The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense has come a long way since the dreaded days of Mike Smith. Long time fans will remember how horrid the unit was, giving up yards and points on seemingly every drive.
Those days are long gone.
Defense
The Buccaneers are now a top five defense, ranking fifth in total defense, and tied for seventh in scoring. Even so, you would expect the rushing defense to decline after dominating the league in 2020. But through three weeks, the Buccaneers rank third in rushing and 14th in pass defense.
Here are the full stats summed up by Greg Auman of the Athletic
Bucs offense is 14th in scoring offense, 25th in total offense, t-18th in passing offense, 27th in run offense, 13th on third down, but t-fourth in red zone, scoring on eight of 10 trips inside the opposing 20.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 28, 2020
Jason Licht and Bruce Arians retaining the front seven was a huge story in 2020 that went unnoticed. With the signing of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, it’s hard to blame anyone for over looking it.
Still, second round pick Antoine Winfield Jr. has busted onto the scene, with two sacks through three games. But while the defense is off to a hot start, the offense has been slow out of the gate.
Offense
Yards are significantly down from last season, as Tampa Bay ranks T18th in passing and 25th in rushing. But as we know from the Dirk Koetter era, yards are overrated, as the Buccaneers rank 14th in scoring, a step up from 2019.
Bucs defense moving up in NFL rankings: fifth in total defense, t-7th in scoring defense, 3rd in rush defense, 14th in pass defense, fifth in interception rate, sixth in sack rate, 13th on third downs, t-sixth in red zone defense. https://t.co/PmrYurbq3b
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 28, 2020
The running game continues to be an issue, as the Buccaneers struggle to gain any yards on first down runs. I would also argue that the use of tight ends has been a disappointment, but we saw the unit get a fair target share versus the Denver Broncos last week.
While the offense continues to gel, it’s the defense that has been on a role through three weeks. The front seven continues to dominate, while the young secondary has built off their 2019 campaign.
We’ll see if the offense can get into full swing by mid season, but so far, things are looking good for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
