Lavonte David exceptional in loss to Ravens Eduardo Encina, Tampa Bay Times, published 17 December 2018 Injuries have decimated the Bucs' linebacker depth, and they even forced outside linebacker Lavonte David to miss two games earlier this season. But games like the one David had Sunday in the Bucs' 20-12 loss to the Ravens re-emphasized how much impact he can have and makes you wonder where the unit would be without him. David made a team-high 12 total tackles, including two sacks of speedy Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, and a fumble recovery. "Lavonte was fantastic today," Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter said. The Bucs are already without middle linebacker Kwon Alexander and backup Jack Cichy, to knee injuries. And on Sunday, they were without middle linebacker Adarius Taylor, who remained back in Tampa to be with his pregnant wife. That put reserve Riley Bullough, who entered the day having played no more than 10 snaps in a game, into a starting role. Bullough recorded eight tackles Sunday. And David played a significant role in stopping Jackson as he attempted to extend plays and gain yardage with his feet. He recovered a fumbled snap at midfield late in the first quarter, a takeaway that led to the Bucs' only touchdown of the day. Jackson then had two sacks on the next Ravens drive. He brought Jackson down on a third-and-1 play for no gain, and then after the Ravens converted a fourth-down play to put the ball at the 2, he sacked Jackson again for a three-yard loss. The Ravens would score a touchdown one play later on a shovel pass to receiver Chris Moore. Still, as the time to recognize Pro Bowl players approaches, David — who has never received the recognition — is continuing to show how important he is to the Bucs' defense, something his teammates already know. "That's Lavonte," defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said. "He's the best linebacker in the NFL. It don't surprise me when he do it. I'm not downplaying this game, but he's the best. It's as simple as that. … He's going to be remembered in this league. It's just sad he doesn't get the extra recognition that he deserves."