Shaq Barrett Dedicates Pick-Six TD To His Daughter

Shaq Barrett started and ended a big day for the Bucs defense in a 27-17 win over the Chicago Bears. He was the first to torment quarterback Justin Fields, notching the first of six sacks on the day for a defense that went Bear hunting from the opening kickoff. A total of five Bucs defenders posted at least half a sack on Sunday. That effort helped hold the Bears to just 236 yards on the day.

Outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka matched a career-high with two sacks, while nose tackle Vita Vea had 1.5 sacks. Reserve outside linebacker Cam Gill had one sack and defensive tackle Logan Hall had half a sack.

Barrett was just getting the ball rolling early on. After a 10-point lead was cut to a 20-17 Bucs advantage with just over two minutes left, Barrett finished off the Bears with an incredible, one-handed pick-six at the Chicago 4-yard line. Tryon-Shoyinka and Hall put pressure on Fields, who drifted back into the end zone where he tried to get off a middle screen pass to running back Khalil Herbert.

Barrett ran a stunt inside, but instead of continuing his rush into the middle of the Bears offensive line, he sensed the screen pass coming and got in between the ball and Herbert. After a nifty, one-handed pick, Barrett’s teammates assisted him into the end zone, as several Bears offensive linemen tried to keep him out.

Linebacker Lavonte David and defensive tackle Greg Gaines pushed Barrett while Tryon-Shoyinka and Hall pulled him across the goal line to give the Bucs a 27-17 lead that sealed Tampa Bay’s home-opening win and moved the team to 2-0 to start the season.

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“I just remember going inside a little bit, seeing the ball come,” Barrett said. “Then I just put my hand up and made the catch. 58 [Darnell Wright] [was] right in front of me, so I figured I had to go inside or outside of him to get in the end zone.

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: USA Today

“I couldn’t be denied those three yards. I had to find a way to get in there. My teammates came to rally behind me to help me get in the end zone. But it was just a great way to end the game. Offense did it for us last week and it’s our time to return the favor.”

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was thrilled to see Barrett, who is coming off a torn Achilles at age 30, make a big-time splash play that is reminiscent of the old Barrett – the Super Bowl champion who’s been to two Pro Bowls and led the league in sacks in 2019 with a franchise-record 19.5.

“It was a great play by Shaq,” Bowles said. [Defensive line] Coach [Kacy] Rogers called a heck of a game right there. We put [Barrett] inside to give him a position to make one of the drop calls and twist them underneath and sit there and wait for something, they threw right to him. Shaq is a very heady guy, I think he had a sack along with it. It’s good to see him back to normal.”

Shaq Barrett Dedicates His TD To Arrayah

Yet Shaq Barrett is anything but normal these days.

He still deals with the nightmarish tragedy of losing his 2-year old daughter Arrayah on a a daily basis. She died in a drowning accident at the family’s pool on April 30.

After Sunday’s win, Barrett revealed how he and his family’s belief in God, the power of prayer, and feeling the prayers from others for his family have helped give him strength to endure this ordeal.

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Literally, last week before the game, I was struggling last week, like struggling really bad,” Barrett said. “Like I had to stop crying, calling my wife, coaches checked in on me, but then out the blue everything went away and I was able to focus on the game. Everybody, my wife, were praying for me. I actually felt the wave of emotions like slide to the side and I was able to focus. So, I was able to feel the power of prayer.”

After Barrett’s first career touchdown he dedicated his score to Arrayah.

“It most definitely feels good,” Barrett said. “I always played for my family already. But then having that extra incentive and making me want to go a little harder for it. It never stops and it [is] always going to suck but at least I’m able to shine some spotlight on her a little bit.

“Camera was on me after I made the play. I told her, ‘I love you, miss you.’ I wish she was here. And so, I’m glad I’m able to still get some spotlight for her and to the Lord above because he’s the reason why we’re here right now and just trust in his plan, and no matter what it is, it works for good. So I’m just trusting in that and just going through everyday trusting and believing in that.”

The Old Shaq Attack Is Back

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett and Bears QB Justin Fields – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Shaq Barrett’s first sack of the year was also Tampa Bay’s first sack of the day helped spark the Bucs’ pass rush to six sacks, which are tied for the most in a game since Bowles arrived to run the defense in 2019.

“It feels good to be back on the play-making side of things,” Barrett said. “I know even if I was making plays – all the work I put [in] the off-season during rehab and all that felt good, and I knew I was back – even though if the plays like last week didn’t exactly show that I’m back. But I felt that I was back for a while now.

“And it’s just good to get those plays; those game-changing plays, like I’m accustomed to, to affirm that. So, I just thank my coaches for putting me in the right position, my teammates for being there for me. So yeah, it just feels good.”