Bucs’ Jason Pierre-Paul having Pro Bowl season, Bruce Arians says

TAMPA — He insists he called his shot Monday night. Long before snagging the telegraphed Jared Goff screen pass early in the third quarter, Bucs outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul already had sniffed it out.

“There are just certain things you see as a football player, and I just saw my shot of getting it,” the 31-year-old veteran said. “Then I went over to the sideline and told my teammates not that I think, but I know I’m going to catch an interception because I was reading the screens all night.”

The interception in the 27-24 loss to the Rams was Pierre-Paul’s second in as many games, equaling his total from the previous 10 seasons and prompting coach Bruce Arians to call a shot of his own.

“e’s done a great job,” Arians said Wednesday. eration.”

“He’s done a great job,” Arians said Wednesday.

“The (interception) against Carolina (a 46-23 victory) was outstanding; he dropped right into the zone. This one, he read that screen all the way. He’s playing lights-out. He should be on that Pro Bowl ballot for sure. He’s getting a lot of pressure. He was one of the best players we had on the field Monday night.”

And one of the most indefatigable. After missing the 2019 season’s first six weeks from a cervical fracture he sustained in a car accident, Pierre-Paul is barely coming off the field these days. He played in 70 of the 72 defensive snaps Monday night and appeared in 70 snaps in his de facto homecoming three weeks before — a 25-23 win against the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

“Yeah, man, I’m tired of seeing him,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who brings the reigning Super Bowl champions (9-1) to Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.

“He’s another one that doesn’t look like he’s slowing down at all. He may be playing some of his best ball right now. It’s an amazing deal. He’s a heck of a player.”

Pierre-Paul enters Sunday’s game as the team leader in sacks (7.5) and forced fumbles (three) and is tied for third with 10 quarterback hits. When not aligned as the prototypical edge rusher, he has dropped into coverage (his pick Monday came when the Bucs opted for a “Tampa Two” look) and even has slid to inside linebacker on occasion.

“Me, personally, I’m probably not going to come out unless I feel like I need to come out,” said Pierre-Paul, who reached two Pro Bowls during his eight seasons with the Giants.

“I think that me and my coach bump heads a little bit with that, but he’s always trying to look out for me. But I’d rather stay in, because I know in the heat of the moment anything can happen in just those couple of seconds. I understand where he’s coming from, but at the end of the day, it ain’t promised tomorrow you’re going to get another snap.”