In a season full of disappointments and players not performing up to expectations, perhaps none has been as surprising as the lack of impact from Rueben Bain Jr.

As the offseason went along, it looked like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got the steal of the draft when Bain fell into Tampa’s lap with the 15th pick. 

The star edge rusher from Miami was thought by many to be the draft’s best and most polished pass rusher, and was widely expected to be drafted in the top 10, possibly even the top 5. 

Instead, concerns over his short arm length caused Bain to slide on draft night, and the Bucs were there to pounce when he was available at 15. 

He spent months this offseason making the teams who passed on him look foolish. Bain was earning comparisons to an NFL legend and became the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was dominant in the Bucs' practices and joint practices against other NFL teams, and Bain quickly became Tampa’s most anticipated rookie in years. He looked like a lock to have immediate success in the NFL. 

Then the real games began, and Bain did not make the expected impact. 

In fact, he didn’t make any impact and was almost completely invisible in Tampa’s first two games. The concerns about his shorter arms were brought back into focus, and even after only a tiny sample size, some began to worry that Bain was a bust. 

After Tampa’s second game, it came out that Bain was not entirely healthy. An AC joint injury, suffered in an August joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars, was still hampering the star rookie, even though the injury was initially reported as "nothing serious."

Bain would miss the next two games not only due to the shoulder ailment, but also due to a groin injury. He returned for the Bucs’ Week 5 upset of the Dallas Cowboys. 

The hope was that Bain’s early struggles were health-related and that he would prove that he is the player everyone expected throughout the offseason. 

Against Dallas, Bain played better, but still failed to make much of an impact. 

Through three games, Bain only registered three total tackles and was credited with only two total pressures. He had been thoroughly outplayed by fellow rookies LB Josiah Trotter and CB Keionte Scott. 

Finally, in Week 6’s devastating loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it looked like Bain had finally turned a corner. 

He finally notched his first career sack, and it came against future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. Not only would it be a memory he would cherish forever, but he also got a huge monkey off his back. 

Bain would finish the day with the sack, three total tackles (doubling his season total), one QB hit, one TFL, and even a PBU. 

It was the game everyone had waited to see since the season began. 

If Bain continues to get healthier, he could soon go on a tear and become the game-breaker he looked to be since being drafted. 

Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh finally has Bain on the right track. Hopefully, more big games will follow.