In Week 7, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went on the road and dismantled the Carolina Panthers team that took last year's NFC South crown from them by a score of 43-13.
The three headed-rushing attack of Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell, and Sean Tucker ruled the roost on offense, but the most impressive aspect of the Buccaneers win was still the defense. Their run defense was as elite as ever, yes, but it was also amazing to see the pass defense step up to the plate, holding a rising young quarterback in Bryce Young to 163 yards and a touchdown wtih two interceptions when he had previously been leading the league with around 310 passing yards per game.
Leading the impressive defensive effort was pass rusher Yaya Diaby, who not only recorded his first sack of the season, but pulled off a hat trick with three sacks.
Yaya Diaby blew up for three sacks against the Carolina Panthers
Diaby is one of the most raw and talented edge defenders in the NFL, and in a lot of ways, his inability to put it all together this season was seen as a failing of Todd Bowles. Diaby had seven sacks last season and led the Buccaneers in sacks in two of his three pro seasons, but he had zero sacks through the first six games of the season.
With three sacks in one night after not even being on the board all season long, Diaby is now off to the races, and the sacks will fly out of the ketchup bottle now. Between David Walker as a breakout star and now Diaby putting up three on Young and the Panthers, the Bucs may very well have their bookend pass rushing duo to complete a defense that has Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey and A'Shawn Robinson up front, promising young inside linebacker in Josiah Trotter, and a legitimately elite secondary.
So much pressure was placed on Rueben Bain Jr. from Day One to be THE GUY after he went No. 15 overall and had the career he had in Miami, and when he failed in his debut and then failed and failed again, the criticisms poured in immediately. But it was all unfair. And now that Diaby is showing a huge sign of finally, maybe, living up to his elite potential billing next to Walker, there is far less pressure on Bain to be the savior. The Bucs can focus on building around Walker and Diaby with Bain as an extra bit of spice - a supplement who doesn't have to carry the pass rush right away.
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