It’s Round 2 between the Panthers and Buccaneers, with Carolina traveling on the road to face off with the last team they won against after dropping three straight contests and putting their playoff lives at risk – the Buccaneers secondary remains porous, but the pass rush has quietly put together a good November. Just last month, the Buccaneers defense produced 26 quarterback hits, the third highest mark in that timespan behind the Saints (32) and Cowboys (30) – they also collected 13 sacks in four games in November, including two against Carolina when they played in Week 9

So while the outlook of the team’s defensive secondary is bleak, there is legitimate talent on the defensive line. Longtime defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is putting together another solid season, the acquisitions of Jason Pierre-Paul, Vinny Curry and Carl Nassib has provided depth to the edge rushing position, and rookie Vita Via has done some nice work as a run stopper.

While Pierre-Paul may lead the team in sacks with 10.5, we’re going to focus on some of the lesser known linemen; here’s a brief look at what a couple of those key pass rushers can do.

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For his entire career, Gerald McCoy has been a top defensive tackle in the NFL.

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As you can see here, McCoy (pictured in the middle left doing a swim move up the B-gap and wearing #93) uses the swim move to move past the right guard with ease. He pushes off his right foot and uses that surge in power and acceleration to make his move towards Alex Smith.

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He’s able to contort his body when Smith attempts to escape his grasp for the sack.

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Through nine games played, McCoy has six sacks, six tackles for a loss and 15 quarterback hits. He’s already equaled his 2017 total in sacks with five games left, and he’s made six consecutive Pro Bowls, looking for his seventh consecutive one this season.

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Carl Nassib was acquired via waivers after being cut by the Browns (coincidentally next week’s opponent for the Panthers, we’ll take a look at their defensive line next week) just before the season began.

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Nassib, #94…

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…works off two blockers on a zone blocking scheme, first getting past the right tackle then getting past the blocking back with a swim move.

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Quarterback Nick Mullens’ pass is disrupted due to the pressure caused by Nassib. The pass falls incomplete as a result.

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In Tampa Bay, Nassib has a career high in sacks (5.5) and quarterback hits (11) – he’s added solid depth to what has been a dangerous pass rush, especially recently for the Buccaneers.

This is essentially a must-win in order for the Panthers to keep their season alive. The Buccaneers offense will provide the defense a handful, but it’s the pass rush away from home that could be an unsung hero for Tampa; between McCoy, Nassib, Vea and Pierre-Paul, this might not be the absolute best pass rush in football, but it’s no pushover either. For a team like the Panthers that didn’t allow a sack to the Seahawks last week and only allowed Newton to be hit 16 times in the month of November, they will certainly present a challenge that Carolina’s offensive line must be up for – especially if they hope to be playing in January.

Johnny Kinsley
Contributor
In addition to The Riot Report, Johnny Kinsley writes for The Phinsider, Dynasty League Football, and 49ers Hub. He is a devoted member of the Church of Curtis Samuel.