As the Chiefs OL is Banged Up, Buccaneers Defense Must Continue to Attack

Patrick Mahomes is nearly impossible to defend. But with injuries hampering the Chiefs offensive line, the Buccaneers must be aggressive in rushing the uber-talented quarterback.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are finally back to the Super Bowl after 18 long years, much due to the stellar defensive play that the Bucs have brought throughout its playoff run.

To be honest, I didn't exactly think I would be here, writing analysis pieces throughout the entire playoff run until the Super Bowl, but here we are. The Bucs had the talent to make a playoff run, but after taking a large chunk of the season to get in-sync, the run comes to the surprise of a lot of people.

Looking forward to the matchup, there is plenty to break down between the two teams, who have already met once this season, resulting in a 27-24 loss in Tampa. 

Perhaps the most important matchup is the Buccaneers front seven, particularly its pass rush, matched up against Kansas City's dismantled offensive line. 

Anchored by the likes of Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul, the Bucs pass rush has created chaos for opposing offensive lines throughout the playoffs. 

In the Wild Card round, Tampa Bay was able to make Taylor Heinicke of the Washington Football Team uncomfortable. The Bucs totaled 21 pressures, three sacks, and four QB hits, per Pro Football Focus, in a 31-23 win. 

Jumping ahead to the Divisional round against New Orleans, the Bucs took a step back, only recording 11 pressures and four QB hits against one of the best offensive lines in all of the NFL. Even though Tampa failed to tally a sack, the Bucs were able to create four turnovers, providing the offense with plenty of chances to score with great field position. 

This past weekend against the Packers, the Buccaneers' pass rush was outstanding, pestering Aaron Rodgers all day long en route to a 21 pressure,-five sack performance. 

Now, let us rewind to week 12 when Kansas City narrowly escaped a comeback from Tampa Bay, despite being up 17 points after the first quarter. Despite having an abysmal first quarter, Tampa managed to hold Kansas City to only 10 points in the remaining three quarters, thanks in part due to a noteworthy pass-rush performance. 

In week 12, the Buccaneers calculated 24 pressures, two sacks, and six hits against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offensive line, with offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz out. 

Schwartz, who has been out for a majority of the 2020 season, went out in week six with a back injury and hasn't returned.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has not been very optimistic about Schwartz returning to the lineup, although the Super Bowl is still two weeks away. Reid met with Kansas City press on Monday, explaining that if Schwartz "can go that'd be great", but much rather prep without him, looking into more realistic options.

To make matters worse, the Chiefs suffered another loss in the AFC Championship as starting left tackle Eric Fisher suffered a torn Achilles, bringing his season to an end. 

Heading into the Super Bowl, it appears now that the Chiefs will be without both starting offensive tackles, which could cause the Tampa Bay pass rush to play even more aggressively than it does already. 

Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles took note when game-planning for the Packers, as Pro Bowler David Bakhtiari went down towards the end of the regular season. Bowles pinned his ears back and allowed his pass rush to go after Aaron Rodgers relentlessly. Expect a similar approach when it comes to the Super Bowl. 

The Chiefs will have their hands full trying to stop Tampa's stable of pass rushers, most notably Barrett, Pierre-Paul, Devin White, William Gholston, and others. 

As mentioned earlier, with Fisher in the lineup for Week 12, the Chiefs still allowed 24 QB pressures, equating to pressure on nearly half of Mahomes' dropbacks.

Sub out your Pro Bowl tackle for a backup, and the Buccaneers can probably smell blood in the water. Getting to Mahomes should be the No. 1 priority for the Bucs defense, especially after Tyreek Hill went for 269 yards receiving in the first matchup of the season. 

Tyreek Hill is torching the Buccaneers with 203 yards and 2 TDs in the first quarter. pic.twitter.com/KEbRin4m8o

— USA TODAY NFL (@usatodaynfl) November 29, 2020

If the Bucs can get to Mahomes consistently, or at least put pressure on him, those deep passes to Hill can be taken away. In turn, this will cause the Chiefs to nickel and dime it down the field, allowing both teams to take down the clock, which would play into Tampa's favor.

Bowles must continue to attack the edges with J.P.P and Barrett, as they both have clear matchup advantages against backup tackles. And they have momentum, after combining for all five of Tampa Bay's sacks last week.

Allow that duo to take advantage of one-on-one matchups, but also be prepared if and when they try to double team the edges, with a screaming Devin White blitz through the A-gap. 

The point is, there are options to try and limit one of the best offenses the NFL has ever seen by eliminating the effectiveness of the deep ball through a consistently disruptive pass rush. 

Bowles must continue to reap the rewards of his speedy defense, especially if the Buccaneers can be fully healthy on the backend for Super Bowl LV. 

It all starts up front, where Tampa Bay has the unlikely advantage in the trenches, where it matters the most. As long as they can use that advantage in their favor, the Bucs have a shot to take down the reigning NFL Champion Kansas City Chiefs and keep the Super Bowl trophy home in Tampa Bay.