Tag: Sterling Shepard

Panthers S Sam Franklin Jr. restrained from Buccaneers players in heated scene after Week 13 loss

Things got heated in the tunnel following the Panthers’ Week 13 loss to the Buccaneers.

It seemed as though the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed more than just overtime to settle their score.

Sunday evening saw the visiting Buccaneers pull off a walk-off 26-23 win over the host Panthers. But the Week 13 showdown extended well beyond the field, as Carolina safety Sam Franklin Jr. was captured in a heated exchange in the tunnel after the game . . .

No. 33 for the Bucs is outside linebacker Jose Ramirez. Sunday marked the third NFL game for Ramirez, a sixth round pick from the 2023 draft.

Then, this happened . . .

The reasoning behind the wild scene is not yet clear . . . at least to those who were not involved.

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Sterling Shepard: Giants’ culture needs ‘a little bit of work’

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Sterling Shepard had some candid comments about his old team, the New York Giants, and how their culture needs work.

Former New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard is back in town. Not as a Giant, mind you, but as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are here to face the Giants on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.

Shepard and the Giants parted ways this past March after eight seasons. The former 2016 second-round pick out of Oklahoma caught on with the Bucs on a one-year deal, which at the time was seen as a depth move.

But that ended quickly as the 31-year-old Shepard was thrust into a larger role after an injury to star wideout Chris Godwin and Mike Evans’ recurring hamstring issues.

Shepard is fully aware of what is happening with his former team, especially with quarterback Daniel Jones, who he played five seasons with. Jones was first benched on Monday and eventually released on Friday.

“I feel for him, man, because I know how hard the dude works. I’ve seen it firsthand and how great of a dude he is,” Shepard told the New York Post. “And he can play ball, man, he’s a good ballplayer. It’s just unfortunate this is the way this business goes sometimes. It’s good to you sometimes, but sometimes it goes the other way and you got to navigate through that.”

Shepard also said he felt the Giants were “a couple of pieces away from being a really good team” and then was asked about the culture now that he’s been in another team’s locker room.

“I think there could be maybe a little bit of work there,” he said. “It’s just different, in so many different ways and so many different levels. When it goes down to the small things, what you can do in the building as a player, the way you’re able to communicate and be hand-in-hand with the coaches, it’s just a lot of different things I kinda picked up on being there for so long.

“Even down to the training staff or the weight coaches and some of the different stuff that we do here, it’s a difference. . . I’m not saying the way that they do it is bad because it’s not. It’s just different and I’ve gotten to see the other side of it.”

Shepard was not re-signed by the Giants because they wanted to get younger and more dynamic at wide receiver, hence the additions of Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt.

Shepard didn’t see the field much in his final season with Big Blue and commented on head coach Brian Daboll, who is 8-19 over the past two seasons.

“I don’t think you go from being the Coach of the Year two years ago to just being a guy that can’t get the job done,” Shepard said. “I don’t believe that. I wish him nothing but the best. I feel like he can be a coach that can produce wins. He’s done it before and he did it early on so I don’t think you just go away from that.”

Whether or not Daboll will have that opportunity beyond 2024 remains to be seen.

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Sterling Shepard warns Bucs not to underestimate Giants’ Tommy DeVito

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Sterling Shepard has warned his teammates not to underestimate New York Giants QB Tommy DeVito.

The New York Giants will welcome back a familiar face on Sunday when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

Sterling Shepard, who spent the first eight years of his career with the Giants, will face off against his former team for the first time.

The biggest storyline of the week is, of course, the Giants benching of Daniel Jones and turning to Tommy DeVito at quarterback — a face Shepard is familiar with from last season.

Shepard has warned his teammates, that DeVito is not someone who should be taken lightly:

“I mean, I love Tommy, man. He’s definitely a very energetic guy, he’s very confident,” Shepard said. “That’s the reason I’ve been telling these guys, it’s not somebody that we can take lightly. He’s going to go out there with confidence and play his type of style ball. So, yeah, other than that, he’s a great dude and that was a time to be around, for sure.”

Like the Giants, Shepard and the Buccaneers, are trying to snap a losing streak of their own on Sunday. Shepard has 16 catches for 166 yards and a touchdown so far this season. It will be interesting to see his workload on Sunday with Mike Evans trending toward a return.

Both Shepard and the Giants knew that his time in New York was reaching its end during the final weeks of last season. Still, he will get a warm welcome from Giants fans Sunday.

The Giants are hoping to get a spark by starting DeVito on Sunday, just as he provided last season and Shepard is certainly making sure his team is aware of what DeVito brings to the table.

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Bucs HC provides update on Mike Evans injury status and recovery

On Monday, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles gave everyone an update on Evans and his hamstring injury. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense has remained efficient despite the absence of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. We have been expecting to get Mike Evans back at some point while Chris Godwin has been on record saying that the only chance he has of coming back is in the playoffs.

On Monday, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles gave everyone an update on Evans and his hamstring injury.

“I’ll have to see where he is next week. He’s getting better and better. With the week off, hopefully he’ll be able to do something next week.”

For what it is worth, Bowles gave that same answer when discussing Josh Hayes’ and Tristan Wirfs’ injury status. He has stated this position previously after the injury occurred, so it may also indicate that not much has changed for him.

Soft tissue injuries, such as hamstrings, are always a touch-base sort of injury. It isn’t fun to deal with or monitor but that is the cards we are currently dealing with.

Todd Bowles rules out several players for Week 5 matchup against Falcons

The Bucs head to Atlanta to play against the Falcons, head coach Todd Bowles has officially ruled out five starters on the short week.

Unfortunately, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers injury report has been in midseason form in the early stages of the 2024 season. As the Bucs head to Atlanta for a Thursday night matchup against the Falcons, head coach Todd Bowles has officially ruled out five starters on the short week, as reported by Greg Auman.

  • DL Calijah Kancey
  • S Antoine Winfield
  • T Luke Goedeke
  • WR Jalen McMillan
  • WR Trey Palmer

Calijah Kancey will miss his fifth straight game with a calf injury. Bowles did note to reporters that Kancey might have been able to see his first action this season had the game been on Sunday, as the DT had no setbacks this week at practice.

Justin Skule, who has allowed seven pressures, will get the start against an Atlanta Falcons defense that has struggled in generating pressures on opposing QBs as the 28th ranked pass rushing defense per PFF, with Luke Goedeke unable to clear concussion protocol, being forced to miss his fourth-straight game.

The Bucs signed WR Sterling Shepard to their active roster again this week as both Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer will be out on Thursday. Shepard is coming off a 50 offensive snap outing against the Philadelphia Eagles, the most since 2022.

Sterling Shepard gives Bucs another veteran presence in wide receiver room

Due to injuries at the wide receiver position, Sterling Shepard provided the Buccaneers offense with a spark they needed against the Eagles.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a plethora of injuries so far this season. Despite this, they’ve still managed to do well, jumping out to a 3-1 start and good for first place in the NFC South.

The Bucs have accepted the “next man up” mentality just four games into the 2024 season. One of the players called upon was veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard, amidst injuries to Trey McMillan and Trey Palmer. Shepard, a former second-round pick of the New York Giants in 2016, has plenty of experience and was able to step in seamlessly during the Bucs’ 33-16 win over the Eagles on Sunday.

“He’s very smart,” said head coach Todd Bowles. “He brings a lot of experience, and he can still play – he can play all three spots – he’s very fast and sure-handed. If he’s healthy, he’s a heck of a football player. He gives us an added dimension, just like the other two [wide receivers].”

Shepard caught three passes for 51 yards against the Eagles, including catches of 18 and 30 yards. The veteran played over 50 offensive snaps, unusual for a practice squad elevation. Fellow wide receiver Chris Godwin alluded to Shepard’s energy to the huddle.

“For ‘Shep’ to be able to step in when his number is called and to go and make plays – that’s pretty damn sick. And it was cool being in the huddle with him, too, because he was so filled with energy. He was amped up, man. You could tell he loves this game, so it was cool to see him play.”

If the Bucs’ injuries continue at the wide receiver position, they have to feel good about having Shepard ready to go at all times.

5 key takeaways from the Bucs 33-16 route of the Eagles

This Buccaneers team did just that, stifling Jalen Hurts and the Eagles on defense and easily moving the ball down the field on offense.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered an embarrassing loss last week to the Denver Broncos and needed a bounce-back win in an important game against a conference opponent and playoff powerhouse as the Philadelphia Eagles came to town. This Buccaneers team did just that, stifling Jalen Hurts and the Eagles on defense and easily moving the ball down the field on offense.

Here are five key takeaways from the Buccaneers’ 33-16 route over the Eagles.

1. All gas, no brakes

Beating the Detroit Lions and then losing to the Broncos was a head-scratcher for most if not all, Bucs fans. From the opening snap in Week 3, the Buccaneers looked sluggish and could not get anything going on either side of the ball. After a week-long cry for more energy and effort, the Buccaneers came out in Week 4, firing on all cylinders and never letting up. We often see a team go up big and then play prevent defense to close out the game. This was not the case for the Bucs today, and it showed that this team can dominate games.

2. Buccaneers are capable of dominating games

One thing of note, while the Buccaneers are 3-1 on the season now, they were outplayed by both the Lions and Broncos, as the play-calling (for both offense and defense) was more conservative. The Buccaneers defense gave up 0 net yards in the first quarter for the first time since 2002 in Carolina. In every level of this game, the Buccaneers were able to dominate the Eagles. Putting up 445 yards of offense and allowing just 227 yards while tallying nearly 13 more minutes of possession, there was nothing that the Bucs couldn’t do as they had their way all afternoon.

3. Vita Vea is the engine for the Bucs defense

The Buccaneers defense has so many great players, but it’s extremely noticeable when Vita Vea misses time. Coming into the game, the Eagles were the holders of the NFL’s third-best rushing offense, and while the box score may show that the Buccaneers allowed 113 yards on the ground- 59 of those yards came on one, Saquon Barkley run. Led by Lavonte David’s two sacks, the Buccaneers got to Hurts in the backfield six times on the day, six more times than the defense got to Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix just a week prior.

4. Rushing attack was attacking

Exploiting matchups is always a key to success. While the Bucs ground game has struggled in the beginning of the season, we saw what it was capable of on the legs of Rachaad White in 2023. The Eagles’ defense was ranked 24th in the league, and Liam Coen was able to exploit a defense that had largely been unable to stop the run in its first three games. Against the Broncos, it was predictable what the Bucs offense was going to run based on the personnel on the field. It was a different tune when this team took the field against the Eagles as Coen threw in some wrinkles to his offense. Earlier in the week, Todd Bowles said that Bucky Irving had earned more touches with this play, and saw just that. Both White and Irving each had 10 carries for 49 yards. Was it a barnburner effort with 100+ yards from a running back? No. But that is not typically how this team operates, and it doesn’t appear that it will function outside of a duo-laced backfield.

5. A healthy Sterling Shepard could set this offense ablaze

Former New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard was signed to the Bucs active roster and totaled 3 receptions for 51 yards on 5 targets. If you watched Shepard with the Giants, his availability is the only knock on his game. Adding a healthy Shepard to a team that arguably has the best wide receiver duo in the NFL with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin could be the missing piece on offense, as it could truly turn into a “pick your poison” for opposing defenses. Even more when you add the element of White and Irving being solid pass-catching backs. It will certainly be worth watching how this develops as the season progresses.

Oklahoma vs. Tennessee through the years in fantastic photos

A look back at the Oklahoma Sooners and Tennessee Volunteers 2014 and 2015 matchups in incredible photos.

The Oklahoma Sooners and Tennessee Volunteers have a long history in college football. As good as the two programs have been through the years, they’ve only played each other four times.

The Sooners rank fifth all-time in winning percentage and sixth in most wins in college football history. The Volunteers are 12th in all-time win percentage and 10th in total wins.

The Sooners hold a 3-1 all-time series lead, picking up wins in a home-and-home series in 2014 and 2015 to break the tie.

In 2014, the Sooners won by a score of 34-10, holding the Volunteers to 313 yards, and OU’s defense forced three turnovers. The Sooners recorded five sacks, led by a pair from Quentin Hayes. Julian Wilson provided a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. On offense, Trevor Knight threw for 301 yards and had two total touchdowns. Keith Ford had a pair of touchdowns to help spark the Sooners.

The 2015 affair was a much closer game. But it was the moment Baker Mayfield introduced himself to the college football world.

In week two of the season, Mayfield and the Sooners trailed Tennessee 17-3 entering the fourth quarter. The Sooners quarterback threw touchdown passes to Samaje Perine and Sterling Shepard over the final eight minutes. Shepard’s touchdown catch is one of the iconic moments of the Stoops era, as the wide receiver caught the ball at the 10-yard line and looked like he was going to get stopped short of the end zone. However, Shepard leaped over a Tennessee defender and battled his way beyond the goalline for the score.

Mayfield then ran for a touchdown in the first overtime before hitting Shepard again for the game-winning score in the second overtime to pull out the remarkable comeback win.

Do the Sooners have another standout defensive performance ahead of them? Can they find a little more magic on Saturday night as they host the Volunteers?

Here’s a look at some fantastic images from the 2014 and 2015 home and home series.

WATCH: Baker Mayfield reconnects with Sterling Shepard at Bucs practice

Baker Mayfield and Sterling Shepard are wasting little time getting back on the same page now that they’re reunited with the Bucs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added some valuable experience to their wide receiver room earlier this offseason, signing veteran free agent Sterling Shepard to a one-year deal.

Shepard gets to reunite with Baker Mayfield, who was his college quarterback at Oklahoma.

Watch the video above to see Mayfield and Shepard re-establishing their connection during practice at the Bucs’ recent mandatory minicamp.

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How Sterling Shepard’s NFL journey got him to Tampa Bay

Sterling Shepard and Baker Mayfield were a dynamic duo for the 2015 Big 12 Champion Oklahoma Sooners. Now the pair has reunited with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

[autotag]Sterling Shepard[/autotag]’s [autotag]NFL[/autotag] career was thought to be over.

The former Oklahoma Sooners star had a productive career in the National Football League. But after eight seasons with the New York Giants and multiple injuries, Shepard’s time in the league looked to be wearing thin.

Shepard explains that he was in “straight daddy mode,” taking care of his children and trying to figure out what was next for him with life after the NFL.

That’s when his former OU quarterback picked up the phone.

[autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], who played with Shepard during the latter’s senior season in 2015, sent a text asking Shepard how his body felt. That set off a conversation and a chain reaction that led to Shepard signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Mayfield is entering his second season.

Shepard spoke to the media in Tampa for the first time on Tuesday, telling the whirlwind story of how he found himself back on an NFL roster. He was very complimentary of his former and current QB, saying how excited he was to be back with Mayfield after nine seasons apart.

The duo went 11-2 at Oklahoma together in 2015, earning a spot in the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] after winning the [autotag]Big 12 Championship[/autotag].

Shepard should compete to be the third wide receiver with the Bucs, along with younger players like Trey Palmer, Jalen McMillian and Rakim Jarrett. Mayfield clearly thinks the former Sooner legend can be another reliable option at wideout, behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

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