Bucs’ PFF Midseason Roster Ranking Shows Third-Largest Slide
It’s not hard to believe Tampa Bay’s tumble down the rankings. PFF’s initial roster rankings in September touted the signing of Julio Jones as one of the team’s biggest strengths, as Jones joined Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage to give Tom Brady “one of the best receiving corps in the NFL.”
Things haven’t worked out that way, though. Jones and Gage haven’t been able to stay on the field, Godwin hasn’t been himself after his knee surgery and Evans had been solid until a few rough performances in recent weeks. Tampa Bay’s offense has been a shell of what it was in 2020 and 2021, due in part to its receivers but mostly because of a horrific run game and a struggling interior offensive line.
The interior offensive line, unsurprisingly, was named by PFF as the Bucs’ biggest weakness both before the season and at the midway point.
Rookie left guard Luke Goedeke hasn’t looked ready and while Robert Hainsey has done an admirable job stepping in for injured Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen, there’s a clear dropoff there. Here’s what PFF’s Brad Spielberger had to say about the team’s biggest weakness:
“Interior offensive line. Not only has quarterback Tom Brady struggled with interior pressure on a weekly basis, but the loss of center Ryan Jensen is the first thing you should point to if trying to figure out why Tampa Bay ranks dead last in expected points added per rush and yards per carry. The team also ranks 30th with just 0.9 yards before contact per attempt.”
At the same time, however, PFF listed the Bucs’ tackles as their strength. From Spielberger:
“Offensive tackles. The Buccaneers’ tackles have allowed a league-low 6.0% pressure rate on the season and unsurprisingly lead the league in pass-blocking grade as a unit (81.0).”
Left tackle Donovan Smith is struggling more than he has in recent years, but he’s still been solid on the whole. Meanwhile, right tackle Tristan Wirfs has remained elite. He’s one of the best tackles in the NFL and he’s playing like it.
Tampa Bay’s “X-Factor” Remains The Same
In its September roster rankings, PFF listed second-year edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka as the Bucs’ biggest x-factor. Ben Linsey had this to say:
“Tryon-Shoyinka, Tampa Bay’s first-round selection in the 2021 NFL draft, played 608 defensive snaps while working behind Shaquil Barrett and Pierre-Paul in 2021. He wasn’t able to generate consistent pressure (9.8% pressure rate) in his time on the field, but he’ll be counted on to make an impact as a starter in 2022. The physical tools are there for him to make that second-year leap.”
So far this season, Tryon-Shoyinka hasn’t taken the leap many expected from him. He’s shown flashes, of course, with three sacks, three quarterback hits and 16 quarterback hurries. But Tampa Bay will now need more from him, as Shaquil Barrett will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles.
PFF’s midseason roster rankings point to Tryon-Shoyinka again for the Bucs’ x-factor for the second half of the season:
“Edge defender Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. With Shaquil Barrett lost for the season, the second-year edge rusher out of Washington will have to step up and win his one-on-one matchups with regularity. So far this season, his pressure rate is below 10%. He needs to take the next step and close games out if Tampa Bay can build a lead.”
Tryon-Shoyinka does need to be better for the Bucs. He’ll need help from Anthony Nelson, Carl Nassib and perhaps Genard Avery, too. Tampa Bay getting some interior pressure would be big as well. Vita Vea currently leads the team with 6.5 sacks through nine games, so more of that from him would go a long way in helping out Tryon-Shoyinka and the edge rushers.
Talent Is There For The Bucs To Turn Things Around
Remarkably, at 4-5, the Bucs lead the NFC South. They certainly haven’t played their best football through nine weeks, but if these roster rankings tell anyone anything, it’s that there’s plenty of talent to work with the rest of the way. But that’s nothing new. This team’s talent has rarely been the problem.
Tampa Bay’s coaching staff has this line it loves to use about needing to “play it better and coach it better.” As overused as that is, it’s true. The Bucs need to execute at a higher level to reach their potential, and the coaches — especially offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich — need to be better. Because it’s all right there for this team.
The Bucs are 4-5, but a record as mediocre as 8-9 or 9-8 may get the job done in this NFC South. And winning the division means hosting a first-round playoff game. From there, anything can happen, especially with Brady as your quarterback.
The path to the playoffs should be manageable for Tampa Bay. The schedule is full of teams with similar records to the one Bowles and co. have right now. The toughest test comes this week in the form of the Seahawks (6-3) in Germany. Then, the Bucs hit their bye week.
After the bye, there’s the Browns (3-5), Saints (3-5), 49ers (4-4), Bengals (5-4) and Cardinals (3-6). The team then wraps up its regular season slate with the Panthers (2-7) and Falcons (4-5).
It’s manageable. But the Bucs have to be more like the Bucs of 2020 and 2021, not the Bucs of the first half of 2022.
