Alex Anzalone was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ worst player through two weeks. He was a constant liability due to missed tackles, blown coverage, and even a boneheaded unnecessary roughness penalty to put the cherry on top.
The fanbase has lambasted Anzalone for his poor play, and I’ve been at the forefront calling the veteran linebacker out for his performance. But as quickly as I am to dish out criticism, I’m just as eager to heap praise on Buccaneers players who deserve it. And Anzalone deserves it.
In Week 3, Anzalone played his best game of the season so far – albeit, that's a low bar. He looked more like the linebacker the Buccaneers thought they were getting when they signed him to a two-year deal in free agency, and that performance couldn’t have come at a better time as standout rookie Josiah Trotter was held out with an injury. If Anzalone can consistently play at the level he did against the Minnesota Vikings, he’ll quickly earn his way back into the good graces of the Buccaneers fanbase.
Alex Anzalone finally gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers what they needed
Anzalone's five total tackles tied for the team lead, and he also brought down Kyler Murray for a sack.
After earning a putrid 29.5 grade in Week 1 and a 30.1 grade in Week 2, Anzalone took a massive jump all the way up to a solid 74.7 Pro Football Focus grade in Week 3. He improved in every single graded category, and setting season highs in every defensive metric.
The table below puts Anzalone's improvement into perspective. The top row shows his average grade in each category across the first two weeks, while the bottom row reflects his grade in Week 3.
Overall PFF Grade | Run Defense | Tackling | Pass Rush | Pass Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
29.8 | 46.2 | 33.5 | 63.5 | 33.1 |
74.7 | 63.2 | 81.5 | 68.5 | 81.1 |
Tampa Bay was never asking Anzalone to come in and be an All-Pro player. They just needed a steady veteran presence in the middle of the defense that could serve as an improvement, especially in pass coverage, after the linebacker spot became an Achilles heel in recent years.
Todd Bowles continued to have Anzalone’s back after his early struggles, refusing to throw his team captain under the bus. Bowles reiterated that Anzalone would be fine, and the team has great confidence in him.
With Bowles on the hot seat and his defense reeling, that stubborn support of an unplayable defender rubbed many the wrong way. The pressure was increasing for Bowles to make a difficult decision and bench Anzalone, but luckily, he came through and justified his coach's belief at the perfect time.
It would be a major boost to the Buccaneers' defense if Anzalone can string together performances like he had on Sunday. One good game doesn’t erase the disastrous start to the season, but it was a step in the right direction and exactly the kind of response Tampa Bay needed from its veteran linebacker.
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