The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a losing record this season, but don't tell that to the defense. Even with the passing attack struggling to get going under Zac Robinson with either Baker Mayfield or Jalon Daniels at the helm, the Bucs have been able to stay in games because Todd Bowles' defense, armed with rienforcements from the draft and free agency, has been much better than it was last season.
Although the Buccaneers secondary has been shutting down shop, it's the run defense that has looked like the biggest strength of this team. Through the first seven weeks of the 2026 NFL regular season, the Buccaneers are second in the NFL in rushing yards allowed, first in rushing touchdowns surrendered, and fifth with just 3.6 yards per carry against.
Those are truly elite numbers that reflect the dominance of the front seven, though a lot of the credit also has to go to the high flyers in the secondary. Tykee Smith is one of the best strong safeties in the business, while rookie defensive back Keionte Scott has somehow been even better than advertised as a thumping run defender and sure handed tackler. Of course, the Buccaneers run defense hasn't really been tested yet. They have yet to face a truly elite running back to this point, but they will face the best in the business right now on Sunday againt the rival Atlanta Falcons when Bijan Robinson comes to town.
Falcons will give the Buccaneers run defense their biggest test of the season
Last week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers saved their season by totally dominating the rival Carolina Panthers in an act of revenge, running the ball more than 80 percent of the time en route to a 43-13 victory. They also stifled Chubba Hubbard and made the Panthers look SAWFT on both sides of the ball.
It won't be as easy to do that to Bijan and the Falcons. Atlanta owns the NFL's sixth-best rushing offense and the fourth-best yards per carry average in the league at 4.8 yards per pop.
The Falcons star running back leads the league with more than 700 yards on the ground with a Jamaal Charles-esque 5.4 yards per carry. Now, the Buccaneers stymied the league's leading passer in yardage (at least on a per game basis) last week in Bryce Young, and if they can do that to the rushing leader this week, then they'll officially put all doubts to rest and cement themselves as one of the NFL's elite run defenses.
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