No one sends their fans on a roller coaster of emotion quite like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a back-and-forth, gut-wrenching loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Bucs jumped out to quick 17-0 lead before imploding in the second quarter to trail 27-24 at halftime. Then, they revved up in the second half for a huge win to reach 4-2 on the season.
Let’s Pick Six.
1.) Sean Tucker Has Earned More Playing Time. You all know by now, whether it’s from reading my articles and columns or listening to the Locked On Bucs Podcast, but I like Rachaad White. I think he adds a lot to the offense, but through the first five weeks he has woefully underperformed. That could be for a myriad of reasons whether it was protection or play calling, but what Sean Tucker did on Sunday showed that this team can, in fact, run the ball with the best of them. Tucker finished with 136 rushing yards and a touchdown on fourteen carries while adding another 56 receiving yards and touchdown on three receptions. You can’t in good conscience relegate him back to the guy that sits on the sideline all game long. For all the good White has done for this team and the expectations for him coming into the season, he lost some of his offensive snaps moving forward strictly because of how much Tucker showed. For the record, I think White would have done well against that Saints defense but he’s had opportunities against bad run defenses this season and didn’t capitalize. Tucker had nearly as many rushing yards on Sunday that White has all season. White is going to have his breakout performance - and it’s coming sooner than later - but for now, the Bucs have to keep Tucker involved in the run game. The Bucs may lose a little in pass protection and blitz pickup with Tucker or Bucky Irving on the field instead of White, but they seem to gain more when it comes to pounding the rock.
2.) Chris Godwin Is Going To Get Paid. Chris Godwin’s season so far has been epic. Third in the NFL in yards, tied for first in touchdowns (along with Mike Evans, George Kittle, and Ja’Marr Chase), first in yards after catch, first in first downs, first in receptions, and seventh in targets. As each week passes, Godwin’s price goes up exponentially and, at this point, I’m not sure the Bucs’ offense could operate at this record-setting pace without him. Jalen McMillan has a lot of developing to do and he’s already shown flashes of being an impressive receiver - but he’s not Godwin. No one is. It’s going to be really interesting to see if Jason Licht and Jon Spytek can figure out a way to make the money work and ensure that Godwin stays in Tampa, but that opportunity seems to be slipping away with the amount of money he’s going to be able to get on the open market in March. Light your prayer candles, Bucs fans - this one could get a little rough.
3.) Kudos To Todd Bowles. Last week, the defensive game plan was less than ideal. This week, everything looked good but the execution in the second quarter was next level bad. That didn’t deter Bowles or the defense from sticking with the plan. The pressure on Spencer Rattler increased as the game continued, Zyon McCollum had another really solid day, Tykee Smith had the best game of his young career. Whatever Bowles said to this team at halftime worked and got this team refocused and re-energized. I think we can chalk up that second quarter as an anomaly rather than something we are going to see repeated in the future.
4.) Absolutely No Quit. Speaking of that second quarter, I want you to think back to Buccaneers teams of the past. Think back to the pre-Bruce Arians/Todd Bowles era and what would have happened if one of those teams blew a 17-point lead and found themselves trailing at halftime. They would have rolled over and died. They would have accepted their fate and given up. Not this team. Not these players. The leadership and belief that these players have weren’t going to allow that to happen. Baker Mayfield had three interceptions in the second quarter alone - and no, they weren’t all his fault - but he kept throwing. He got himself calmed down and got the Bucs back in the game. The defense didn’t let the moment get too big and allow things to snowball any further than that one isolated quarter. As Ted Lasso suggests, they were goldfish. Forget what just happened and focus on the next play or the next drive. It worked to perfection. A 27-0 second half showed that not only can this team go toe-to-toe with any other team in the league offensively, but that the defense can overcome some bad moments to rally and dominate. Coming off the type of loss they had against Atlanta, this game could have been a domino effect into a brutal losing streak. Instead, it galvanized the team and could be something we point back to in a few months as the moment they really, truly believed they could contend for a championship.
5.) Have A Day, Tykee Smith. Smith was unbelievable. A forced fumble that resulted in a touchdown on the Saints’ opening drive, another forced fumble that ended up being overturned as ruled an incomplete pass - but was a great play regardless - a sure sack that was impeded by an uncalled holding, an interception, two passes defensed. This is why the Bucs were so high on Smith and why the staff was so excited to draft him. He’s starting to get more comfortable and gain more confidence in this system. And once Jamel Dean went down with injury, Smith seemed to elevate his game even more. The Bucs may have something special on their hands with this young man.
6.) The Pass Rush Is Starting To Get There. We knew the return of Antoine Winfield Jr. and Calijah Kancey would boost the defense from front to back, but the Bucs put on a clinic in the second half when it came to rattling Rattler. Three sacks, multiple pressures that resulted in errant and missed passes. The Saints didn’t score at all in the second half, finishing with four punts - three of which came after three-and-outs - and two interceptions before their final possession ended with the clock hitting triple zero. Kancey got a sack, Lavonte David had another, Chris Braswell shared his first career sack with K.J. Britt, William Gholston ended things with a sack. The pressure was coming from all different angles and all different players. Bowles got into his bag those last two quarters and he’ll need to find that kind of rhythm again next week against the Ravens.
105 - Chris Godwin’s yards after catch against the Saints on Sunday
594 - Bucs’ total yards vs Saints, the most in a game in franchise history
51 - Points scored by the Bucs, second most in franchise history
15 - Passing touchdowns by Baker Mayfield this season, most in the NFL
8 - Times a Bucs receiver had 10+ receptions, 100+ yards, and 2+ touchdowns. This game marked the second time Chris Godwin has done and the first time any Bucs has done it since Mike Evans in week 18 of 2022
72 - Games since the Bucs had a fumble recovery for a touchdown, snapped by Antoine Winfield Jr in the first quarter
1.) Kansas City Chiefs - They’re number one until they’re not
2.) Minnesota Vikings - Who had the Darnold-led Vikings at 5-0 on their preseason bingo card? (If you say yes, you’re a liar)
3.) Detroit Lions - Finding their groove, but losing Hutch is absolutely brutal
4.) Buffalo Bills - Another big test Monday night, but they are always in the running when Josh Allen is healthy
5.) Baltimore Ravens - Derrick Henry is an alien and, quite frankly, that’s not fair
7.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Contenders or pretenders? Monday night in week seven will tell us a lot
No one sends their fans on a roller coaster of emotion quite like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a back-and-forth, gut-wrenching loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Bucs jumped out to quick 17-0 lead before imploding in the second quarter to trail 27-24 at halftime. Then, they revved up in the second half for a huge win to reach 4-2 on the season.
Let’s Pick Six.
1.) Sean Tucker Has Earned More Playing Time. You all know by now, whether it’s from reading my articles and columns or listening to the Locked On Bucs Podcast, but I like Rachaad White. I think he adds a lot to the offense, but through the first five weeks he has woefully underperformed. That could be for a myriad of reasons whether it was protection or play calling, but what Sean Tucker did on Sunday showed that this team can, in fact, run the ball with the best of them. Tucker finished with 136 rushing yards and a touchdown on fourteen carries while adding another 56 receiving yards and touchdown on three receptions. You can’t in good conscience relegate him back to the guy that sits on the sideline all game long. For all the good White has done for this team and the expectations for him coming into the season, he lost some of his offensive snaps moving forward strictly because of how much Tucker showed. For the record, I think White would have done well against that Saints defense but he’s had opportunities against bad run defenses this season and didn’t capitalize. Tucker had nearly as many rushing yards on Sunday that White has all season. White is going to have his breakout performance - and it’s coming sooner than later - but for now, the Bucs have to keep Tucker involved in the run game. The Bucs may lose a little in pass protection and blitz pickup with Tucker or Bucky Irving on the field instead of White, but they seem to gain more when it comes to pounding the rock.
2.) Chris Godwin Is Going To Get Paid. Chris Godwin’s season so far has been epic. Third in the NFL in yards, tied for first in touchdowns (along with Mike Evans, George Kittle, and Ja’Marr Chase), first in yards after catch, first in first downs, first in receptions, and seventh in targets. As each week passes, Godwin’s price goes up exponentially and, at this point, I’m not sure the Bucs’ offense could operate at this record-setting pace without him. Jalen McMillan has a lot of developing to do and he’s already shown flashes of being an impressive receiver - but he’s not Godwin. No one is. It’s going to be really interesting to see if Jason Licht and Jon Spytek can figure out a way to make the money work and ensure that Godwin stays in Tampa, but that opportunity seems to be slipping away with the amount of money he’s going to be able to get on the open market in March. Light your prayer candles, Bucs fans - this one could get a little rough.
3.) Kudos To Todd Bowles. Last week, the defensive game plan was less than ideal. This week, everything looked good but the execution in the second quarter was next level bad. That didn’t deter Bowles or the defense from sticking with the plan. The pressure on Spencer Rattler increased as the game continued, Zyon McCollum had another really solid day, Tykee Smith had the best game of his young career. Whatever Bowles said to this team at halftime worked and got this team refocused and re-energized. I think we can chalk up that second quarter as an anomaly rather than something we are going to see repeated in the future.
4.) Absolutely No Quit. Speaking of that second quarter, I want you to think back to Buccaneers teams of the past. Think back to the pre-Bruce Arians/Todd Bowles era and what would have happened if one of those teams blew a 17-point lead and found themselves trailing at halftime. They would have rolled over and died. They would have accepted their fate and given up. Not this team. Not these players. The leadership and belief that these players have weren’t going to allow that to happen. Baker Mayfield had three interceptions in the second quarter alone - and no, they weren’t all his fault - but he kept throwing. He got himself calmed down and got the Bucs back in the game. The defense didn’t let the moment get too big and allow things to snowball any further than that one isolated quarter. As Ted Lasso suggests, they were goldfish. Forget what just happened and focus on the next play or the next drive. It worked to perfection. A 27-0 second half showed that not only can this team go toe-to-toe with any other team in the league offensively, but that the defense can overcome some bad moments to rally and dominate. Coming off the type of loss they had against Atlanta, this game could have been a domino effect into a brutal losing streak. Instead, it galvanized the team and could be something we point back to in a few months as the moment they really, truly believed they could contend for a championship.
5.) Have A Day, Tykee Smith. Smith was unbelievable. A forced fumble that resulted in a touchdown on the Saints’ opening drive, another forced fumble that ended up being overturned as ruled an incomplete pass - but was a great play regardless - a sure sack that was impeded by an uncalled holding, an interception, two passes defensed. This is why the Bucs were so high on Smith and why the staff was so excited to draft him. He’s starting to get more comfortable and gain more confidence in this system. And once Jamel Dean went down with injury, Smith seemed to elevate his game even more. The Bucs may have something special on their hands with this young man.
6.) The Pass Rush Is Starting To Get There. We knew the return of Antoine Winfield Jr. and Calijah Kancey would boost the defense from front to back, but the Bucs put on a clinic in the second half when it came to rattling Rattler. Three sacks, multiple pressures that resulted in errant and missed passes. The Saints didn’t score at all in the second half, finishing with four punts - three of which came after three-and-outs - and two interceptions before their final possession ended with the clock hitting triple zero. Kancey got a sack, Lavonte David had another, Chris Braswell shared his first career sack with K.J. Britt, William Gholston ended things with a sack. The pressure was coming from all different angles and all different players. Bowles got into his bag those last two quarters and he’ll need to find that kind of rhythm again next week against the Ravens.
105 - Chris Godwin’s yards after catch against the Saints on Sunday
594 - Bucs’ total yards vs Saints, the most in a game in franchise history
51 - Points scored by the Bucs, second most in franchise history
15 - Passing touchdowns by Baker Mayfield this season, most in the NFL
8 - Times a Bucs receiver had 10+ receptions, 100+ yards, and 2+ touchdowns. This game marked the second time Chris Godwin has done and the first time any Bucs has done it since Mike Evans in week 18 of 2022
72 - Games since the Bucs had a fumble recovery for a touchdown, snapped by Antoine Winfield Jr in the first quarter
1.) Kansas City Chiefs - They’re number one until they’re not
2.) Minnesota Vikings - Who had the Darnold-led Vikings at 5-0 on their preseason bingo card? (If you say yes, you’re a liar)
3.) Detroit Lions - Finding their groove, but losing Hutch is absolutely brutal
4.) Buffalo Bills - Another big test Monday night, but they are always in the running when Josh Allen is healthy
5.) Baltimore Ravens - Derrick Henry is an alien and, quite frankly, that’s not fair
7.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Contenders or pretenders? Monday night in week seven will tell us a lot
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