Getty Buccaneers defensive players celebrate a fumble against the Vikings on Sunday.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett won’t deny his team received a little help in a 26-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Vikings kicker Dan Bailey missed three field goals and an extra point, which cost the Vikings 10 points and plenty of momentum.
“I mean, tell the field goal kicker we appreciate him,” Barrett said with a laugh according to NBC Sports’ Mike Florio.
Barrett, a 2019 Prowl Bowler, did his part as he sacked Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins twice and finished with four tackles. The Bucs sacked Cousins six times overall.
“We were most definitely ready to feast and get after the quarterback once we were up by double digits with a certain amount of time left,” Barrett said according to Sports Illustrated’s All Bucs. “We knew they had to pass it and we were ready to take advantage of it.”
Bucs quarterback Tom Brady credited the defense for stepping up. The Vikings controlled time of possession, which could have worn the defense out.
The Bucs (8-5) took a step toward securing the No. 6 seed for the NFC Playoffs. The Bucs have two games with division rival Atlanta (4-9) ahead and another against Detroit (5-8). Barrett considers them playoff games according to SiriusXM Radio via Twitter.
“Playoff mentality from here on out.”
@Buccaneers Edge Rusher @ShaquilBarrett discussed the significance of the win over the Vikings and the Tampa Bay defense having 6 sacks.
👇AUDIO👇 | #GoBucs
The Bucs sitting at 8-5 doesn’t guarantee a playoff spot, and four of the bubble teams could even grab the No. 6 seed away from Tampa with losses to the Detroit Lions or Atlanta Falcons. The Lions could still sneak in, the Vikings didn’t get kicked out of No. 6 seed contention, the Chicago Bears (6-7) aren’t done, and the San Francisco 49ers still have life at 5-8. Additionally, the projected No. 7 seed Arizona Cardinals have a winning record at 7-6.
Barrett’s Future
Bucs head coach Bruce Arians knows he has a strong pass-rush combo in Barrett and linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul according to Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud via Twitter.
“It is a luxury,” Bruce Arians said of Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul as bookend pass rushers. They have combined for 45.5 sacks in the past two seasons. Barrett is a free agent. “And we don’t plan on Shaq getting going anywhere. I don’t think he wants to go anywhere.”
Arians certainly doesn’t want to see Barrett wear another uniform as the veteran linebacker has been a force in pewter. Barrett tallied 19 sacks in 2019 and has eight in 2020. Barrett will likely surpass his 58 tackles in 2019 this season as he has 51 through 13 games this year.
Barrett didn’t start his career out terrorizing opposing quarterbacks to a tune of eight or more sacks per season. His career took off when he participated in a pass rushing summit in 2018 according to ESPN’s Sam Borden.
Barrett, a former undrafted free agent from Colorado State, never started a full 16 games with the Denver Broncos from 2014 to 2018. His career high for sacks in Denver was 5.5 in 2015.
Falcons interim coach Raheem Morris knows Barrett will be coming for quarterback Matt Ryan this Sunday.
“He just jumped off the tape,” Morris said of Barrett according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We had some prior knowledge from a guy who had coached him out in Denver in Richard Smith, talking about him and having a lot of positives to say about Shaq Barrett.”
Rookie Pro Bowl Worthy
Bucs rookie offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs had another strong day, helping keep quarterback Tom Brady safe from sacks.
Bucs coach Bruce Arians praised Wirfs afterward according to The Athletic’s Greg Auman via Twitter.
“He’s playing at a Pro Bowl level,” Bruce Arians says of rookie right tackle Tristan Wirfs, part of another zero-sack game protecting Tom Brady in the win against Vikings.
Wirfs’ play this season has garnered Pro Bowl talk. The rookie from Iowa has graded out well this season as the Tampa Bay Times’ Joey Knight reported earlier in the season.
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