Do statistics make a team for Buccaneers defense?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense showed out in their 55-40 shootout win over the Los Angeles Rams at the L.A. Coliseum on Sunday.

If the defense “showing out” in a game where they allowed 40 points seems strange, that’s because it is. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense may have been liberal when it came to points, but they forced four turnovers during the game.

Firstly, let’s talk about the players who quietly made a difference.

Solo tackles in a game is not a sexy statistic and it never has been. However, M.J. Stewart and Kevin Minter led the team with nine each; no sacks, no tackles for loss, just two players roving the field and finding the man with the ball.

But the hero of the game was Shaq Barrett.

Barrett recorded four tackles, but he made his presence felt in the backfield by pressuring the passer. He recording one sack, one hit on the quarterback, deflected two passes, intercepted another pass and forced the fumble that Ndamukong Suh ran back for a touchown late in the game. Though his numbers weren’t spectacularly high in any single area, the statistics show a player who is all over the field making plays.

The debates about how much the Buccaneers should pay Barrett in the offseason have already started.