Bucs’ Barrett up to record 8 sacks in 1st 3 games

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Shaq Barrett recorded 4.0 sacks against the New York Giants Sunday, bringing his three-game tally to 8.0 and tying him with Mark Gastineau in 1984 for most sacks by a player through the first three games of the season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

“He’s just wearing out left tackles,” coach Bruce Arians said of Barrett, who recorded 3.0 sacks last week against the Carolina Panthers and wore a headband that read “Can’t be stopped” in the Bucs’ locker room after the game.

“It’s just everything working perfectly — the playcalls, the guys in the back and the inside, the inside push, the push from the other edge [rusher] Carl [Nassib] — so everything’s just working and I’m just beating my one-on-ones at the right time and making a play,” said Barrett, who became the first player in Bucs history to record three or more sacks in back-to-back games. The last NFL player to do so was Ezekiel Ansah in 2017.

Barrett’s 4.0 sacks tied him with Marcus Jones in 1990 and Simeon Rice in 2003 for most sacks in a single game in franchise history, and his two forced fumbles also tied a franchise record.

Barrett, who is in his first season with the Bucs after signing a one-year, $5 million deal in March, earned a $250,000 bonus for reaching 8.0 sacks for the season, a source told ESPN. If he records 10 sacks for the season, he’ll get an additional $250,000. The Bucs’ last-second, 32-31 loss overshadowed any personal victories.

“The disappointment has taken over all of it. It was a good game, but we lost,” Barrett said. “You can’t go to the playoffs if you have 4.0 sacks and lose a game. You’ve gotta get a win. Winning is all that matters.”

Barrett had just 14.0 sacks in his first four seasons combined with the Denver Broncos, including a career-low 3.0 sacks last season.

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