The Buccaneers’ season might still amount to nothing, but on Sunday they showed plenty of fight is left in the roster.
Tampa looked dominant from the get-go in a must-win contest against a hated division foe, as the Bucs marched down for an opening-drive touchdown and proceeded to blast the Carolina Panthers with both barrels in a 43-13 flogging.
It’s easily the best all three phases have looked in a single game in an entire calendar year. The Bucs looked controlled and focused on offense and vicious
and unrelenting on defense. The ground game flourished with nearly 26o rushing yards, and defense and specials teams forced four turnovers and scored 9 points (more on that later).
We need to see more results like this stacked together before making any claims about significant progress, but there’s no doubt it’s exactly the kind of game the team needed to reignite their spirit.
Time to dole out plenty of praise!
Offensive Top Performer: RB Bucky Irving
I could really just put the entire run-game operation in the header, but it all started with Bucky ripping the Panthers to shreds from the jump. Irving became the first player this season to notch 10+ touches and a touchdown in a single drive when he carried the Bucs to an opening score. He did his part to keep the pressure on, totaling 24 carries for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Kenny Gainwell got his licks in too, toting the rock 14 times for 88 yards — including a highlight-reel 29-yard scamper. Easily his best game as a Buccaneer. Sean Tucker put the finishing touches on the day with an easy 46-yard touchdown jaunt.
The driving force behind all of it was the offensive line, which completely brutalized the Panthers front 7 all day long. An overall yards per run average of 5.3 on 49 carries (and that’s with 2 Jalon Daniels kneeldowns) will get the job done most days.
It couldn’t have been a more ideal return to the field for Baker Mayfield, who barely needed to test his healing thumb. He threw 11 passes…total…and completed 7 for 64 yards and a score. Extremely limited sample, but he looked more calm in the pocket and made some nice early plays out of structure. He’ll get tested more against an aggressive Falcons pass rush next week, but good first step back.
Defensive Top Performer: EDGE Yaya Diaby
Same kind of deal as above. I could put the entire pass rush up here but we’ll give the big bouquet to Diaby, who’s been slow to start hunting the quarterback this season but looked dominant Sunday with 3 out of the Bucs’ 5 sacks on the day.
Diaby led a unit that didn’t let Young get comfortable through any of the 3 quarters the latter played. He finished 14-of-27 for only 163 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Vita Vea logged a sack, as did Al-Quadin Muhammad (who also forced a fumble on his). David Walker created good pressure on his snaps once again, and Rueben Bain pushed the pocket on multiple rushes as well.
Back-to-back banner weeks for the remade pass-rushing unit.
Young got forced into three turnovers — one fumble, which Calijah Kancey returned for a touchdown, and two picks by Zyon McCollum and Tykee Smith — to completely turn the tide of the game and ensure the Panthers couldn’t establish any consistent rhythm with its talented receiver duo of Tet McMillan and Jalen Coker.
The whole defense looked disciplined, aggressive, and focused, and it’s generally been an upper-tier unit this season when it’s not needing to get critical stops. Maybe we’ll finally see tangible progress.
Special Teams Top Performer: CB Zyon McCollum
You know everything is turning up aces when the Bucs are even generating impact special teams plays.
In this instance, Tampa immediately dampened a Panthers touchdown by blocking the extra point, which caromed right into McCollum’s grasp. He proceeded to race end to end and secure the Buccaneers’ first-ever two-point special teams return in franchise history, which essentially resulted in the Panthers getting only a 4-point touchdown. An extra sweetener for McCollum considering what he also did on defense.
It would’ve made a big difference in closely contested game, but even in a blowout it still served as important tone-setting moment in a snowballing string of them.
The Bucs also recovered a muffed kick which set up another offensive score.
All things considered, I’m sure Chase McLaughlin happily took the reduced responsibility (he still recorded a perfect day with 2 field goals and 5 extra points).
