Tag: buccaneers news

Chargers PFF grades: Best, worst performers in Week 15 loss to Buccaneers

Spotlighting Pro Football Focus’ highest and lowest-graded Chargers players from the loss to the Buccaneers.

In Week 15, the Chargers were outmatched by the Buccaneers in their 40-17 loss.

Along the way, there were some standout performers and others who did not contribute as much.

Here are the best and worst performers from Sunday’s contest, according to Pro Football Focus’ player grades.

Top 5 Offense

OT Joe Alt — 75.1

WR Quentin Johnston — 73.2

OT Rashawn Slater — 69.6

QB Justin Herbert — 63.4

OL Jamaree Salyer — 63.3

Top 5 Defense

DT Poona Ford — 79.0

DT Teair Tart — 78.5

S Derwin James — 75.6

S Elijah Molden — 72.3

LB Junior Colson — 72.2

Bottom 5 Offense

RB Kimani Vidal — 45.9

WR Josh Palmer — 47.8

TE Eric Tomlinson — 49.9

TE Stone Smartt — 50.5

TE Tucker Fisk — 50.8

Bottom 5 Defense

CB Cam Hart — 26.0

LB Daiyan Henley — 35.7

EDGE Khalil Mack — 39.1

DT Otito Ogbonnia — 41.0

S Marcus Maye — 45.8

Key things to know about Chargers’ Week 15 opponent: Buccaneers

Here are some important things to know about the Buccaneers ahead of the Week 15 matchup with the Chargers.

The Chargers are back home to face the Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 15, at 1:25 p.m. PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 15 bout, here are a few key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

How things are going…

The Buccaneers are 7-6 and sit atop the NFC South. Tampa Bay is riding a three-game winning streak.

Coen has the offense cooking

Offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s unit is one of the hottest in football. The Buccaneers rank in the top 10 in multiple categories. They are currently fifth in scoring (27.9 points per game), sixth in passing (241.0 yards per game), and eighth in rushing (138.3 YPG).

Baker making it happen

Quarterback Baker Mayfield has completely turned his career around with the Buccaneers after bouncing around with a few teams since being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Mayfield has thrown the third-most touchdowns (28) and fourth-most passing yards (3,329). However, Mayfield has struggled to take care of the football, as his 13 interceptions are the second-most behind Falcons’ Kirk Cousins.

The Rookie of the Year candidate no one is talking about

Running back Bucky Irving has been having an outstanding first season since being selected in the fourth round out of Oregon. Irving has been integral in their offensive success and is on pace to the franchise’s first 1,000-yard rushing season since Doug Martin (2015). Irving has 735 yards, six touchdowns, and 5.4 yards per carry.

Uneven defense

The Chargers should have plenty of success airing it out. The Buccaneers rank 30th against the pass, allowing an average of 253.4 yards per game. On the other hand, Tampa Bay has been solid against the run, ranking 11th in the league.

Look out for…

Wide receiver Mike Evans. Mayfield will be looking to go to his top target early and often. Evans is a big-time playmaker, averaging 13.7 yards per catch, with seven touchdowns on the season.

49ers may face Buccaneers QB making 1st-career start

Baker Mayfield missed the first two practices of the week for the Buccaneers.

The San Francisco 49ers may not be the most banged up team when they visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10.

While the 49ers’ practice participation report features a slew of names, Tampa Bay’s is also crowded and includes star wide receiver Mike Evans. Their other star WR, Chris Godwin, is already on IR for the season because of an ankle injury.

Most notable on Tampa Bay’s participation reports from Wednesday and Thursday was the inclusion of quarterback Baker Mayfield. He’s dealing with a toe injury that kept him out of both of the Buccaneers’ practices to start the week.

Mayfield on Wednesday told Bucs reporters in a press conference he’s “a little sore,” but also noted he expects to play Sunday.

If Mayfield is unable to go, the Buccaneers would turn to third-year signal caller Kyle Trask for his first-career start.

Trask was a second-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2018 draft out of Florida. Across three seasons he has played in four games and thrown only 10 passes. He’s 3-for-10 for 22 yards. His only snaps this season came in Week 1 against the Washington Commanders when he took the two kneel downs to close out a 37-20 Buccaneers win.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan would surely love to avoid Mayfield, a player he said he wasn’t eager to face in the NFC championship game last season. Mayfield is even better this year than he was a season ago. He’s leading the NFL with 23 touchdown passes while completing 71.4 percent of his throws and averaging a career-best 7.6 yards per attempt.

Sunday’s game is one the 49ers need badly. It becomes an even bigger must-win if they’re facing a first-time starting quarterback.

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Why 49ers were worried about facing Buccaneers in NFC championship game

Kyle Shanahan: Big Baker Mayfield guy.

The San Francisco 49ers punched their ticket to Super Bowl LVIII with a thrilling NFC championship game victory over the Detroit Lions.

While the Lions’ sensational first-half performance forced a dramatic comeback by the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium, Detroit nearly didn’t get out of the divisional playoffs after an eight-point victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday told reporters he wasn’t excited about the prospect of facing the Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield.

“I think Baker is a stud,” Shanahan said. “I think last year, I thought he was at the top of his game last year playing real well and this year I think he’s the same, if not better. I think he’s one of the main reasons I think they were a couple plays away from playing us in the NFC Championship last year. We were worried, real worried about him going into that game. He just got hotter as the whole year went. And he’s playing at such a high level right now.”

The 49ers saw Mayfield up close in Week 11 last season. He completed 29-of-45 throws for 246 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 27-14 San Francisco victory at Levi’s Stadium. The numbers weren’t great, but he made some sensational throws in that game that helped paint a picture of what he might be capable of in a better offense.

This year, Buccaneers new offensive coordinator Liam Coen has gotten the most out of Mayfield. Even without his top two wide receivers, Mayfield managed to go into Kansas City in Week 9 and go 23-of-31 for 200 yards and two touchdowns.

Shanahan was worried about facing Mayfield in January, but now in Week 10 the 49ers will have to face him with their chances of playing next January hanging in the balance.

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Falcons News: Buccaneers won’t have top 2 receivers in Week 8

Falcons News: Buccaneers won’t have top two offensive weapons in Week 8 matchup…

The Atlanta Falcons will play their biggest game to date in Week 8 when they face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

Despite last weekend’s lopsided loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Falcons are in position to make the playoffs for the first time in six years.  The team caught another big break entering Sunday’s NFC South showdown in Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers’ top two wide receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, have been ruled out ahead of Week 8. Evans went down with a hamstring injury during Monday night’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens and won’t return until Week 11.

Godwin suffered a gruesome ankle injury late in the fourth quarter and has been placed on the injured reserve list. Evans and Godwin have been arguably the NFL’s top wide receiver duo over the last few seasons.

Thus far in 2024, Evans has 26 catches for 355 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Godwin has been even more effective with 50 catches for 576 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is having a bit of a career resurgence in Tampa Bay but losing his top two weapons could cause the former No. 1 overall pick to take a step back.

The Falcons narrowly defeated the Buccaneers in overtime when these two teams faced off in Week 5. Quarterback Kirk Cousins connected with wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge for a 45-yard walk-off touchdown to seal the 36-30 win.

Sunday’s game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET inside Raymond James Stadium.

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Jets CB Sauce Gardner gives pitch to Buccaneers’ Mike Evans

Gardner took to social media to try and recruit Evans ahead of free agency, and one Bucs offensive player wasn’t all too thrilled about it.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans is set to be a highly-sought name in free agency for 2024, and some NFL players are already doing their best to make their pitch to him.

One of those players in New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, who has been taking to social media as his general manager alter-ego he calls “LeSauce.” His recent target was Evans, tweeting that Evans purportedly knew “what we talked about” on social media. The Jets are one of many teams that could be interested in Evans, with teams like the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers also often mentioned.

Some aren’t particularly pleased with Gardner’s recruiting efforts, though. Gardner tweeted earlier a list of wideouts and asked Jets fans which ones he should try to get to New York, and Bucs running back Rachaad White didn’t take kindly to Evans being mentioned among them:

Evans had previously made a public statement about his contract through his agent at the beginning of the year, setting an extension deadline the team did not meet. Spotrac has Evans projected at $23.8 million dollars per year in market value — as it stands, the Jets are 20th in cap space at $7,562,303, so they’d need to do some maneuvering to try and land someone like Evans. Free agency officially opens on March 11, so we’ll know soon just how much of Gardner’s pitch is just talk or if it actually has some legs.

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Buccaneers sign former Chargers OL Matt Feiler

Matt Feiler has found a new home with the Buccaneers.

The Chargers saw another player find a new team in free agency on Thursday when offensive lineman Matt Feiler agreed to terms on a new contract with the Buccaneers.

Feiler was cut by Los Angeles earlier in the offseason due to salary cap constraints, which allowed them to save a significant amount of money by parting ways.

Signed two offseasons ago, Feiler was solid in his first season as a Charger. However, he took a step back this past season. Feiler allowed six sacks, 40 quarterback pressures and 31 hurries.

 

Though he may not be a household name at this point in his career, Feiler has proven that he has all the tools necessary to be a consistent presence on any offensive line. The Buccaneers will benefit from his ability to mentor younger linemen next season.

Why Tom Brady’s free-agent move to Tampa Bay mirrored LeBron James

Scott Spratt over at ESPN.com said Tom Brady’s free-agent move this offseason had a LeBron James-feel to it.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a team with championship expectations in 2020 now that Tom Brady is the man under the center.

The 43-year-old quarterback is still looking to fight off Father Time as he takes over one of the league’s best offenses. The addition of tight end Rob Gronkowski only further adds to the excitement surrounding this team, with many people believing Brady has a legitimate shot at getting ring number seven.

Already the greatest quarterback ever, Brady has drawn comparisons to other sports greats, most notably NBA legend Michael Jordan, who, like Brady, won six titles. (If you haven’t watched The Last Dance yet go to Netflix and binge it now.)

But while Brady may be like Mike when it comes to championships won, Scott Spratt over at ESPN says the six-time Super Bowl champ made more of a LeBron James-type move this offseason.

Per Spratt:

“Ironically, Tom Brady’s free-agent move to Tampa Bay mirrors LeBron James’ departure from Florida and return home to Cleveland in 2014. The narratives were totally different, but both decisions made sports sense thanks to their new teams’ young, blue-chip players — something Brady was missing on his the Patriots (ranked 31st in under-25 talent) as much because of bad drafting and forfeited picks in recent seasons as Bill Belichick’s preference for veteran players.

“The direct, obvious draws are wide receiver Chris Godwin and offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, the 12th overall pick this season. Godwin led his veteran teammate Mike Evans (18.0%) and every other heavily targeted receiver in the NFL with a 32.8% DVOA in 2019. And Wirfs should fill the only obvious hole on a Buccaneers’ offensive line whose 22nd-ranked adjusted sack rate (7.6%) likely suffered from former quarterback Jameis Winston’s poor decision-making. Their 29.0% allowed pressure rate was 13th best and should improve with Wirfs starting and with Brady’s tremendous pocket presence.”

*Quick note: Wirfs was the 13th pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

It’s nice to see that Spratt’s optimistic about the offensive line, which is still a question mark. While the addition of Wirfs is a huge win for Tampa Bay, the loss of preseason games doesn’t do them any favors. Asking a rookie, even one as talented as Wirfs, to be NFL-ready in Week 1 without any preseason experience is a big ask. Then again, having to protect Tom Brady certainly provides a sense of motivation and pride.

We’ll see what Week 1 brings.

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It’s fun in the sun for Ndamukong Suh

Bucs DT Ndamukong Suh headed out on a boat to enjoy that Florida sun.

Buccaneers defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh signaled his return to Tampa for training camp with a hilarious gif, but the man who spent most of his offseason back home in Oregon seems to be enjoying himself in the Sunshine State.

Not only is Suh getting along with his rookie teammate already, but he’s soaking up that summer sun by hitting the water and living the dream.

Here are some screenshots from his recent Instagram story.

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Mike Clay says this team’s wide receiver unit is better than the Bucs’

Find out why Mike Clay of ESPN has the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver unit ranked ahead of the Buccaneers’.

The bread and butter of the Buccaneers’ offense has been their passing attack, highlighted by the play of Pro Bowl receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, both of whom eclipsed the 1,100-yard mark last season.

With Tom Brady now under center and the Bucs looking to make some noise in the NFC, you can be sure Tampa Bay will take to the air again this season, especially now that Rob Gronkowski will be roaming the field.

Despite the greatness of both Evans and Godwin, the Buccaneers are still in need of another receiver. That might be why Mike Clay of ESPN ranked the Bucs’ wide receiver unit as the second best in the NFL, behind only the Dallas Cowboys.

Per Clay:

“The Cowboys entered April’s draft with one of the league’s best, young WR duos in Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. They now have the league’s best trio after selecting arguably the best of this year’s loaded class, CeeDee Lamb, with the 17th overall pick. New head coach Mike McCarthy relied heavily on three-WR sets in Green Bay, so expect to see this trio on the field on nearly every play this season.”

I tend to agree with Clay’s assessment here and would give the Cowboys receivers the edge over Tampa Bay’s right now. Not only is Lamb one of the biggest steals of the draft, but he helps give Dallas three strong options at receiver. The Bucs have Evans and Godwin, but still need to find a sure-fire third option.

Scotty Miller looks to be in contention for that role, as does fifth-round pick Tyler Johnson out of Minnesota. Dallas receivers — minus Lamb — have also had the benefit of playing with quarterback Dak Prescott before, whereas the Bucs are learning with a new quarterback in Tom Brady.

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