After being embarrassed on national TV in Week 3, falling behind 56–0 against the Atlanta Falcons, the Buccaneers responded this past Sunday by starting their 27–24 upset win against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a forced turnover and touchdown inside the first two minutes of the game.

While no one player can be singularly responsible for such a dramatic Jekyll/Hyde emotional swing, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has a presence that can dramatically alter the outcome of the game. After breaking his hand in the first quarter of Tampa Bay’s Week 2 game against the St. Louis Rams, McCoy could only watch the demolition at the hands of the Falcons from the sidelines. Back on the field and wearing a protective cast against the Steelers, McCoy’s efforts helped limit explosive Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell to a pedestrian 19-attempt, 63-yard performance.

It’s all but impossible to discern McCoy’s impact on a given game simply by looking at a box score. Against the Steelers, McCoy had one tackle, one assisted tackle, one sack, and one tipped pass. There’s some definite diversity there, sure, but the total numbers don’t catch the eye like, say, linebacker Lavonte David’s 12 tackles (10 solo) in the same game.

The reason that McCoy is such a valuable player is because offensive lines must dedicate so many resources to containing him, which frees up McCoy’s teammates to make plays. McCoy’s ability to pancake an offensive lineman before securing a sack is well-documented and the stuff of highlight tapes, but here’s what it looks like when McCoy changes the game without any stats to show for it:

Redirecting the Running Back

Here’s a play from the first half of Tampa Bay’s game against the Steelers, where Bell gained three yards. Since this play came on 1st-and-10 (and not, say, 3rd-and-2), a three-yard run can be considered something of a victory for the defense.

Even though McCoy is nowhere near Bell when the tackle is made, the respect that the Steelers give McCoy is instrumental in giving his teammates the opportunity to stop the run short.

McCoy (#93) lines up in the B-gap between right guard David DeCastro (#66) and left tackle Marcus Gilbert (#77). At the snap, both Steelers focus entirely on blocking McCoy, one of the many double-teams that all Buccaneers opponents implement: