The Buccaneers came out victorious in Week Seven against the Panthers, 43-13, as the team imposed their will in all three phases during the clash. On defense for most of the division showdown, Tampa Bay did not allow the Panthers to achieve rhythm offensively. Outside linebacker Yaya Diaby set the tone up front for the Bucs with his immense power and quickness out of his stance.
Against Carolina, Diaby picked up his first, second and third sacks of the 2026 slate, bringing his career total to 22.0. He secured his first career three-sack outing, becoming the first Tampa Bay player with a three-sack performance since Devin White accomplished the feat in 2020 at Atlanta. In Week Seven, the Buccaneers recorded 5.0 sacks and four takeaways – its first game with 5.0-plus sacks and four-or-more takeaways since 2025 at New Orleans. Including Tampa Bay's 5.0 sacks in Week Six against Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay has now recorded consecutive games with 5.0-plus sacks for the first time since Weeks 2-3 of the 2020 season.
Diaby's first came in the second quarter from second-and-13. He pushed Rasheed Walker back with a lethal bull rush, taking down Bryce Young. The second came from second-and-10 in the third frame and had a similar result. Diaby took Walker for a ride on another bull, stunning with strength to get to the signal-caller. The third, which came on third down, was a combined effort. Calijah Kancey shot like a missile inside off a twist and the Panthers' offensive line was not able to effectively pass off the looper. Along with Kancey coming in, Diaby dislodged the blocker to force Young off his spot.
"He has been rushing good the last couple of weeks it just has not worked out for him," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "He finished them yesterday. He has been our most pressure guy without getting the sacks … yesterday the sacks kind of came to fruition like we talked about last week and his growth is understanding what offensive linemen are trying to do to him and having counter attacks."
Prior to the Week Seven matchup, Diaby had not recorded a sack but had 10 quarterback pressures. He has tallied 172 pressures through four seasons prior to Sunday's matchup and in the clash with Carolina, was able to turn pocket push into sacks. Power is the name of Diaby's game with a violent punch and separation at the point of attack. He has worked on diversifying his rush plan and the results paid dividends on Sunday against the Panthers.
