Category: Latest Team News

Bruce Arians predicted Chris Godwin’s big season back in March

See what Bruce Arians had to say about Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin all the way back in March at the Annual League Meetings.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers extended their winning-streak to four yesterday with a 38-17 win over the Detroit Lions. The Bucs are back at .500 and will play their final two games at home, a far cry from the five-game stretch they had to endure earlier in the year, in which they went just 1-4. But, Tampa Bay is 5-1 over their last six games and have a chance to finish with their first winning record since 2016.

Yesterday’s victory came at a cost, however, as wide receiver Chris Godwin left the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. This comes just one week after Mike Evans suffered a hamstring injury that’ll sideline him for the rest of the year.

If it is the end of Godwin’s season, as some have speculated, he’ll finish the year with 86 receptions for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns — career highs in all three categories. Not many people could’ve predicted such a big jump in Year 3 for Godwin, except maybe Bruce Arians, who said back in March at the Annual League Meeting in Phoenix that Godwin would be close to a 100-catch guy this season.

“I think Chris Godwin is going to be close to a 100-catch guy, especially because I think he can play in the slot. He’s never coming off the field.”

The best part of this article is that Kevin Patra of NFL.com had this to say after Arians’ quote.

“Sidebar: This is the same coach that once boasted during one of these March meetings back in 2014 that running back Andre Ellington could handle 30 touches per game, so we should take that 100-catch number with a massive salt pill.”

In Patra’s defense, he did say Godwin could make a big leap playing in Arians’ offense.

Had Godwin been healthy for the final two games, he could’ve easily approached that 100-catch mark. Still, it was a breakout season for the former Penn State receiver, and definitely a sign of things to come.

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Bruce Arians says Shaq Barrett ‘ain’t going nowhere’

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians thinks linebacker and impending free agent Shaq Barrett will return in 2020.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on a four-game winning-streak after Sunday’s 38-17 win over the Detroit Lions. The Bucs saw quarterback Jameis Winston become the first player in NFL history to post back-to-back games with 450 yards passing.

On the defensive side, linebacker Shaquil Barrett had a sack that gave him 16.5 on the year, tying him with Hall of Famer Warren Sapp for the Bucs’ single-season record.

Without question, Barrett has been the best player on this defense all year. And, as a pending free agent, some Bucs fans may be worried these final two games will be the last they see of Barrett in a Tampa uniform.

But, according to Bruce Arians, it looks like Barrett will be wearing one for years to come. At least, that’s the plan.

For what it’s worth, Barrett seems to be all for staying in Tampa Bay next year. I’m sure striking a deal with him is at the top of the team’s to-do list once the season ends.

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The line for the Texans-Bucs is a real head-scratcher

Despite riding a four-game winning-streak, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are underdogs at home to the Texans in Week 16.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have pulled their record back to .500 thanks to a 38-17 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

In that game, quarterback Jameis Winston made history by becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 450-plus yards in back-to-back games. Winston finished yesterday’s game with a career-high 458 yards, one week after throwing for 456 against the Colts.

The Bucs were already playing yesterday without their top receiver in Mike Evans before they lost Chris Godwin to a hamstring injury, one that could sideline him for the rest of the season.

That right there could be why the Buccaneers opened as +1.5 point underdogs at home in Week 16 to the Houston Texans. I get that the Texans are the team with more on the line given their race to the postseason, but the Bucs have won four-straight games and are as hot as any team in the league right now. This game would be a huge statement win for Tampa Bay. I think a Bucs upset over the Texans is more than likely.

[Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.]

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Bill Simmons calls Jameis Winston ‘most exciting player in the league’ after Lamar Jackson

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons thinks Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston is the most exciting player in the league after Lamar Jackson.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking for their fourth-straight win on Sunday when they take on the Detroit Lions. The Bucs may very well be one of the hottest teams in the league right now, having gone 4-1 since Week 10.

The big story of their season, of course, has been quarterback Jameis Winston, who is playing on the final year of his rookie contract. He’s on pace to throw for 5,000 yards, but also has a league-high 23 interceptions, leading many to wonder what the future holds for Winston and the Bucs franchise.

The main issue for the quarterback has been consistency. You never know which Winston is going to show up on Sundays — the one who will throw for over 400 yards and a few scores, or the one who will throw three interceptions.

That perplexing weekly question might be why Bill Simmons of the Ringer thinks Winston is the most exciting player in the league to watch after Lamar Jackson. You might think Simmons is joking, but the more he explains it, the more sensible he sounds.

Take a look.

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Jason Pierre-Paul is getting into the holiday spirit

See a festive Jason Pierre-Paul boarding the team plane for Detroit.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into Detroit in Week 15 to take on the woeful Lions. The Bucs may already be eliminated from the playoffs, but a win Sunday would make it four-straight for Bruce Arians’ squad and pull their record back to .500.

It’s been an up-and-down season for the Bucs, highlighted by their brutal five-game stretch away from home earlier in the year. But, this team has a lot to be thankful for. They’ve seen the emergence of third-year receiver Chris Godwin, who has not only solidified himself as a true No. 2, but also has a chance to break the franchise’s single-season receiving mark.

On the defensive side, the team couldn’t be happier to have defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul back in the mix. JPP suffered a fractured neck in a single-car accident during the offseason, which put his season in doubt. But, Pierre-Paul has come back strong and seems to be enjoying life (and the holidays) as the team headed to Detroit today.

Take a look.

You’ve got to admit, he does make red look good. JPP seems like a happy guy just as long as he doesn’t catch you taking pictures of his car.

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Good news for Jameis Winston entering Week 15’s matchup with the Lions

Find out why Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston could be poised for another big game in Week 15.

After throwing for a career-high 456 yards in last Sunday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts, Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston is now on pace to become just the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season.

The downside to Winston’s pass-happy style is that he’s also thrown a league-high 23 interceptions, which has only fueled the debate about whether or not the team will bring him back next season.

Working in Winston’s favor, though, is the fact the Bucs are 4-1 over their last five games and are riding a three-game winning-streak entering Sunday’s game in Detroit against the Lions. If he can finish strong over the final three weeks, it’d go a long way in convincing the Bucs to offer him a new deal.

And, the good news for the interception-prone Winston is that the Lions defense is tied for last in interceptions with just five. Perhaps knowing that will give Winston even more confidence to fire the ball.

Still, don’t forget about what happened back in Week 1, when Winston got intercepted three times by a Niners defense that had three interceptions all of last season. Anything can happen on any given Sunday.

But. based on how well this Bucs team has been playing of late, I think Winston will have another monster game.

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Chris Godwin needs 313 more receiving yards to grab this Bucs record

See what franchise record Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin could nab before the season is over.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into Detroit Sunday to take on the Lions without their best receiver. Pro Bowler Mike Evans, who earlier this season became the only other receiver besides Hall of Famer Randy Moss to start his career with six-straight 1,000-yard seasons, injured his hamstring in Week 14’s win over the Colts and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

It’s certainly a big loss, but fortunately, the Bucs have receiver Chris Godwin waiting in the wings to be the new No. 1 receiver. Godwin, the third-year receiver out of Penn State, has exploded onto the scene this season, already setting career highs across the board with receptions (81), yards (1,212) and touchdowns (9).

And, with just three games left to play, Godwin finds himself just 313 receiving yards shy of Mike Evans’ single-season record of 1,524 yards, set just last year. That means, Godwin needs to average just over 104.3 yards per game over the last three weeks.

While the Bucs may not be making a trip to the postseason this year, several players have a shot at making history, including Godwin.

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Mike Evans nominated for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has been named a nominee for this year’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without their star wide receiver Mike Evans for the rest of the year due to a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 14’s win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Fortunately, Evans hasn’t just been making a difference on the field this season. He’s been doing great work off it, too, which is why he is the Bucs’ nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

See the list of full nominees above. The award will be presented at the annual NFL Honors on the eve of Super Bowl LIV in Miami.

For what it’s worth, Evans appreciated the love his fellow teammate Shaq Barrett showed him on Twitter.

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Devin White makes NFL.com’s 2019 Defensive All-Rookie Team

See why NFL writer Chris Wesseling selected Bucs rookie linebacker Devin White for his 2019 Defensive All-Rookie Team.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White had perhaps one of the worst starts to a regular season in recent memory for a rookie. The fifth overall pick in April’s NFL draft dealt with tonsillitis in the days leading up to Week 1, causing him to lose nearly 10 pounds. Then, early in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers, White went down with a sprained knee, which sidelined him for several games.

But, over the past month, White has been showing the Bucs and the rest of the league why he was considered the prize linebacker in the 2019 draft class. While White likely saw his chances of winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors slip away due to his knee injury, he still found a spot on NFL.com’s 2019 Defensive All-Rookie Team. White joined Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Devin Bush and Washington Redskins linebacker Cole Holcomb on the list.

Here’s what NFL writer Chris Wesseling had to say about White’s selection:

“After an early-season disappearing act, White began to play with confidence and impressive closing speed as a sideline-to-sideline, seek-and-destroy menace versus the Cardinals in Week 10. He went on to capture NFC Defensive Rookie of the Month honors for November, following a five-game stretch that featured 46 tackles, 2.5 sacks, five QB hits, one interception, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.”

White and the streaking Buccaneers head to Detroit in Week 15 to take on the Lions. Tampa Bay will be looking for their fourth-straight win, while Detroit is looking to halt a six-game skid.

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One NFL expert predicts Jameis Winston plays for another Florida team in 2020

Find out where one NFL expert believes Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston will land in 2020.

The 2019 season has had the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their fans on Winston Watch.

The former number one overall pick, who is playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, has put up big passing numbers this season and is on pace to surpass 5,000 yards. But, he’s also thrown a league-leading 23 interceptions, further adding to the argument that Winston can’t protect the football.

While some fans may want the team to start over at the position and let Bruce Arians pick a new quarterback to groom, many experts are beginning to feel that a return to Tampa Bay is the most likely scenario for Winston. However, there’s one NFL expert who believes that while Winston will play in Florida next year, it won’t be for the Bucs.

Per Kevin Seifert of ESPN: Where will Jameis Winston be playing in 2020?

“Miami, to compete for the starting job. I understand the investment the Buccaneers have made in Winston and the benefits of his aggressive downfield nature. But I don’t believe that Bruce Arians, or any coach who wants to win, can tolerate a player who is leading the NFL in turnovers (28) in his fifth season. It’s an ongoing issue that is only getting worse. The Dolphins are the kind of team that might choose him for the short term rather than start a rookie.”

That’s a hard scenario to envision, but stranger things have happened in the NFL. Who could’ve predicted at this time last year that Odell Beckham Jr. would be a Cleveland Brown?

Still, the safe money seems to be on Winston under center for Tampa Bay in 2020, for better or worse.

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