Another game, another prominent piece on the defensive line gets injured. First week it was Jacquies Smith. This game, Robert Ayers gets hurt as well. For preseason, Smith led the team in pressures. Ayers was a prized free agent acquisition.
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | ||||||
| Defensive Pressure | ||||||
| Comparison: Game 1 v Game 2 | ||||||
| Game | Team | Sacks | TFL's | QB hits | PD | |
| 1 | Atlanta | 3 | 8 | 4 | 6 | |
| 2 | Arizona | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |
The defensive line was the supposed to be talented enough so that rookie second-rounder Noah Spence would be used only in pass rush situations, with Ayers, Smith, Will Gholston, and possibly Howard Jones ahead of Spence on the ends.