Bucs Gameday

Bucs LT Quietly Dominant vs. Falcons in Week 4

Although he can be tough to notice because he's always doing his job, the Buccaneers have one of the best tackles in the NFL protecting their quarterback's blind side.

Collin Haalboom

Sep 22, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) and offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) take the field for a game against the Denver Broncos at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) and offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) take the field for a game against the Denver Broncos at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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When offensive linemen play poorly, it isn't hard to notice. On the contrary, when they perform well, it's common for them to go unnoticed — at least on first watch.

On Thursday night, when the Buccaneers lost an OT thriller in Atlanta to the Falcons, it makes sense that Tristan Wirfs' performance flew under the radar. It was a high-scoring affair between the two NFC South teams vying for early season rankings within the conference. But amidst the chaos of that game, Tristan Wirfs was quietly dominant.

READ MORE: Bucs Lose Lead on NFC South After Falcons Loss

In fact, according to PFF, there were only 8 tackles in the entire league who played a minimum of 20 snaps without giving up a pressure. Unsurprisingly, Bucs' star left tackle, Tristan Wirfs, was one of them. Not only that, but Wirfs played 97% of his teams snaps, logging a total of 74 snaps in the game.

Since moving over from the right side at the start of last season, Wirfs has had somewhat of a learning curve, but he's still managed to quickly morph into one of the league's truly elite left tackles.

On the season, Wirfs has a 83.0 overall grade from PFF, which is good for 8th among all tackles regardless of what side they play on. He also has an impressive 88.6 pass-blocking grade, which is 3rd best in the league.

Although Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin tend to steal the headlines when the Buccaneers put up points, like they did against the Atlanta, Falcons last week, it's important to remember that their All-Pro left tackle, Tristan Wirfs, is usually a huge reason why.

READ MORE: Bucs to Practice in New Orleans Ahead of Hurricane Milton

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.

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