Pass Defense Is Killing Bucs
December 5th, 2025

“Todd, I’m not supposed to help you, sorry.”

In the starting five of the Bucs’ secondary, which includes Jacob Parrish, only one starter was not drafted in the first two days of their respective drafts.

You’d never know it by how they are getting regularly cooked like a Thanksgiving turkey. At times, it’s like the Bucs have a bunch of undrafted free agents guarding opposing receivers.

The Bucs are tied with the Steelers (!) for allowing the fourth-most passing yards per game. The Bucs allow 247 yards per game through the air.

(To be fair, there are several potential playoff teams who allow over 200 yards passing a game.)

Since the Bucs lost to the Lions 24-9 back in October, the Bucs’ offense averages 20 points a game. Opponents since the Detroit game average 25 points a game against the Bucs.

You’re not going to win many games scoring 20 points if your pass defense looks like a runway at Tampa International Airport during spring break.

This, sadly, isn’t anything new for the Bucs. In fact, it’s the norm the past few years to have a garbage pass defense. Here is where the Bucs’ pass defense ranks each year since 2019 in passing yards allowed per game:

2024: 29th
2023: 29th
2022: Ninth
2021: 21st
2020: 21st
2019: 30th

So only once since 2019 did the Bucs have a pass defense that ranked above No. 21 in the league for passing yards allowed per game. That’s not good.

But to pull things back to the current status of the Bucs, good thing Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving are back and Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan are practicing again. The offense is really going to have to pick things up to compensate for the Bucs’ pass defense getting boatraced each week.

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