Where the Bucs rank statistically after Week 6

Most numbers for Tampa Bay dropped all around after its performance against the Lions.

Understandably, the numbers have gone down for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The team was only able to score six points against the Detroit Lions in Week 6, making it the first game the Bucs haven’t scored a touchdown this season. The run game continued to struggle behind just 2.9 yards per carry and the defense had some trouble on third down, and Tampa Bay’s updated numbers after five games prove that. The team’s passing offense was once among the best in league, but that also changed after a poor performance Sunday.

Here is how the Bucs stand against the rest of the NFL statistically after Week 6’s action, per Team Rankings:

The worst offensive players in Tampa Bay’s loss to Detroit, per PFF

These five players were graded the worst by PFF on an offense that just scored six points on Sunday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense has had some occasional troubles over the past few weeks, but nothing like the ones they had on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

The Bucs could only score six points in a 20-6 loss and were entirely unable to find the end zone. Quarterback Baker Mayfield had his worst performance to date and the run game continued to struggle, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry across the day. Pro Football Focus took to grading every Bucs offensive player, and naturally, there were plenty that didn’t get high marks.

Here are the five worst Bucs offensive players from Sunday, per PFF:

The worst defensive players in Tampa Bay’s loss to Detroit, per PFF

These five players didn’t get high marks from Pro Football Focus for their performance against the Detroit Lions.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers performed admirably on defense against the Lions on Sunday, but that doesn’t mean it was perfect.

The team held the Lions to 20 points, which tied for Detroit’s season low, and managed to stifle the run game to just 1.8 yards per carry. But there were a few lapses in the passing game that allowed the Lions to put up yards, as quarterback Jared Goff threw for over 350 yards against a Bucs defense that is normally strong in the secondary. Pro Football Focus took to grading every Bucs player who played Sunday, and not all of them ended up as big contributors in their eyes.

Here are the five worst Bucs defensive players from Sunday’s loss, per PFF:

Lions vs. Buccaneers: What I learned from film study of Detroit’s Week 6 win

Lions vs. Buccaneers: What I learned from film study of Detroit’s Week 6 win from Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon

Film review is always better after a victory. It’s a prevailing theme I am happily getting used to with the Detroit Lions.

Sunday’s win in Tampa Bay against a good Buccaneers team proved to be an interesting film study. In rewatching the broadcast feed and then poring over the All-22 tape, it was clear the Lions are a very good team, both talent and coaching.

Not every facet of the game was good for Detroit. Finding a way to overcome some negative aspects is a hallmark for a good team, and Dan Campbell’s Lions did just that in Week 6.

Here’s what stood out from the film review of Detroit’s 20-6 win:

 

 

Chiefs OL Joe Thuney played lights out in pass protection vs. Broncos

Joe Thuney put together an exceptional performance in the #Chiefs’ win over the #Broncos in Week 6.

The Kansas City Chiefs rely on their offensive line to keep Patrick Mahomes clean in the pocket, and one lineman in particular stood out in the team’s Week 6 victory over the Denver Broncos.

Veteran guard Joe Thuney was able to contain the Broncos’ pass rush in the win, allowing neither a sack nor a pressure in the Chiefs’ first divisional win of the 2023 season.

Games like this are commonplace for Thuney, who is an anchor for Kansas City in the middle of its front-five. His salty presence on the line has been a key part of the Chiefs’ offensive success in recent seasons, and his stellar performance against Denver is yet another feather in his highly decorated cap.

Though Mahomes has yet to return to MVP form through six games in 2023, the help he is getting from teammates like Thuney, Creed Humphrey, and Trey Smith is sure to help him regain his edge as Kansas City heads into the meat of its schedule.

OPINION: No matter the score, the creamsicles should be here to stay

Some believe the creamsicle uniforms embody a “losing culture”, but they’re some of the best throwback uniforms in the NFL and should be worn every year.

I’ve seen a lot of rhetoric online after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the Detroit Lions 20-6 on Sunday. While many have criticized the team’s putrid play on offense (and rightfully so), there’s a small crowd of people out there who have put some of the blame on another aspect entirely — the uniforms the team wore.

The Bucs threw it back to the 1970s with their “creamsicle” uniforms for the first time since 2012, but that wasn’t the only tribute the team made. The Bucs transformed Raymond James Stadium, decking out the sides with vintage 70s flair, painting the field like the days of the Old Sombrero and even going as far as to make the scoreboard graphics more vintage. The cheerleaders wore their old uniforms, creamsicles were handed out in droves and the fans showed up with their vintage Bucs jerseys — the Bucco Bruce era was celebrated thoroughly, and for one day, Tampa Bay became a time capsule of an NFL era long past.

But then the Bucs lost, of course. And online after, many have called for the immediate end of the era, purporting that it embodies a losing culture and that the team shouldn’t wear them again.

But I digress. I think that the Bucs should wear these uniforms and paint those endzones and bring out those pom-poms every year, because the Bucs’ creamsicle uniforms and 1970s iconography are way too cool to give up.

Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

To begin, these uniforms aren’t the reason why the Bucs lost — far from it, in fact. The Bucs lost because their offense couldn’t get in the end zone and their running game can’t get off the ground, and what uniform they wore had nothing to do with it. In fact, head coach Todd Bowles had a quote early last week that said just as much when asked if the creamsicles delivered an element of excitement to the team:

“The Creamsicle is nice for the fans, even some of the players looked at it nice, but the game is played the same way. We’re not going to win the game because we put on different colored uniforms. We’ve got to get back to the grind, we’ve got to work, we’ve got to scratch, we’ve got to claw, we’ve got to do all of the little things right to give ourselves a chance.”

Tampa Bay certainly didn’t do all of the little things right come that Sunday, but they sure looked great doing it. The Bucs’ orange uniforms are some of the best-looking throwbacks in the NFL’s arsenal, and the 1970s vibes in the stadium and through promotional material were tons of fun. It would be a shame to retire them simply because they “embody a losing culture,” especially because there was plenty of good to come out of that era despite the tough times.

Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Yes, the creamsicle era was full of futility and losing ways, but it spawned Buccaneer heroes that are still beloved today. I wrote about a few of them before the game, but players like Lee Roy Selmon, Doug Williams, James Wilder and more are all players that many Bucs fans grew up watching, and those players helped so many around Tampa Bay fall in love with the game. I myself was not alive for the creamsicle era, but some of my favorite memories of my love for the Buccaneers include going back through the internet for hours reading about the Bucs heroes of the era.

So no, the Bucs should not retire the uniforms. They should wear them not because they have a losing culture, but to turn these uniforms into winners all by themselves and honor the players who wore them years ago. Hell, the 1979 Bucs made it to the NFC Championship in these uniforms — why can’t the Bucs win a game in them?

It was a throwback spectacle on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, and it needs to continue for as long as the Bucs play football. The past isn’t always pretty, but the future is only what you make of it.

Studs and Duds: Should Cowboys even let McCarthy celebrate the win?

Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb were among the bright spots for the Cowboys in their 20-17 Week 6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. | From @BenGrimaldi

There’s rarely a dull moment with the Dallas Cowboys and that proved to be true once again in their thrilling 20-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. With the walls closing in on the Cowboys, the team overcame some sloppy football to make big plays at the right times and walk away victorious.

The Cowboys needed to head into the bye week on a positive note, and despite a slow start, horrific coaching decisions, sloppy play and penalties, the team escaped Los Angeles with a win.

In victory, Dallas had their best players step up and make key plays to eradicate some of the ugliness. Here are the studs and duds for the Cowboys in their Week 6 win over the Chargers.

How former Alabama players performed in Week 6 of NFL season

Roll Tide Wire takes a close look at how former Alabama players performed in Week 6 of the NFL season.

Alabama is one of the top programs in the country when it comes to producing NFL talent. The Crimson Tide are well-represented on both sides of the ball and at just about every position on the football field.

Week 6 of the 2023 season kicked off on Thursday night and concluded on Monday night, which means there were a lot of former Alabama players suiting up for their respective professional teams.

Believe it or not, 25 of the 32 teams in the NFL have at least one Alabama player on its roster. There are not many college programs that can say the same.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down how former Alabama players performed in their Week 6 matchups.

The top defensive players in Tampa Bay’s loss to Detroit, per PFF

Tampa Bay’s defense graded out much better than its offense in PFF’s eyes.

Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost by two scores to the Detroit Lions in Week 6, the defense did a far better job than the scoreboard might indicate.

The Lions are one of the league’s best offenses, and holding them to just 20 points (tied for their lowest all year) and remaining staunch in the red zone. The team had a small problem with giving up third and long plays, but outside of that, it did well enough to help the Bucs win — if the offense could have gotten the ball past midfield, that is.

Pro Football Focus graded every Bucs defensive player on Sunday, and these ten were PFF’s highest-graded:

The top offensive players in Tampa Bay’s loss to Detroit, per PFF

It wasn’t a great day for the offense overall, but PFF has these 10 players as performing the best for the Bucs in Week 6.

It was perhaps the roughest game of the year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense.

The team scored just six points in their 20-6 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, dropping the game in its famed (or infamous) “creamsicle” uniforms. There wasn’t a lot to praise when it came to the offensive unit on the day, but Pro Football Focus took to grading every Bucs player that took snaps on Sunday and there were a few in their eyes that played a good game despite the poor showing overall from the unit.

Here are the 10 best players from PFF’s Sunday Bucs grades on offense: