After so many negatives, one thing that has developed in the right direction lately is the defense. While the absence of Kwon Alexander was definitely felt with Joe Mixon running all over the Bucs in the first half, the unit got it together in the second half, at a point in the game where most people did not expect the Bucs to even have a chance of being competitive again.
Duffner made great adjustments at the half, which enabled the Bucs to still have a chance to win this game after trailing 27-9—and they almost did. Unfortunately, after playing an excellent second half, they could not keep the Bengals out of field goal range on the last drive with just over a minute left in the game.
Nonetheless, compared to how the defense played in the first five games, Duffner has made quite an impact so far. It is scary, however, that the Buccaneers still only have one interception for the season. They are on pace to break a record for fewest interceptions in a season. With Gerald McCoy and Vinny Curry hopefully returning to the lineup soon, Duffner’s defense should only improve.
