| or Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan http://www.buccaneerslockerroom.com/authentic-ali-marpet-jersey , odds are you don’t have as much as hair now as you did before one o’clock eastern time last Sunday. You’re voice is probably a bit raspy today as well. And it was for good cause. Despite the Bucs pulling out the victory, both teams did enough to both lose and win this game. Penalties, turnovers, and inconsistent kickers laid the groundwork for an exciting finish. Just because Tampa Bay won, however, doesn’t mean that they’ll escape the wrath on their report card. OffenseIt was a tale of two halves for the offense. This has been a reoccurring theme for both sides of the ball in 2018. Outside of the Saints game, the offense hasn’t put together a full four quarters yet this year. Against the Browns, Tampa Bay got out to a quick 16-2 lead in the first half. The Bucs finished the half with 17 first downs, 243 net yards, a 75% conversion rate (3/4) on third down and a 100% conversion rate (2/2) in the red zone. They also had the two costly turnovers on consecutive possessions right before halftime. Winston has to cut down on the turnovers.Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY SportsThe second half and overtime saw similar stats production-wise, except that Tampa Bay went 3/9 on third down and committed two more turnovers. The fumble on the first drive on the third quarter was just a bad play that led to Cleveland’s first touchdown. O.J. Howard had a really bad drop and Caleb Benenoch was giving free passes to interior lineman like he has all season long. Donovan Smith was called on a crucial hold that required Jameis Winston and Mike Evans to bail out the offense with a 21-yard completion. The Bucs had 114 yards on the ground, but that came off of 32 carries, good for a 3.6 average. Keep in mind that the Browns were ranked 29th against the run coming into this game. Don’t get me wrong, the offense did some good things. They also did some bad things and the good didn’t come consistently enough. Final Grade: 2.0 (C) DefenseJust like the offense, the defense was great and then not-so-great throughout the course of the game. It was obvious that Mark Duffner’s presence as DC gave them energy in the first half. Tampa Bay’s defense pitched a first-half shutout that saw the Browns gain an insanely low 74 total yards of offense. They held Cleveland to 1/8 on third down, sacked Baker Mayfield once, forced four three-and-outs, and kept them from scoring entirely on their one trip inside the red zone. But when halftime passed, something had changed. It still remains to be seen, but Kwon Alexander’s injury most likely had to do with the letdown in the second half. Regardless, injuries happen in football and good teams find ways to overcome them on a regular basis. Tampa Bay allowed over 230 yards off offense in the second half and overtime. 170 of those yards came in the fourth quarter. The average yards per play rose from 2.55 in the first half to a whopping 4.9 in the second half. The Bucs gave up three touchdowns in the process as well. But the bread and butter this week was the pass rush and third down defense. The defensive line got to Mayfield four times - two sacks came from former Brown Carl Nassib - and Adarius Taylor joined in on the fun to make it five takedowns. If Duffner can figure out a way to make the first half results happen for an entire game, then there is plenty of hope left in the season. Final Grade: 2.5 (C+)Special TeamsI’m going to make this short and sweet. Well, not so sweet.I don’t care if Chandler Catanzaro hit a 59-yard kick to win the game. One of the reasons the Bucs had to rely on that kick was because of him in the first place. He missed another PAT attempt and a 40-yard field goal to clinch the game in overtime. Hey, Chandler:You. Are. Getting. Paid. $3.5 million. Do. Your. Damned. Job. Anthony Auclair’s perfect punch-out on the Jabril Peppers fumble is the only reason this unit doesn’t get a big, fat F. That play was enough to raise the grade a couple of points. Final Grade: 2.0 (C) CoachingDirk Koetter isn’t responsible for the dumb mistakes that his players make on the field. You can’t blame him for Cameron Brate’s fumble nor the fact that a receiver ran the wrong route on Winston’s second interception. But you can blame him for foolishly relying on Catanzaro to make a 40-yard game winning kick when he (Cat) has struggled hitting 33-yard extra points. You can blame him even more due to the fact that the Bucs were at the Cleveland 25 with :45 seconds left and two timeouts when he decided to do so. That decision right there just about cost them the game. When it comes to Duffner, I’ll back off a bit because of the Alexander injury. This defense produced and had some great moments despite their shortcomings in the big picture. Final Grade: 2.0 (C)Overall Grade: 2.13 (C)A “C” grade for a win is not good, obviously. I don’t mean to be a downer, but it’s hard to come away from this win satisfied. For two weeks in a row, the Bucs have not only battled opponents, but they’ve had to battle themselves as well. This can’t continue to happen. Not if this team wants to win or make the playoffs. They have another big test this weekend in Cincinnati. Overall Grade For The 2018 Season: 2.23 (C) The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced today Gerald McCoy as its nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented by Nationwide. Considered one of the league’s most prestigious honors, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field. Each of the league’s 32 nominees were announced today. This fall, McCoy launched Gerald McCoy’s Patricia Diane Foundation. The year-round program, in honor of his late mother, is focused on supporting single-parent households, a cause that has remained central to McCoy’s charitable efforts over the years. Through hosting youth football camps in Tampa and his hometown of Oklahoma City, OK., to spearheading the team’s annual “D-Line Delivers Christmas” event, to sponsoring a special gameday experience for thousands of local community members, McCoy has remained passionate about giving back to underprivileged families and children in need of support.“I want to know that somebody’s life was changed because I was drafted to the Bucs,” said McCoy. “Not just because they were able to watch me play football Scott Miller Jersey , but because something positive happened in their life because I was in that locker room, because I was in the cafeteria or in the community. That, for me, is more important than any sack or ring I can get.” Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsMcCoy – a six-time Pro Bowler and nine-year veteran – has been embedded in the Tampa Bay community since he arrived in 2010, and this past year has been no different. In September, McCoy helped launch the Buccaneers Social Justice Initiative, for which he serves on the four-person Social Justice Board. The player-led program aims to create real change in the Tampa Bay community by coordinating unique interactions and events surrounding societal issues. McCoy led the program’s inaugural event at the Tampa Police Citizens Training Academy, where he participated in simulations and discussions with law enforcement about challenges facing society today. McCoy also joined teammates on a visit to the Zephyrhills Correctional Institution to interact with inmates and share stories of perseverance.“Gerald is not only a leader of this franchise, he is a fixture in our community,” said Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, Owner / President, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation and Glazer Family Foundation. “His passion is to serve others, and his commitment to his family, his faith and the greater good is unwavering. Whether he’s initiating productive discussions about social justice, raising awareness for childhood cancer research, or coordinating life-changing surprises for single-parent families, he tackles each initiative the same way: with a gracious smile and a generous heart.” Many of McCoy’s charitable efforts have become annual traditions. The only two-time winner of Pop Warner’s prestigious “Inspiration to Youth Award,” McCoy has led the Buccaneers’ “Cut for a Cure” fundraising efforts since the team’s involvement in 2013, personally donating tens of thousands of dollars to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. His support for local initiatives has included serving as a celebrity participant in the “Fashion Funds the Cure” event, being the spokesperson for the Glazer Family Foundation’s Vision Program and working with Special Olympics Florida at Buccaneers Training Camp, among many notable efforts. His philanthropy extends throughout his family, which coordinates the annual “McCoy Family Christmas” program to surprise dozens of single-parent families with gifts for the holidays. The Walter Payton Man of the Year patch is placed on the uniform jersey for the recipient of the award.Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsAs this year’s nominee for the award, McCoy will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field. New this year, during the weekend leading up to Super Bowl LIII, all 32 team winners will be highlighted as finalists and recognized for their important work. The 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special to air nationally on February 2, the eve of Super Bowl LIII, on CBS. |
