It wasn’t long ago that the Buccaneers had trouble when it came to putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The secondary obviously suffered as a result, bringing the defense down as a whole.
But things changed in 2019. With the addition of Shaquil Barrett—who went on to lead the NFL in sacks—and Ndamukong Suh, Tampa Bay’s pass rush took a huge step forward in 2019. How big of a step? Well, it led the entire NFL in total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus:
With 359 pressures a year ago, the Bucs finished four ahead of the division rival Saints.