Yaya Diaby
Yaya Diaby tallied three sacks against the Panthers in Week Seven, bringing his career total to 22.0. The game represented his first career three-sack outing. Diaby became the first Tampa Bay player with a three-sack performance since Devin White at Atlanta in 2020. On the first two, Diaby powered his way into the backfield off bull rushes, pushing Rasheed Walker back into the lap of Bryce Young for the takedowns. On the third, Calijah Kancey looped inside on a twist and Diaby quickly dislodged the blocker to create pressure alongside Kancey and got an arm on Young to bring the signal-caller to the ground. The game showcased Diaby's finishing skills and first-step quickness out of his stance. Diaby's ability in run defense is lauded, but on Sunday he turned pocket push into knockdowns to invigorate the defense in Week Seven with staggering brute power off the edge.
Tykee Smith/Zyon McCollum
Zyon McCollum intercepted a Bryce Young pass to secure his first interception of the season and the fourth of his career. Three of his four career interceptions have come in divisional games. Tykee Smith also grabbed his first interception of the season and the fourth of his career.
On McCollum's interception, the Bucs were in Cover Four. McCollum saw three go to the flat, then read and anticipated the curl route and jumped it. He hit a sharp break that bested the receiver and plucked the ball out of the air. In the ballgame, McCollum displayed his stellar footwork, ball skills at the catch point, patience and route recognition. For Smith's pick, the Bucs ran a two-under, three-deep coverage. Smith was responsible for two and lined up inside. He saw the ball cocked and baited Young into throwing to one by allowing just enough cushion. The corner picked up the seam fade route, so Smith did not have to worry on a deep route getting behind. Smith went and undercut, catching the ball with his fingertips. Throughout the game, Smith rallied to the football and was in the congestion. He showed his short-range burst and tenacity as a tackler. Smith wreaked havoc, causing disruption on defense.
"He has a great understanding of the defense and how it works all around," noted Safeties Coach Tim Atkins. "He knows what is supposed to be happening and knows the responsibilities of the inside linebackers. He knows if they are supposed to be dropping and he knows where they are supposed to be at and what the calls are. He is more vocal this year and his communication is off the charts. He is more comfortable this year. On Sunday, I thought he played the fastest that he has played as a safety since he got here. He is going after the person with the ball, hunting them down, hustling to the ball."
Additionally, Smith blocked a Carolina extra point attempt, which was returned for a defensive two-point conversion by McCollum. It marked the first blocked PAT for Tampa Bay since Will Gholston, at Carolina, in 2017. Per StatsPerform research, Sunday was the first time in franchise history that the Buccaneers have returned a blocked PAT for a score.
"It is a block off the edge, and it was a jumper gap, which is the gap between the tight end and the wing," said Special Teams Coordinator Danny Smith. "You try to control the tight end and you try to control the wing with pressure and you try to jump him through that gap. You can jump through but you cannot elevate yourself through. You can put your hand on the shoulder of the tight end and wing and hop through, but you cannot elevate, that is a leverage call and is illegal. We have taught him to jump through like a hurdler for the block. The tip we had no control over, but it worked out pretty good. Zyon was able to get it because he hit the back end of the ball, so it was an easy catch. Really, it was the three guys on the end of the line of scrimmage and we tried to set Tykee free and it worked."
Bucky Irving
Bucky Irving totaled 24 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers, marking his first career game with multiple rushing scores and his fifth career 100-yard rushing performance. For his career, Irving has amassed 527 rushing yards and 33 rushing first downs against Carolina – each his most versus any NFL opponent since entering the league in 2024. He eclipsed the 3,000 career scrimmage yards milestone on Sunday becoming the 22nd player, and 12th running back, to reach that mark for Tampa Bay. Among players with 600-or-fewer touches since he entered the league 2024, only Irving (3,015) and Christian McCaffrey (3,114) have amassed 3,000-plus scrimmage yards during that span. The Bucs operated out of inside zone and weakside counter gap runs, the latter of which Irving thrived in at Oregon and in 2024. On gap runs, offensive linemen block down, away from the play direction with a backside lineman pulling to lead the run. Gap schemes rely on angles and physicality, as opposed to zone where linemen block specific areas. Irving is adept at staying in phase with pullers and hitting the accelerator through the hole once it develops. Against the Panthers, Irving showcased his vision, sharp cuts, decisiveness and understanding of how the Panthers were trying to fit runs. He set the tone on the ground, leading the charge in the Buccaneers' 258-yard output on the ground.
