Crazy Stat Shows Just How Bad Buccaneers Defense Has Been

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been firing on offense, but it hasn't mattered all that much.

Oct 27, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (1) scores a touchdownl in the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought in offensive coordinator Liam Coen last season to replace offensive coordinator Dave Canales, who ended up taking a job as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. And boy, has he delivered in that respect, as Tampa Bay is one of the best offenses in the league and quarterback Baker Mayfield is on pace to shatter his single-season best for passing touchdowns.

And yet, it isn't enough. Because for the past few weeks, Tampa Bay's defense has been simply abominable.

FOX Sports' Greg Auman recently posted a stat on social media that shows just how poor Tampa Bay's defense has been. Despite leading the NFL in scoring from Weeks 5-8 with 138 points, the Bucs are 1-3 in that span — the only NFL team in the top 19 in average scoring to have a losing record:

During this 1-3 stretch over last four weeks, Bucs are the highest-scoring team in the NFL -- 138 points, 34.5 per game -- but still not enough to overcome the defensive problems. No other teams in the top 19 in average scoring Weeks 5-8 have a losing record in that span.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) October 28, 2024

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If you look at Tampa Bay's defensive metrics, that should be no surprise. Per Team Rankings, Tampa Bay is 28th in opponent points per game (26.6), 30th in yards per game (387.0), 29th in yards per play (6.0) and 27th in opponent touchdowns per game (3,0). On top of that, they're abysmal at getting off the field on 4th down, coming in at 29th in 4th down percentage (72.22%).

Liam Coen is doing a great job as offensive coordinator, and he still managed to put up 24 points in a game where he was down his two best wideouts in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. But the defense simply has to be better, and that burden falls on head coach Todd Bowles, who calls defensive plays.

"It starts with coaching. It starts with me," Bowles said on the defense's struggles on Sunday. "It starts with the defensive coaches and it starts with players. We’ve got to play better. We have to fix it. Nobody is coming to save us. We have to do a hell of a lot better job then we’re doing and that starts with me.”

The Bucs will head to Kansas City on Monday night to play against the Chiefs, who are currently 7-0 and the only undefeated team in the NFL.

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