Category: Latest Team News

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield praises Chris Godwin’s hot start to the season

Chris Godwin’s consistency through three games has been praised by his quarterback.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off to a 2-1 start. Their Week 4 meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Despite their crushing 26-7 loss to the Denver Broncos last week, the Bucs still have many positives to take away as the first month of the regular season comes to a close. One of those main reasons has been wide receiver Chris Godwin’s incredible start to the 2024 season.

Godwin scored in each of the Bucs’ first three games this season, which is a consistent part of their offense. Quarterback Baker Mayfield alluded to Godwin’s high football IQ.

“The number of years they’ve done it in a row, and Chris is reliable. [You] say it enough – it’s how smart he is, understanding the defense and the coverages, understanding what we’re trying to get done within our own concepts and [he’s] a guy that is all about winning. He’s playing really well, [he] feels good [and] we have to keep him going.”

Mayfield, Godwin, and the rest of the Bucs offense will have a chance to get things back on track this week against a weak Eagles secondary.

Todd Bowles recognizes the danger of the Eagles run game

As the Bucs prepare to face a remarkable Eagles run game, Todd Bowles knows exactly who they’re facing in Saquon Barkley.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a tough task this weekend, as the Philadelphia Eagles come to town in Week 4.

Head coach Todd Bowles’ defense had been stout for the first two games, but unfortunately allowed 26 points to the Denver Broncos last week. The Broncos rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns as a team, on 4.9 yards per rush.

The challenge doesn’t ease up this week either, with star running back Saquon Barkley on the other sideline. Barkley’s rushed for 351 yards and four touchdowns and an astounding 5.6 yards per carry.

Bowles knows exactly what his team will be facing this week.

“I mean, they were already a good team before they got him. Once they got him – he’s one of the top two or three running backs in the league right now. You put that behind one of the top two or three offensive lines and you’re going to have nothing but success. Then, they’ve got the receivers and tight end to match, so he’s going to be a load to bring down. He’s got quick feet, he’s powerful, he’s fast, he can catch, he can block, he can do it all.”

The Bucs defense needs to contain Barkley, as well as quarterback Jalen Hurts, who can also extend plays with his legs when need be.

Buccaneers announce inactives ahead of Week 3 vs Broncos

No surprises but does show cause for concern on the defensive line in what could be considered a trap game for the Buccaneers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announce inactives ahead of their Week 3 matchup against the Denver Broncos. It doesn’t feature any surprises but does show cause for concern on the defensive line in what could be considered an early-season trap game for the Buccaneers.

  • TE Devin Culp
  • T Luke Goedeke
  • WR Kameron Johnson
  • DT Calijah Kancey
  • OLB Jose Ramirez
  • DT Vita Vea
  • S Antonie Winfield Jr

Luke Goedeke will miss another game in concussion protocol, which puts Justin Skule back in the starting role, looking to recover from a rough outing, allowing 4.5 sacks to Aidan Hutchinson last Sunday. The good news is that while the Broncos blitz at the highest rate in the NFL on passing plays, Baker Mayfield is the 2nd best quarterback in the league against the blitz. Also, Skule will not have to block anyone near the same level as Hutchinson.

Clijah Kancey is a big miss after going down with a calf injury and missing practice all week, especially with Vea not suiting up and William Gholston missing practice on Wednesday with a knee and logging two limited practice designations on Thursday and Friday.

Tony Dungy sets the record straight on the ‘Tampa 2’ defense

A debate about the two-high safeties defense—or, as you may know it, the “Tampa 2″—broke out on ESPN’s Get Up thanks to Mel Kiper Jr.

A debate about the two-high safeties defense—or, as you may know it, the “Tampa 2″—broke out on ESPN’s Get Up after Mel Kiper Jr. said it should be outlawed because he wants to see more downfield shots rather than bubble screens and checkdowns.

“The NFL is getting ruined by these two high safeties,” Kiper said.

Dan Orlovsky was tasked with explaining what this alignment was, and credited former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy for creating it, stating that “2-high safeties has been around for a long time, Tony Dungy made the ‘Tampa 2’ defense famous down there.”

While Dungy and the Buccaneers may have made it more of a household name to a wider audience, the former Buccaneers coach made sure to set the record straight. “Thanks, Dan, for including me in the legacy of Cover 2, but the Tampa version wasn’t near the beginning of the story,” Dungy said on his X account in response to Orlovsky’s history lesson.

The Cover 2 defense was actually introduced to the NFL in 1973, by Bud Carlson and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dungy would say, and the Hall of Fame coach took the Tampa version right out of their 1977 playbook, which he received as a rookie DB for the Steelers.

Dungy spent time interacting with comments and giving a history lesson on the defense and suspected that the defense was heralded as “Tampa 2” simply because “people hadn’t seen it in a while.”

Bucs OC Liam Coen praises Chris Godwin’s approach to film study

We have heard it countless times- the work you put in off the field is just as important to what you do on game day.

We have heard it countless times- the work you put in off the field is just as important to what you do on game day.

Traditionally, there are two types of players when it comes to watching game film; first, there is your Kyler Murray-type who needs mandatory film study included in his contract, and then you have someone like Peyton Manning who was “maniacal” and watched upwards of 20 hours of film per week, according to Pat McAfee. Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar wide receiver Chris Godwin falls into the latter half of those players, as Bucs OC Liam Coen told media on Thursday.

“He’s been that way. He’s been practicing that way, he’s been preparing that way. You should see him in meetings. Whenever an offensive coach gets up and speaks in front of our unit, Chris Godwin is taking notes,” Coen said of the receiver’s approach to studying film. The Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator went as far as to say Godwin will sit in on the team’s run-game meetings on Friday “on the edge of his seat paying attention and taking notes and then will come and ask questions,” Coen continued on Godwin’s engagement.

With the amount of preparation that goes into each game, it’s no surprise that Godwin has caught a second-best 15 receptions (on 16 targets), totaled the second-most receiving yards with 200 through the first two weeks of the season, and helped Baker Mayfield achieve a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeted.

Bucs expected to be without two key starters against Broncos

Tackle Luke Goedeke and nose tackle Vita Vea aren’t looking likely to play in the Bucs’ Week 3 matchup against the Broncos.

With three days to go until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Week 3 matchup against the Denver Broncos, they’ll likely be going in without a few starters.

Two in particular, right tackle Luke Goedeke and nose tackle Vita Vea, didn’t participate in practice at all this week. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and defensive lineman Calijah Kancey also haven’t practiced but were already expected to miss the contest heading into this week.

Vea was ruled out last week with the same knee injury limiting him today. As for Goedeke, he’s dealing with a concussion, so he’ll have to be cleared from protocol before Sunday if he wants any chance at playing, although unlikely.

The Bucs have been dealing with injuries throughout the first two weeks of the season, and the trend seems to be continuing. They’ll need to adapt the ‘next man up’ mentality to get through another week against a weak Broncos team.

Broncos place starting tackle on IR; will miss Bucs matchup

Mike McGlinchey was placed on IR before the Broncos’ matchup against the Bucs. This could allow for Tampa’s defense to get after Bo Nix.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play host to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, with injuries mounting on both sides. One key Broncos injury could be a travesty when facing the Bucs this week.

Starting right tackle Mike McGlinchey was placed on IR, prompting him to miss the next four games according to Adam Schefter. McGlinchey signed a five year, $87.5 million contract with Denver in 2023, hoping to improve their struggling offensive line.

McGlinchey’s absence against the Bucs poses a huge problem for the Broncos. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has taken control of the helm, and now he’ll be without his veteran protector. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and the defense must be licking their chops thinking about this matchup. Rattling a rookie quarterback is easy for Bowles, but doing it against an injured offensive line makes the job all too sweeter.

Yaya Diaby and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka should be able to get after Nix on Sunday, seeing as second-year offensive lineman Alex Palczewski is set to take over in McGlinchey’s absence.

Baker Mayfield trusts Mike Evans against anyone he faces

Evans will be lining up against Denver’s star cornerback Patrick Surtain II on Sunday, but Mayfield has trust in his star to win the battle.

As a quarterback, having a wide receiver who can dominate against any defense he faces must be a relief.

That’s exactly the case between Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ duo Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans. The pair connected on 79 passes for 1,255 yards and 13 scores in 2023, leading Evans to be tied for first in the NFL in touchdowns with Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Mayfield and Evans established their connection early in the 2024 season, combining for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Evans has been the definition of consistent throughout his career thus far, eclipsing 1,000+ receiving yards in each season since being drafted in 2014. He’s seen his fair share of matchups against elite competition, which will happen again on Sunday. Evans will face Patrick Surtain II, one of the league’s best cornerbacks.

Mayfield acknowledged Surtain II’s presence but had full trust in his star winning his battles.

“That’s what a guy like Pat Surtain can offer a defense – true, one-on-one, shut one side of the field down,” said Mayfield. “He’s that type of player. He’s got unbelievable ball skills, he can run with guys, he understands concepts and can read the patterns really well. He’s a guy who will have his PBUs and make plays on the ball, but we have to design things to get Mike some matchups other than just him. We also trust Mike in one-on-one scenarios regardless.”

The Broncos boast one of the league’s best passing defenses, allowing just 134 yards per game through the air through two weeks. However, they’re allowing a 68.89 completion percentage, which is good news for Mayfield and the Bucs’ offense.

The Bucs have averaged 213 yards passing thus far, and Mayfield is completing over 70% of his passes. Surtain will likely be shadowing Evans the entire game, but Mayfield is not shying away from throwing to his elite wideout.

“Depending on the route, depending on the concept of how he’s playing it, you can kind of eliminate it quicker,” said Mayfield. “But, still, Mike is our guy, so I’m still trusting him.”

Watching two of the league’s best clashes on Sunday will be fun.

Former Bucs QB Mike Glennon calls Baker Mayfield “solid” but “not elite”

Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold have once again been linked to the benching of Carolina Panthers former top pick Bryce Young.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold have once again been linked to the benching of Carolina Panthers second-year quarterback Bryce Young.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales, the former offensive coordinator for the Bucs, decided to sit Young following last week’s 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

In 2022, Mayfield played just seven games with the Panthers before being released and claimed by the Los Angeles Rams. After the season, Mayfield became a free agent and landed a one-year contract with Tampa, which also signed Canales as the offensive coordinator. Mayfield and Canales spent the 2023 season together, and Canales went on to his current role as the head coach of the Panthers. Somehow, that translates into Mayfield, Canales, Young (and Darnold) being forever intertwined. Thank you, David Tepper.

As Joe Bucs Fan reported, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon, who started 18 games in his three years with the Buccaneers, is a regular guest on 99.9 The Fan in North Carolina, spoke about Mayfield and Darnold when asked about the benching of the Panthers rookie quarterback.

“Even with how well Sam and Baker are playing, those guys are not elite quarterbacks,” Glennon said of Mayfield and Darnold as the conversation about how it’s hard to evaluate quarterbacks continued. “They’re [Mayfield and Darnold] solid starters in the NFL, where they drafted Young to be elite, and he’s just not that,” Glennon concluded.

Whether you believe that Mayfield is elite, flirting with the line between solid and elite, or simply not sold, we can all agree that this continued comparison is odd and should probably end sooner rather than later.

Bucs have several starters on Week 3’s injury report

The Bucs are in jeopardy of being without multiple starters once again this week against the Broncos.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are gearing up for their Week 3 matchup against the Denver Broncos, but there’s a chance they could be without a few key starters.

The Bucs communications team released their injury report following Wednesday’s practice, with prominent players either not participating or limited. The Bucs’ secondary injuries began in Week 1 and are still an issue. Starting cornerback Jamel Dean was limited with a knee injury, while safety Antoine Winfield Jr did not practice with his lingering foot injury, which he suffered late in their victory over the Washington Commanders.

Vita Vea was ruled out last week with a knee injury, and it’s not looking good once again, as he didn’t practice either. Sticking with the defensive line, Calijah Kancey missed the first two games with a calf injury, and he still hasn’t been able to participate in practice.

Moving over to the offense, starting tackle Luke Goedeke didn’t participate in practice due to a concussion, and Rachaad White was limited with a groin injury. If White can’t go or is limited to a snap count on Sunday, there’s a possibility rookie Bucky Irving could be in line for a heavy workload.