The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't have much to feel good about following their 19-0 preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the performance of their defensive front provided another reason for optimism heading into the regular season.
Tampa Bay recorded four sacks in the finale, with Jack Pyburn leading the way with two while Anthony Nelson and Josiah Green each added one. Even when the Buccaneers weren't getting quarterbacks to the ground, pressure came from several different spots. Pyburn saved one of his best performances for his final opportunity to make the 53-man roster. The undrafted rookie recorded two sacks, three tackles for loss, and a pass breakup against Jacksonville, giving him four sacks across three preseason games. He got
his first sack by attacking the edge with a stab-club move before turning the corner. On his second, Pyburn recognized the tackle oversetting to account for his speed outside and countered inside to get to the quarterback.
Anthony Nelson also reminded Tampa Bay why he's been such a dependable rotational piece. Nelson brought down Nick Mullens on third down in the first quarter, ending Jacksonville's opening possession and forcing a punt. Then there's David Walker, who didn't record a sack in the finale, but his impact went beyond the box score. He consistently created problems off the edge and continued a preseason in which he has looked virtually unblockable at times. That was evident from his first preseason action against the Jets. Walker's pressure helped create two interceptions, including Ayden Garnes' pick-six, and his combination of speed, power and an impressive spin move consistently gave opposing tackles problems. He has also commanded extra attention from blockers, something that could become even more valuable when surrounded by Tampa Bay's starting defensive front.
For a Buccaneers defense that has spent the offseason trying to become more dangerous without relying heavily on Bowles' blitz packages, that's an encouraging development, and all without seeing what the complete group can do together. Yaya Diaby and first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. sit atop a group that also includes Walker, Nelson, Al-Quadin Muhammad and potentially Pyburn. The Buccaneers suddenly have different types of rushers they can rotate throughout games rather than asking one or two players to carry the responsibility.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Buccaneers' revamped pass rush flashes again in preseason finale
