
“Mayfield used to be so skittish and unsure of himself in cluttered pockets, especially while he was playing in Cleveland. That’s much less true now.”
Sing it from the rooftops! Hopefully more people start to clue in.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:47 pm
Has anyone heard from Trask to the Stupid lately?
October 16th, 2024 at 12:50 pm
I agree 100% but if I had to guess, pressures are more of a thing now because in this passing league QBs get rid of the ball quicker (or at least should), therefore pressures have more of an emphasis than in the past because sack rates per pass are lower.
I have no idea if that is true, just typing out loud.
Bottom line… time for YAYA and KANCEY to get after it!!!
October 16th, 2024 at 12:51 pm
try to shake garrett loose from those always lowly browns…
if baker approves…go for him over reddick all the way
October 16th, 2024 at 1:11 pm
BA’s Red Pen – I saw him say he was done posting here during one of the game days in the past couple weeks. Who knows if he’ll stick to his word.
October 16th, 2024 at 1:13 pm
I always look forward to his comments, we need him back
October 16th, 2024 at 1:17 pm
a lot of people fade into the woodwork or reel it in on here when the bucs are doing well…
even the “sudo” bucs fans, who like them to win, but also get off on them losing…
most of them are staying pretty quiet right now and being good little boyz
October 16th, 2024 at 1:33 pm
Hopefully, at some point, we drop the “career year” and it just becomes that Bakers an elite qb.
October 16th, 2024 at 2:06 pm
^^^^^^
currently baker has an elite 5 o’clock shadow, and has for a minute now… 🙂
elite qb…?
yeah he’s definitely working on it…he’s definitely leveled up since getting here, and if we knock off these beastly ravens monday night – and he is a catalyst in making it happen, it’s just another notch on his belt
October 16th, 2024 at 2:15 pm
Yeah AKicknTheBucNuts – and Monday Night we’ll see why he’s called Big Game Baker. Unless he gets sacked 6 or 8 times. Because Joe is right. Sacks are a sh..load better than pressures.
October 16th, 2024 at 2:23 pm
The only time a pressure beats a sack is when the pressure gets the quarterback to throw a pick six… unless of course the sack in question is a strip sack that goes back for six. Then they’re equal. LOL
October 16th, 2024 at 2:34 pm
No one I’ve read or heard has pointed it out so far, so I guess I will: On Mayfield’s TD throw to Otton, he was under so much pressure that he couldn’t use his legs to throw. Check out the replay; he threw a flat-footed bullet to the perfect spot. All arm.
There are very few QBs in the league that could’ve complete that pass. Mayfield is going to have a monster year (if he doesn’t get hurt).
October 16th, 2024 at 4:09 pm
I thought of Baker first about pressures not changing him but with all the RPO offenses in the league now there are a LOT of guys who not only do not feel pressured by the rush but THRIVE on it.
Gotta drop those guys for sure and there will be NO BIGGER TEST all season for the Bucs D. I think the Ravens D is decent and the Bucs will have to work to score but they will score.
I’m not sure the Bucs will be able to do is both slow Derrick, a heavy dose of Britt there might actually be a good thing, he may be slow but Britts is a thumper!
But then what happens with Lamar who would toy with the lumbering Britt? Winfield?
October 16th, 2024 at 4:15 pm
We’ve had 15 sacks in the last 3 games…. just sayin.
Maybe Todd is a better coach than people give him credit for and he’s been hamstrung by injuries/personell ?
With good health and a little luck we could wind up with A LOT of sacks this year!
October 16th, 2024 at 4:29 pm
Pressure works if it’s done right. You got a few 250 lb plus guys in your face as a QB, what exactly are you going to do? Hang on to the football? Nope. You’re going to get rid of it so you don’t get your azz creamed. A sack is what it is, but a good pressure is very effective, too.
October 16th, 2024 at 5:14 pm
Saskbucs Says:
October 16th, 2024 at 12:46 pm
“Mayfield used to be so skittish and unsure of himself in cluttered pockets, especially while he was playing in Cleveland. That’s much less true now.”
=====================================
That’s something some guy wrote who didn’t really follow Mayfield in Cleveland. Again, playing for a team that was 1-31 in the two years before he arrived, Mayfield set the NFL rookie record for TD passes while playing in only 13 games. Even today there are those on this site who complain about Mayfield’s “happy feet.” Most of those guys don’t understand QB play. Footwork is essential for QB’s. What people see is Mayfield moving off one receiver(progressions) for another. Have to be able to do this to get something on the ball. Mayfield rarely has had enough time to set and survey the entire field. That has been true wherever he has played. Hopefully, Tampa is determined to build a line that is capable of both run and pass blocking. We saw a good start versus NO last Sunday.
October 16th, 2024 at 5:55 pm
Nobody says pressures are better than sacks. You’re making up guys to get mad at.
October 16th, 2024 at 6:03 pm
Lee you are absolutely right, like I typed earlier. I don’t want to see Haasan Reddick go to an NFC rival that we might face later in the year. That in itself would suck.
October 16th, 2024 at 6:19 pm
Lee, I get exactly what you are saying. You have been writing and speaking about this for months, months! I just don’t want to see Haasan Reddick in an NFC uniform later in the year terrorizing Baker, that would suck.
October 16th, 2024 at 6:55 pm
In the aftermath of a devastating hurricane, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced off against the Baltimore Ravens at home, embodying the resilience of their community. Fueled by the spirit of recovery, Baker Mayfield rallied his teammates, emphasizing unity and determination.
On game day, the atmosphere crackled with energy as Mayfield delivered a stellar performance. With precise passes and clever scrambles, he systematically dismantled the Ravens’ defense. The Buccaneers’ defense, inspired by the challenges they had overcome, put on a show of strength, forcing critical turnovers.
In a nail-biting clash, Mayfield led Tampa Bay to a triumphant victory, proving that with teamwork and tenacity, they could rise above adversity. The city erupted in celebration, united and unwavering in their pride. As the Bucs beat the Ravens 38-31. Just putting it out there again this week after it turned out so well last week I was off slightly wasnt 52-34 like I thought/hoped it would be…
October 16th, 2024 at 8:13 pm
Sure hope we keep seeing one of your stories every week Josh. For the rest of the year including the playoffs. Right up until the Super Bowl. Then print all the essays and put them in a binder. That would be pretty cool.
October 16th, 2024 at 9:00 pm
@Joe — Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades . . .
And drive-in movies.
October 17th, 2024 at 2:06 am
The Gronk comments about Baker are all anyone need to have the utmost confidence in our QB.
Now — about game planning. For A Bucs Fan’s vision to work, the Bucs will need stout OL protection which hasn’t really been there to unleash the deep ball. Then, who to throw to. Mike is gimpy, Palmer is concussed, McMillan looks like the unwanted baby of Darden and Kenny Bell, Kam the little school darling has gone AWOL. That leaves us with Godwin the Stud, Shep the reborn…..and Ryan Miller. And the Tight Ends who have been very tight but not productive.
Now — what would be most fun is to see all three RBs on the field in a pass / run whodunnit mystery in some packages.
Offense rules. It must. Need a 40 burger for a chance in this one.