2025
2025 season · Weeks 1 to 22 · 8-9
Buccaneers defense
Every snap the Buccaneers defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good+0.02 EPA a play allowed, 18th of 32, and 0.01 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (19th).
- How they playThey blitz on 38% of dropbacks, the 3rd-most in the league, and get pressure on 21%.
- Where offenses find roomThrough the air: +0.09 EPA a dropback, 20th, softest intermediate right (+0.64 a throw).
- Who hurt themKyle Pitts (ATL): 225 yards and +17.3 EPA on 20 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.02 | 18th of 32 | 45th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.09 | 20th of 32 | 39th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.11 | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 45% | 20th of 32 | 39th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 10% | 19th of 32 | 42nd | |
| Yards per play | 5.8 | 24th of 32 | 27th | |
| Yards per carry | 4.1 | 13th of 32 | 61st | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 40% | 13th of 32 | 61st |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 5.8% | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 21% | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 13% | 25th of 32 | 23rd | |
| INT rateper dropback | 2.0% | 13th of 32 | 59th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 70% | 32nd of 32 | 2nd | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.14 | 16th of 32 | 52nd | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.3 | 10th of 32 | 75th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.01 | 19th of 32 | 42nd |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Buccaneers. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 8 of 17 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 8 against the Saints, 0.41 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.01 a play elsewhere, the 14th-toughest schedule of offenses.
at ATLW 23-20+0.06usual -0.03
at HOUW 20-19-0.05usual -0.01
vs NYJW 29-27-0.19usual -0.13
vs PHIL 25-31-0.07usual +0.03
at SEAW 38-35+0.41usual +0.01
vs SFW 30-19-0.09usual +0.10
at DETL 9-24-0.12usual +0.09
at NOW 23-3-0.47usual -0.06
vs NEL 23-28+0.18usual +0.16
at BUFL 32-44+0.27usual +0.13
at LAL 7-34+0.10usual +0.15
vs ARIW 20-17-0.03usual -0.02vs NOL 20-24+0.02usual -0.09vs ATLL 28-29+0.25usual -0.04
at CARL 20-23+0.10usual -0.04
at MIAL 17-20+0.11usual -0.02vs CARW 16-14-0.02usual -0.04Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is intermediate right: +0.64 EPA a throw against a league +0.26. The lockdown zone is deep right, -0.05 a throw (league +0.34). Completions against them run 2.5 points over expected, 26th-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 4.1 yards a carry against them, 13th of 32. The leak is outside right: 5.5 a carry and +0.22 EPA (league 5.2, +0.07).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 18.925th | 147.622nd | +0.1411th-toughest | 19.816th-most25.615th-most31.514th-most |
| Tight ends | 7.521st | 56.622nd | +0.3524th-toughest | 9.95th-most12.96th-most15.86th-most |
| Backs, receiving | 5.513th | 50.632nd | +0.3632nd-toughest | 17.515th-fewest19.916th-most22.215th-most |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 19.44th-most19.44th-most19.54th-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Pitts | ATL | 20 | 225 | 3 | +17.3 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | DET | 20 | 218 | 2 | +13.2 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA | 9 | 132 | 1 | +11.0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | CAR | 16 | 157 | 1 | +10.5 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | NE | 15 | 150 | 2 | +8.4 |
| Ty Johnson | BUF | 3 | 70 | 1 | +7.3 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-short (1 to 3): offenses convert 58% against a league 60%. They are stingiest in games they trail by 9+ (-0.22 a play, league +0.04) and weakest in the red zone (+0.11, league 0.00).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 437 | +0.01 | +0.01 | 0.00 |
| 2nd down | 319 | +0.10 | +0.02 | +0.08 |
| 3rd down | 200 | -0.07 | -0.05 | -0.02 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 52 | 58% | 60% | −3 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 54 | 44% | 44% | +1 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 94 | 27% | 26% | +1 pts |
| Red zone | 118 | +0.11 | 0.00 | +0.11 |
| Two-minute drill | 135 | -0.04 | +0.03 | -0.08 |
| When they lead | 550 | +0.08 | -0.01 | +0.09 |
| One-score game | 706 | +0.04 | +0.02 | +0.02 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 142 | -0.22 | +0.04 | -0.26 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 38% of dropbacks and average 4.4 rushers; 66% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.15 EPA when they blitz and +0.05 when they do not.
They put 6.7 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 14%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.6 a carry; into eight or more, 3.4.
Offenses throw more than usual against them: 3 points over their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.33 EPA against them on 20% of throws; screens +0.19.
34 defensive penalties for 272 yards, 23 of them first downs, the 3rd-fewest. They miss 10% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 20th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Yaya Diaby leads the pass rush with 32 pressures and 7 sacks on 75% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54Lavonte DavidOLB | 98% | 12 | 3.5 | 6 | 8 | 112 | 2 |
| 0Yaya DiabyLB | 75% | 32 | 7 | 19 | 13 | 48 | 1 |
| 50Vita VeaDT | 74% | 15 | 4.5 | 13 | 7 | 33 | |
| 90Logan HallDE | 59% | 10 | 1.5 | 6 | 2 | 38 | 1 |
| 5Haason ReddickOLB | 54% | 8 | 2.5 | 6 | 6 | 31 | 1 |
| 95Elijah RobertsDE | 48% | 10 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 13 | |
| 96Greg GainesDT | 35% | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 22 | |
| 92Elijah SimmonsDL | 9% | 1 | 6 | ||||
| 94Calijah KanceyDT | 9% | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 52C.J. BrewerDT | 4% | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 4 |
SirVocea Dennis plays 88% of the snaps with 96 tackles and 3 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8SirVocea DennisLB | 88% | 96 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 60 | 109.0 | 15 |
| 98Anthony NelsonLB | 36% | 38 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 79.5 | |
| 43Chris BraswellLB | 27% | 29 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 84.5 | 1 |
| 45Deion JonesLB | 11% | 28 | 1 | 7 | 89.0 | 1 | ||
| 58Markees WattsLB | 2% | 9 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 118.7 | 2 | |
| 57John BullockLB | 1% | 10 | ||||||
| 53Nick JacksonLB | 1% | 2 |
Jamel Dean is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 66.4 passer rating on 58 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31Antoine Winfield Jr.SAF | 99% | 56 | 31 of 56 | 555 | 3 | 88.8 | 2 | 8 |
| 23Tykee SmithDB | 86% | 53 | 35 of 53 | 480 | 3 | 89.5 | 1 | 13 |
| 25Jacob ParrishCB | 72% | 77 | 55 of 77 | 562 | 2 | 85.0 | 2 | 7 |
| 27Zyon McCollumCB | 72% | 81 | 49 of 81 | 585 | 6 | 94.2 | 1 | 6 |
| 35Jamel DeanCB | 61% | 58 | 28 of 58 | 411 | 2 | 66.4 | 3 | 9 |
| 21Benjamin MorrisonCB | 37% | 41 | 24 of 41 | 364 | 3 | 96.5 | 4 | |
| 29Christian IzienSAF | 16% | 14 | 11 of 14 | 134 | 1 | 118.4 | ||
| 22Kindle VildorCB | 15% | 22 | 13 of 22 | 186 | 3 | 92.2 | 1 | 3 |
| 32Kaevon MerriweatherSAF | 2% |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.