The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' pass rush has been struggling to get off the ground this season.
The defense stands at only six sacks through five games this season, with two coming from inside linebackers Alex Anzalone and Josiah Trotter and three coming from backup pass rushers David Walker and Anthony Nelson. While it's good that young players like Walker and Trotter are showcasing their abilities and proving that they are bright prospects for the team, many did not expect them to be the leading men in this unit.
Two players who have yet to notch a stat are starters Yaya Diaby and Rueben Bain Jr., both players whom many Bucs fans were excited about this season. This isn't fully their fault, as Bain Jr. has missed a couple of games due to injury and Diaby has had a couple of nagging ailments of his own.
However, the results to this point are certainly not what Bucs fans had in mind when they thought of the revamped pass rush the team made throughout the course of this offseason, and the players present are too good to be in the situation that they are in.
Along with Diaby and Bain Jr., veteran pass rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad has yet to step in as well, which is surprising considering he had 11 sacks in a rotational role with the Detroit Lions last season.
The quarterback they are going to try to take down? Aaron Rodgers, one of the best to do it in the NFL and someone who knows how to deal with pressure when faced with it.
However, Rodgers has actually been mortal against the Bucs, posting a 3-3 record through six career games with ten touchdowns to a matching ten interceptions.
If the Buccaneers are able to force Rodgers to make some mistakes and we see players like Diaby, Bain Jr., and Muhammad rise to the occasion, we could see the Bucs come away with the upset win during Week 6.
But if the pass rush continues to be lackluster and players like Walker, Nelson and the inside linebackers are the only ones who can keep the pass rush alive, it could be a very long day for the team.
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