Buccaneers DL Coach: 'It's our job to Affect the Quarterback'
After a disappointing defensive season, Marcus West looks to turn high-pressure stats into game-changing sacks by integrating first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. and a healthy Calijah Kancey.
Across the board, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren't good enough defensively in 2025. This applies to the secondary, which cornerbacks coach Rashad Johnson addressed Tuesday, and also applies to the men up front. For Bucs DL coach Marcus West, this is where the game is won and lost.
"When you talk about Super Bowl wins, the position that’s talked about is the defensive line, West said Tuesday. West then clarified that the most important position on any team is the quarterback, but the linemen are next in line. “It’s our job to affect the quarterback," he said.
The Bucs did a good job of pressuring the QB in 2025, finishing seventh in the league with 332 pressures per Pro Football Focus. But those pressures didn't always translate to sacks, where the Bucs finished tied for 18th, although the Bucs were tied for 11th in the league with 13 interceptions. A lot of Tampa's pressure came from the interior, where Vita Vea, Logan Hall and Elijah Roberts were three of the team's top five leaders in total pressures per PFF.
Chances are, the Bucs would have caused even more problems for opposing QBs had young defensive tackle Calijah Kancey been healthy. Kancey missed 14 of the team's 17 games with a torn pectoral muscle. As West pointed out, Kancey picked up 7.