The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 6-2 heading into their Week 9 bye, but head coach Todd Bowles and company have not achieved this dominant record in the way most fans and analysts expected before the start of the 2025 season.
Without the good majority of their star playmakers on offense, the Bucs have mostly relied on quarterback Baker Mayfield and an underrated defensive unit. Before Week 1, the team’s clear strength, by most assessments, was its offensive weapons.
Granted, the Buccaneers’ depth at wide receiver and running back has helped carry them as well, but the surprisingly strong play of the defense as a unit has really been impressive to see. And it hasn’t necessarily been one player leading the way.
On October 27, after the Bucs’ Week 8 win over the New Orleans Saints, FOX Sports beat reporter Greg Auman posted the following note while responding to a fan.
“Yes, Bucs are third in the NFL with 25 sacks — only [the Denver] Broncos and [Los Angeles] Rams have more,” Auman informed.
He added that Tampa Bay is “on pace to get 50 sacks for only the second time in team history. And no individual player has more than four sacks — seven have two or more, which is a very Bowles thing.”
Todd Bowles’ Blitz-Heavy Defense Is Confusing Opposing Offenses as 2025 Buccaneers on the Hunt for Team Sack Record
The Buccaneers have 25 team sacks over their first 8 games. If you average it out, that’s 3.125 sacks per game.
With 9 games left to play following the Week 9 bye, the Tampa Bay defense would finish with approximately 53 sacks if it continues on this pace.
As Auman noted, this would be historic for the Bucs, being that the franchise has only achieved 50 or more sacks in one season, the year 2000. But it would be even more historic if Tampa shattered that 2000 record of 55 sacks, and they’re currently only 2 sacks off the mark at a projected 53 sacks.
Really, this is a credit to Bowles and his defensive staff members, considering the Buccaneers have no clear NFL sack leaders on their roster.
Like Bowles’ defenses typically do, this unit will blitz from any and all positions, confusing opposing quarterbacks and offensive linemen. It also utilizes strong rotational depth, prioritizing freshness and energy over one or two star players getting all the snaps.
In other words, the Buccaneers defense hits teams with waves of pass rushers, and they may come from the secondary, the linebacker crew, or straight up the gut. You never know with Bowles, and the long-time defensive coordinator turned second-time HC is earning his extension in 2025.
YaYa Diaby Is the Buccaneers’ Sack Leader After Week 8
Incredibly, Bowles has accomplished this feat without rising star defensive lineman Calijah Kancey (2 starts) and fourth-round draft pick and outside linebacker David Walker. On top of that, veteran outside linebacker Haason Reddick has been inconsistent and is now banged up, having missed Week 8.
However, despite less-than-ideal circumstances, this defense has thrived in the sack department.
While Bowles is the master puppeteer in this regard, certain players deserve shout-outs, too. Outside linebacker YaYa Diaby leads the team with 4.0 sacks, and veteran OLB Anthony Nelson is right behind him with 3.0 sacks.
Linebacker Lavonte David and defensive tackle Vita Vea also each have 2.5 sacks. And linebacker SirVocea Dennis, safety Tykee Smith, and nickel/cornerback Jacob Parrish each have 2.0 sacks.
Football is the ultimate team sport, and the Bucs are certainly winning based on a team approach in 2025.
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