NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Seattle Seahawks 37, Detroit Lions 31

The Seattle Seahawks won 37-31 in walk-off fashion on the road in Detroit as Geno Smith found Tyler Lockett, who reached out for the pylon. Smith led Seattle to a turnover-free victory, going 32-for-41 with 328 yards and two touchdowns. Both passing touchdowns were to Lockett, who racked up eight catches for 59 yards. Seattle also found success on the ground, rushing for 82 yards and two touchdowns.

Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf left the game in the first quarter with a rib injury, and headed to to the locker room. He returned shortly after, finishing the game with six receptions for 75 yards, as Geno Smith spread the targets around all game. Turnovers proved to be the downfall for Detroit. The Lions fumbled the ball away twice in a row, one to end the first half and another to begin the second half. Jared Goff then threw a pick-six to Seattle cornerback Tre Brown, who ran it back 40 yards to the house. Late in the fourth quarter, Goff led the Lions down the field for a game-tying field goal, forcing overtime with a score of 31-31. However it was not enough for the Lions, who fall to 1-1 after the loss. Meanwhile, Seattle also moves to 1-1 with the victory.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Buffalo Bills 38, Las Vegas Raiders 10

Josh Allen led the Buffalo Bills to a stress-free victory at home, going 31-for-37 with 274 yards and three touchdowns. Both the Bills and the Las Vegas Raiders move to 1-1 on the season.

The ball seemed to be in the hands of the Bills all game, as the Buffalo defense forced three turnovers. Linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard both intercepted Jimmy Garoppolo, and Taylor Rapp recovered a Zamir White fumble. Josh Allen spread the touches throughout the offense, finding Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir, and Dawson Knox for touchdowns. The run game was unstoppable for the Bills, led by James Cook who ran for 123 yards, as Damien Harris and Latavius Murray ran in a touchdown each. Allen had no turnovers and looked comfortable in a bounce-back victory.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Baltimore Ravens 27, Cincinnati Bengals 24

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens went on the road to Cincinnati and avoided a Bengals second half comeback, winning the game 27-24. The Ravens move to 2-0 on the year, as the Bengals fall to 0-2.

Jackson completed 24 passes on 33 attempts for 237 yards and two touchdowns. He added 54 yards on the ground, as the Ravens ran for 178 yards as a team, including a Gus Edwards touchdown. Safety Geno Stone intercepted Joe Burrow to begin the second half, and the Ravens turned it into a touchdown on the next drive.

Burrow and the Bengals made a late push in the second half, with a final drive consisting of 16 plays for 80 yards and a touchdown, making the score 27-24. The Cincinnati offense struggled, rushing for just 66 total yards as Burrow went 27-for-41 with 222 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Kansas City Chiefs 17, Jacksonville Jaguars 9

In a low scoring affair, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 17-9. Both teams move to 1-1 on the season.

The first five possessions resulted in punts, before Jacksonville finally took a 3-0 lead on a field goal. The Chiefs fumbled the ball away on the following possession, before Patrick Mahomes was picked off by Jaguars safety Andre Cisco. Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense struggled to move the ball all day, as the third year quarterback went 22-for-41 for 216 yards and no touchdowns. The ground game was no better, producing just 74 yards as the Jaguars failed to find the endzone. Kicker Brandon McManus was the lone scorer for Jacksonville, going 3-for-3. Mahomes finished the game 29-for-41 with 305 yards and two touchdowns, finding Travis Kelce on one of them.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Tennessee Titans 27, Los Angeles Chargers 24

The Tennessee Titans beat the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24 in an overtime thriller, as Nick Folk kicked the game-winning 41 yard field goal. The Titans move to 1-1 on the season, as the Chargers fall to 0-2.

Los Angeles got out to an early 11-0 lead after a Keenan Allen touchdown and a converted two-point conversion. Ryan Tannehill came back with a 70-yard pass to Treylon Burks, as Derrick Henry finished the drive with a touchdown, making the score 11-7. Both teams went back and forth all game, with impressive outings from both quarterbacks. Justin Herbert found Keenan Allen and Mike Williams consistently, with both receivers finishing the game with 8 receptions and a combined 194 yards. Allen brought in two touchdown passes, as the Chargers marched down the field for a field goal to send the game to overtime with a score of 24-24. The Chargers won the coin toss and got the ball first in overtime, but went three and out and punted the ball back to the Titans offense. Tannehill led them down the field for an 8 play, 37 yard drive to give Nick Folk a 41 yard field goal for the win, which he put down the middle.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Atlanta Falcons 25, Green Bay Packers 24

The Atlanta Falcons squeaked by the Green Bay Packers by a score of 25-24, including an electric fourth quarter comeback by the Falcons. Green Bay falls to 1-1 on the season as Atlanta goes to 2-0.

The Packers got out to a 24-12 lead in the third quarter after Jordan Love found Jayden Reed in the endzone for his second touchdown of the game. Desmond Ridder and the Falcons ground-and-pound offense put together an eight play, 75 yard drive for a touchdown of their own, as Ridder ran it in himself to make the score 24-19. The Falcons defense forced a punt and drove down the field for a field goal, cutting the deficit to 24-22. After forcing yet another punt, Atlanta went 12 plays for 66 yards, setting up a 25 yard field goal for Younghoe Koo. The made field goal put the Falcons ahead 25-24, ultimately winning them the game. Jordan Love finished the game 14-for-25 with 151 yards and three touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the Falcons.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27, Chicago Bears 17

Baker Mayfield shined, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 27-17 victory over the Chicago Bears. The Buccaneers move to 2-0 on the season, as the Bears fall to 0-2.

Although the Bears scored on their first possession, it was all Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers for the rest of the afternoon. Mayfield found Mike Evans wide open on a deep pass that Evans took 70 yards downfield, inside the 10 yard line. The big play setup for a Rachaad White touchdown run, giving the Buccaneers a 10-7 lead. Mayfield connected with Evans again in the third quarter for a 32 yard touchdown, making the score 20-10.

The Buccaneers defense gave Justin Fields fits all game, sacking him six times. In the fourth quarter, Fields connected with Chase Claypool for a 20 yard touchdown, making the score 20-17. The bears got the ball back after forcing a punt, beginning the drive on their own seven yard line. After a couple penalties, Justin Fields dropped back and had his pass tipped and intercepted by Shaquil Barrett, who brought it just a few steps into the endzone, giving the Buccaneers a convincing 27-17 victory at home.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Indianapolis Colts 31, Houston Texans 20

The Indianapolis Colts stole a game on the road in a divisional matchup as they beat the Houston Texans 31-20. The Colts move to 1-1 on the season as the Texans fall to 0-2.

Anthony Richardson ran it in for a touchdown on the Colts’ first two drives of the game, making it 14-0. On the second touchdown, he took a shot causing his head to bounce off the turf, forcing the fourth overall draft pick to be evaluated for a concussion. The rookie quarterback was ruled out for the rest of the game, leaving the Colts with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew. Minshew took over and went 19-of-23 for 171 yards and a touchdown, maintaining the lead. The new acquisition at running back Zack Moss contributed 18 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown, as the Texans couldn’t stop the Indianapolis offense.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud had an impressive outing in the loss, going 30-for-47 with 384 yards and two touchdowns. Stroud connected with Nico Collins and fellow rookie Tank Dell seven times each, for a combined 218 yards. Each of the receivers brought in a touchdown, as the Colts bounced back from their week one home loss.

NFL Week 2 Recap: New York Giants 31, Arizona Cardinals 28

The New York Giants rallied for a 21 point comeback on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, the third comeback that size in Giants history. With a 20-0 lead at halftime, and a 28-7 lead in the third quarter, Arizona allowed 24 unanswered points to fall to 0-2 on the season. Meanwhile, the Giants move to 1-1 on the season following the rollercoaster of a week two game.

The Giants went scoreless for the first six quarters of the season, the first time since 1934. Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs showed his athleticism all first half, using his legs to gain yards along with scrambling out of the pocket to make throws on the run. On Arizona’s third possession, Dobbs dropped back to pass and found an opening up the middle, taking it 23 yards for a touchdown, trucking a giants defender just before falling into the endzone. The play gave Arizona an early 14-0 lead, which would quickly grow before the half ended. 

Daniel Jones and the Giants offense came storming back in the third quarter, with help from Saquon Barkley, who scored both a receiving and rushing touchdown before leaving the field with an ankle injury towards the end of the game. The injury took away from the stunning comeback, as the Giants await the information on his ankle.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: San Francisco 49ers 30, Los Angeles Rams 23

The San Francisco 49ers went on the road to SoFi Stadium, pulling away with a 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams. San Francisco elevates to 2-0 on the season as Los Angeles falls to 1-1 following the divisional matchup.

Two interceptions thrown by Matt Stafford proved to be the difference Sunday afternoon. With just under five minutes remaining in the game and the Rams trailing 27-20, Stafford looked across the middle for Van Jefferson but was picked off by Deommodore Lenoir.

Christian McCaffrey was in mid-season form, rushing for 116 yards on 20 carries to go with a touchdown. Brock Purdy missed some throws on big plays throughout the game, but was sufficient, going 17-for-25 for 206 yards, along with a rushing touchdown of his own. All three of the 49ers touchdowns came on the ground and the Rams defense had no answer. 

With Cooper Kupp sidelined, Puka Nacua was the focus once again for the Rams offense. He racked up 15 receptions for 147 yards, making him the first player in NFL history to record at least 10 receptions and 100 receiving yards in his first two games of his career. Meanwhile running back Kyren Williams got 20 total touches with both a receiving and rushing touchdown, proving why he should replace Cam Akers in the backfield.

NFL Week 2 Recap: Washington Commanders 35, Denver Broncos 33

The Washington Commanders completed the thriller comeback on the Denver Broncos, holding off a late game hail mary to win by a score of 35-33. Denver completed a hail mary as time expired, but couldn’t convert the two point conversion to force overtime. The Commanders move to 2-0 on the season as the Broncos fall to 0-2.

The Broncos jumped out to a 21-3 lead early into the first half, including a Marvin Mims Jr. one-play, 60 yard touchdown pass from Russel Wilson. The Commanders cut the lead to 21-14 before halftime, and continued into the second half as the defense immediately forced a punt. The offense took over and scored a touchdown on its first drive as Sam Howell found Terry McLaurin in the middle of the endzone for a 30 yard touchdown, tying the game 21-21.

Denver eventually got the ball back with a chance to tie the game. After moving the ball to midfield, Russel Wilson and company had one last chance to force overtime. The deep hail mary pass was tipped around before being brought in by Brandon Johnson for his second touchdown of the game, making the score 35-33. The two point conversion, a pass intended for Courtland Sutton was incomplete as the Broncos looked for a pass-interference call but didn’t get it.

Sam Howell finished the game with an impressive 27 completions on 39 attempts for 299 yards and two touchdown passes. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. also ran in for a pair of touchdowns himself.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Dallas Cowboys 30, New York Jets 10

The Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Jets handedly by a score of 30-10 as the Cowboys defense dominated for the second week in a row. Dallas moves to 2-0 on the season as the Jets fall to 1-1.

Micah Parsons and the Cowboys defense looked unstoppable in week two, intercepting Jets quarterback Zach Wilson three times. Parsons recorded two sacks and four hits on Wilson, as Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker, and Trevon Diggs each intercepted a pass.

Ceedee Lamb showed he didn’t need the help of Brandin Cooks, who missed the game due to a sprained knee. Lamb recorded 11 catches for 143 yards, with big plays setting up for multiple scores for Dallas. Kicker Brandon Aubrey went five-for-five on field goals, as Dak Prescott found tight ends Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker for a touchdown each. 

The lone touchdown for the Jets came from star receiver Garret Wilson, who caught a pass across the middle and took it 68 yards to the house, marking his longest touchdown of his career thus far. Other than that, there wasn’t much going for Zach Wilson and the Jets offense, who recorded 215 total yards. Parsons along with the rest of the ruthless Dallas front four pressured Wilson all game, showing why they are one of the best defenses in the NFL.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Miami Dolphins 24, New England Patriots 17

The Miami Dolphins held off a late comeback by the New England Patriots, winning the game 24-17 as a lateral to Cole Strange came up short on fourth down. 

Tua Tagovailoa took what the defense gave him for most of the night, finding Jaylen Waddle five times for 86 yards. The Dolphins had plenty of success on the ground as well, as Raheem Mostert took 18 carries for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

Rookie Cornerback Christian Gonzalez kept Tyreek Hill in check for the most part, holding the star receiver to four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown, with the touchdown coming on a play where Gonzalez was not covering Hill.

Mac Jones finished the game 31-for-42 with 231 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The interception came at the end of the third quarter after the Patriots drove down the field into the redzone. Xavien Howard picked off the pass intended for DeVante Parker on the sideline at the Miami three yard line, putting an end to New Englands’ drive and keeping the score at 17-3.

The Patriots cut the lead down in the fourth quarter following a Mac Jones scramble for 18 yards, the longest run of the night for New England. Jones found Hunter Henry on the run for a six yard touchdown pass, making the score 17-10.

On the next Miami possession, Tagovailoa threw it deep down the left side of the field to Tyreek Hill as the pass was intercepted by Christian Gonzalez. The rookie first round pick made a leaping catch over Hill, giving the Patriots the ball back.

The Dolphins forced a three and out, getting the ball back on the New England 43 yard line. On the first play of the drive, Raheem Mostert took a handoff up the middle 43 yards untouched to the endzone, extending the lead to 24-10.

Mac Jones led the Patriots to a 9 play 75 yard drive ending with a Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown run to cut the lead down to 24-17.

The Dolphins took the ball and drove it into Patriots territory, before the snap was fumbled on third and one. Tua recovered the fumble, but the mistake forced Miami to kick a 55 yard field goal. With concern for Brenden Schooler, who blocked the previous field goal, Jason Sanders missed the field goal, giving the Patriots an opportunity to tie or win the game.

After finding Kendrick Bourne for a pair of completions, Mac Jones was sacked by Bradley Chubb for a loss of 8 yards. New England was faced with a fourth and four, where Mac Jones completed a pass to Mike Gesicki short of the first down line. Gesicki threw a lateral to offensive lineman Cole Strange, who was stopped short of the marker, ending the comeback for the Patriots.

The win brings the Dolphins to 2-0 on the season, as the Patriots fall to 0-2.

The post NFL Game Recaps Week 2 (2023) appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Now comes the hard part, finding the next quarterback to lead the team. Can Tampa Bay be successful in the post-Brady era? Let’s break that down further and offer a record prediction for the 2023-2024 season.

The Good

The strength of this Buccaneers team going forward will be at the wide receiver position. Veterans Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have been an excellent 1-2 punch when they are both healthy. Health is always a key but especially for these two as the depth behind them is not great. Evans is coming off another 1,000+ receiving yards season where had hauled in 6 touchdowns. Regardless of who the quarterback is they know they can rely on Evans when needed. The 6-5 Evans is still one of the best in the NFL at contested catches and had a 95.1 PFF grade on go-routes. He can still get down the field despite his age.

The Bad

As of now, it looks as though Baker Mayfield will get the starting quarterback duties for the Buccaneers. At this point in his career, we know what Mayfield is. He’s a serviceable QB who struggles with turnovers and is no longer as mobile as he used to be.

In 2022, Mayfield had a QBR of 24.5 the lowest of his career along with a sack rate of 9.7% the highest of his career. If I were the Bucs I would’ve started Kyle Trask to at least see what they have in him. Regardless of who they roll out there, it’s tough to see Tampa Bay being successful until they upgrade the quarterback position.

The Prediction

This will be a tough season for the Buccaneers despite the NFC South being one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. Tampa Bay still has talent on both sides of the ball that will keep them in games. Ultimately it won’t be good enough and I wouldn’t be surprised if they trade some of their stars.

2023 Record: (5-12 4th in the Division)

The post Tampa Bay Buccaneers Record Prediction for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Special note: We will not include the players from the Bills vs Bengals game after what happened. With that, we would like to honor DAMAR HAMLIN as the TOP DAWG of Week 17.

QB DAWG Of The Week: Tom Brady 37.68 FP

432 Passing Yards, 3 Passing TDs, 3 Carries, 4 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD, 1 2-Pt Conversion (Projected: 17.72 FP)

Tom Brady put on a vintage performance in a must-win game. Brady threw for 432 yards and three TDs, all to Mike Evans. He also had a rare rushing TD and completed a 2-pt conversion. This performance was important especially since Brady has looked a step below what we are expecting to see. His connection with Mike Evans will be key as they prepare for the postseason.

RB DAWG Of The Week: JaMycal Hasty 17.60 FP

10 Carries, 33 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD, 6 Receptions, 23 Receiving Yards (Projected: 4.17 FP)

JaMycal Hasty took advantage of a blowout to get more touches when the Jaguars defeated the Texans in Week 17. Hasty had 16 touches for 56 yards and a rushing TD. The Jaguars played in a game in which the result didn’t matter. The winner of the Jaguars vs Titans in Week 18 will clinch the division and advance to the playoffs.

WR DAWG Of The Week: Mike Evans 48.70 FP

10 Receptions, 207 Receiving Yards, 3 Receiving TDs (Projected: 13.72 FP)

Mike Evans erupted with a performance of a lifetime against Carolina. Mike Evans caught 10 passes for 207 yards and three TDs. He and Brady connected for 63, 57, and 30-yard TDs. This performance put him for over 1000 yards in nine straight seasons. This game put Tampa Bay in the playoffs with a division-clinching win.

TE DAWG Of The Week: Dalton Schultz 24.60 FP

7 Receptions, 56 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TDs (Projected: 9.89 FP)

Dalton Schultz had his best game of the year when he caught seven passes for 56 yards and two TDs. He was targeted 10 times which tied a season-high. Both his TDs were in the second half and sealed the win against the Titans.

DEF/ST DAWG Of The Week: Green Bay Packers 24 FP

14-20 Points Allowed, 1 Defense TD, 3 Interceptions, 2 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Fumble Recovery, 1 Special Teams TD (Projected: 6.80 FP)

Green Bay played its best game of the year when it dominated the Minnesota Vikings in a must-win game. From the start, the defense and special teams made their presence known. Keisean Nixon had a kick-off return TD for 105 yards to start it out. Darnell Savage had a pick-6 for a 75-yard TD halfway through the first. The team ended with two sacks, two more interceptions, and a forced fumble and recovery to end the night. Green Bay is a win away from a playoff spot.

Thanks for reading! You can look forward to this series until the end of the season. You can check out the last installment of DAWGS Of Week 16.

The post DAWGS Of Week 17 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have endured a torrid start to the 2022 NFL season.

Not one person, whether they are members of the media or just your regular fan down the street, would have predicted the Buccaneers to start the season 3-5.

Shock losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers, who both had one win prior to beating the Buccaneers, were then followed by a loss at home to the Baltimore Ravens.

This is the first time in Tom Brady’s career that he has lost three games in a row. With a division that appears wide open, there is every chance that the Buccaneers end up making the playoffs and all is well again. However, there is also the possibility that a team that has won a Super Bowl and narrowly lost in the Divisional Round during the last season, could miss the playoffs entirely this season. Here are three reasons why this could happen.

A Tough Schedule

It does not get any easier for Brady and the Bucs when looking at their schedule. Their next game is against current Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams. Whilst they are also coming off the back of a loss and have a 3-4 record, this is not exactly a game that head coach Todd Bowles will want even with an extra few days’ rest. 

After the Rams game, they face the 5-3 Seattle Seahawks in the first ever regular season game to be played in Germany. They will not want to play a team in form, let alone in a neutral venue with jetlag. 

After their Week Eleven bye, the rest of their schedule features games against the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Falcons. 

This is not an easy ride, so expect the Bucs to be challenged right the way until the end. 

With four teams ahead of them in the race for the Wildcard spots, and two of those with three more wins, the Bucs better turn things around quickly, otherwise they will be watching the playoffs from their living rooms. 

Tom Brady’s Personal Life

Brady’s personal life has been the subject of much media coverage of late, with Brady addressing the rumours on Instagram, confirming their divorce. 

This is bound to have played some part in Brady’s slump in form. 

Lack Of Protection And Receiving Help

Brady lost his good friend Rob Gronkowski and the drama of Antonio Brown meant that Tampa Bay went from four elite pass catchers to just two. 

Mike Evans has still been excellent as ever, if you exclude the dropped catch against the Panthers, ranked as having the eighth-most receiving yards (577) and Godwin (368) has done well considering the comeback from injury. Running back Leonard Fournette (273) is their next best receiver, which shows the issues at hand. 

Russell Gage and Julio Jones both came in during the offseason in attempts to give Brady as much help as possible, but Gage has just 231 receiving yards and Jones has been non-existent with just 97 yards from 11 targets and six receptions. Cole Beasley came and went in the space of a couple of weeks.

Whilst Brady is second in the league for passing yards, he is tied for 17^th in passing touchdowns. This shows the struggles Brady and the team have had in getting it down the end zone. According to FantasyPros.com, Brady is eighth in the league for passing yards in the red zone and eleventh for passing touchdowns. This also shows the issues Brady has had, a lot like Aaron Rodgers this season, with receiver help.

Brady has already been sacked thirteen times this year, which means he is projected to finish the season with just under 30 sacks. This would be the eighth-highest total of his career. To put it in perspective, he was sacked ten times at this stage in 2020, and twelve times at this point last season. The loss of Ali Marpet to retirement has been huge, even with the addition of former teammate Shaq Mason. Ryan Jenson’s injury has had a big impact also, with Robert Hainsey and Luke Goeseke seemingly failing to deliver in their absence.

There is still plenty of time to go, but the Buccaneers certainly have cause for concern at this present time.

The post Three reasons why the Buccaneers could miss the playoffs appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers display a Prometheus-like wide receiver group. The mighty Mike Evans, elusive Chris Godwin, and underrated Russell Gage are expected to be major receiving weapons for Tom Brady. PFF ranked the Bucs WR group as the second-best WR unit in the league. It’s clear that the almost 45-year-old Brady should feel thrilled about his weaponry – as he chases Michael Jordan and seeks one more Super Ring in the near future.

Evans is the only WR in NFL history to have registered eight straight 1,000+ receiving yard seasons. He will turn 29 in August, but it seems clear that he should unveil a few more Pro Bowl-caliber seasons in Tampa. Meanwhile, his sidekick, Godwin, unveiled 1,103 yds in his last 14 games, while garnering an 81.3 grade by PFF.

Antonio Brown may be an enemy of the Florida State, but he certainly was an x-factor for the Bucs offense in their recent Super Bowl victory. Russell Gage (averaged 778 receiving yds in past two seasons combined) needs to excel with his match-ups as the WR3.

The Bucs have numerous underrated wideouts after their big-three WRs. Tyler Johnson, Breshad Perriman, and Scotty Miller will be quality depth pieces. Johnson ousted 360 yds with the Brady bunch last season. Perriman knocked out a career-high 645 receiving yds and 6 touchdowns in 2019. He could be a productive deep-threat weapon and perhaps he can help the Bucs crack a long, surprising touchdown against the stingy Saints defense. Kevin King’s worst enemy, aka Scotty Miller, may honestly spend his last season in Tampa in 2022. He hasn’t been able to keep a quality role in the Bucs offense and it will be quite difficult for him to be involved with the Bucs current talent at WR.

The post Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver outlook right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t only have a mythical character playing quarterback, but they also have a football god at WR named Mike Evans. The Bucs long-time WR has been phenomenal, consistent, and a clutch performer. Here is a closer look at Evans’s resume thus far:

• 9,301 career receiving yds
• 75 career receiving tds
• 606 receptions
• Four Pro Bowl selections
• Super Bowl LV champion

It’s obvious that Evans has been one of the NFL’s top WRs since he was drafted in 2014. A fascinating, unearthly question arises around Evans: is he on pace to wear a gold jacket in his first season of eligibility? Evans will certainly be a HOF WR, but it would be a serious challenge for Evans to be a first-ballot HOF.

For example, Chris Carter was not a first-ballot HOF. Yet, he was a freakish talent at the WR in his career. He made eight Pro Bowl selections, two All-Pro teams, recorded 13,899 career yards, and 130 career touchdowns. Although, he wasn’t quite able to garner that ever-elusive Super Bowl ring.

Evans will be 29 in the 2022-2023 season, so he is an aging play-maker. Luckily, his Top-3 QB returned for the 2022 season, so Evans will still look to unleash career numbers with the GOAT. Realistically, I believe that Brady will play 1-2 more seasons and Evans will be a 1,000+ yd and 7+ touchdown WR in each season until Brady retires. Most importantly, Evans will have an opportunity to chase his second SB ring with TB12.

I believe that Evans will need to win a second Super Bowl ring and make two-three more Pro Bowl selections to have a strong chance to be a first-ballot HOF. If he doesn’t have two SB rings, I would be shocked if he made it into Canton as a first-ballot HOF. Nonetheless, it appears that the Bucs have a gifted QB-WR combination and they both have an optimistic aim to improve their legacies in 2022.

The post Is Mike Evans a future first ballot Hall of Famer? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans was clearly dancing like Michael Jackson when Tom Brady un-retired this off-season. Evans hauled in a career-high 14 receiving touchdowns last season and he was a play-maker in the playoffs (236 yds and 2 touchdowns in 2 games). He should continue to be a red-zone freak, especially without the potential absence of Robert Gronkowski (outside of AB’s demise). Gronk had six touchdowns and 802 yards last season. The Bucs weaponry will have to replace his production if he stays out of the Bucs facility.

Evans will continue to be the lead toy for TB12. Fantasy Pros has already sung praises for the Bucs WR “in 2022”, as they stated that he is the consensus 8th best fantasy WR, top WR for Brady and that the Bucs will feel great about having the 10th best WR schedule. Evans may not feel ecstatic about facing Marshon Lattimore, also known as his kryptonite, but he will certainly have Brady throwing him the pigskin against mediocre competition next season.

The long-term outlook for Evans is a bit of a mystery. He is under contract through the 2023 season. I believe Brady could play in 2023, but I highly doubt he will be in an NFL uniform in 2024. Regardless, Evans will be in a Bucs uniform for the next couple of seasons. He should really have a high ceiling in 2022 and he should be the main target with Brady or a new QB in 2023.

He is labeled as the 20th best WR in dynasty PPR via Fantasy Pros. I would honestly hold/buy Evan’s services. Regardless of the GOAT’s options in the 2023 off-season, I am a big believer in his role in Tampa Bay and he has a tremendous work ethic at 28 years old. The WR that has never had a season below 1,000+ yards should be a fantastic, heavily involved weapon for the Bucs for many more seasons in my opinion.

The post What is the dynasty outlook for Mike Evans? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Tennessee Titans recently released the infamous wide receiver, Julio Jones. The Titans saved $9.5 million by cutting the former Atlanta Falcons legend. The Titans squad that quietly obtained the one seed in the AFC last season deemed it wise to move on from the talented, expensive 33-year-old WR.

Julio Jones might be a tad out of his prime, but I don’t believe he is completely washed up or the same caliber of WR that WR Andre Johnson was late in his career. Here is how productive Julio has been in recent memory:

• 434 receving yards in 10 games last season
• 771 receiving yards in 9 games in 2020

It’s clear that Jones’s 2021 tells a different tale from his 2020 campaign, but It should be noted that the Titans displayed the 23rd ranked passing offense in 2021. Meanwhile, Julio was on pace for 1,000+ receiving yards for the Matt Ryan-led Falcons offense that ranked fifth in passing YPG in 2020.

Jones is a free agent at an interesting point in his career. I really suspect him to want to win a Super Bowl while playing for a talented QB. The Buccaneers recently witnessed the NFL goat return to their building and it appears they are ready to come out guns blazing to win a Super Bowl next season. I expect Brady to play for a contract well below his value and the superb Mike Evans has already restructured his contract.

I fully admit that Julio is not the same WR that registered 1,871 yards in 2015, but I certainly believe he can be a Pro Bowl WR for the age-less Tom Brady in 2022. Brady’s offense ranked first in passing YPG and passing touchdowns last season. I believe Brady will be able to spread it around well to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jones.

It’s worth noting that Antonio Brown was often the WR3 last season, but he still unveiled 545 yards in 7 games in 2020. Furthermore, I don’t expect Julio to be a cancer in the locker room and find himself getting axed by Bruce Arians in the middle of the season.

It’s well noted that TB12 is really pushing for Julio to return to the NFC South and ink a contract with the Bucs. Time will tell if Brady’s wish comes to fruition, but I foresee Julio (and Gronk) joining another legend in Brady for his likely last ride in 2022.

The post Why Julio Jones will sign with the Buccaneers appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The professional football league showcases many elite groups of weapons and more talent is undoubtedly being displayed on the field in 2021 than in any previous time period. Bill Barnwell, who is an iconic staff writer for ESPN, recently put out a list of the 32 groups of NFL offensive weapons. At the very top of the list, he marked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers skill group as the utmost best unit in the league. 

I believe the defending Super Bowl champions carry players with elite talent and prominent depth all around, but I believe it’s far-fetched to put them at number one. In my opinion, the true number one group is clear. The top offensive skill group is none other than the Minnesota Vikings. To further state my case, I will give three reasons why the Vikings and not the Bucs display the top weaponry in the NFL. 

• Vikings have a stronger WR duo 

The stories and myths surrounding Vikings WR Adam Thielen may have started to slowly fade, but he can still operate at a high playing level. The Bucs number one WR in Mike Evans may have hauled in a whopping 13 touchdowns last season, but the Vikings number two WR unveiled 14 receiving touchdowns on the table. Thielen’s career-high touchdown count and 926 yards clearly show he’s one of, if not the best WR2 in the league.

Chris Godwin may have been a stat machine in the days of Jameis Winston leading the league in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and then interceptions, but he hasn’t shown to be a dominant force of late. Godwin had 840 yards and likely would have been floating around 1,000 yards if he stayed healthy for the long season, but his touchdown count was just half (7) of what the freakish Thielen was showing. It’s fair to say that Thielen’s resume and talent is a step ahead of Godwin and he’s been playing in a far less explosive passing attack. As far as the number one WR spot between the Bucs and Vikings, the honors actually go to Vikings Justin Jefferson. 

Jefferson was fourth in the whole NFL last season in receiving yards (1,400). The Vikings WR was just a rookie last season and didn’t get into sync until a short period into the season. Going into year two, Jefferson could realistically show he’s the best WR in the NFL. Evans screams consistent high-level play, but he’s not quite rubber-like when it comes to route running, nor can he take the top off a defense as the second-year Vikings WR can. Buccaneers Antonio Brown is a very quality number three WR, but I believe the Vikings WR duo can take over games individually. Thielen’s clutch ability and Jefferson’s explosion with any route concept deep down the field make them very reliable and hard to cover with one or two defenders.

• Dalvin Cook is significantly more impressive than the Bucs running game

The Bucs have an admirable duo with all-purpose back Ronald Jones and 2021 playoff hero Leonard Fournette, but both of them combined don’t match Dalvin Cook’s playmaking ability. Dalvin Cook was second in the league in rushing yards (1,416) and rushing touchdowns (16). It’s worth noting that Cook put this damage on defenses despite missing two games. Leonard Fournette compiled 367 rushing yards and six touchdowns during the span of the 16 game season, while Ronald Jones captured a stout of 978 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. The Bucs RB duo is a nice assist to Tom Brady’s passing game, but they don’t stack up to the production that Cook lays out with even a combined effort. 

All in all, the Buccaneers should be labeled as a Top 5 offensive group of weapons. Yet, I believe an overrated factor of the defending Super Bowl title on their nameplate combined with the fact that these slightly dissolving household players like Antonio Brown and Leonard Fournette just happened to make their biggest plays in the most recent game (Super Bowl), helped them garner the number one spot. The Vikings may have been a 7-9 squad with no impressive number three wideout, but I believe the talent is above and beyond to earn them the first place standing.

The post Why the Vikings and not the Buccaneers have the best skill players appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had arguably one of the best receiving cores in the NFL as of late.  They have also added to it this offseason during the draft, taking Jaelon Darden with the 129^th pick.  They also re-signed Antonio Brown, and franchise tagged Chris Godwin, bringing their four top receivers back for another season.  

In this article, I will be predicting the stats of the Bucs top three receivers who should all get touches, those being:

• Mike Evans
• Chris Godwin
• Antonio Brown

Each of these receivers brings a different skillset to the team, and should each have pretty varying levels of different receiving stats.  With that said, here are my predictions”¦

Mike Evans

Statline: 123 receptions on 76 targets (61.8% catch rate), 1208 receiving yards, 10 TDs

Mike Evans had a relatively down year in 2020 by his standards, likely because of all the new weapons brought in.  However, with Tom Brady continuing to age, it is apparent that his arm fell off a little bit last year in terms of the deep ball.  With this in mind, Evans should have a “comeback” year of sorts in 2021, continuing his streak of 1000 yard seasons through his whole career.

The reason Brady factors into this is because Evans tends to run the short-intermediate routes, while Antonio Brown will run the deep slot routes most of the time.  This precise route running from Evans should allow him to be Brady’s favorite target this season, as it will make his job exceptionally easy.

Chris Godwin

Statline: 68 receptions on 89 targets (76.4% catch rate), 895 receiving yards, 8 TDs

Chris Godwin has mostly had the lesser of the two stat lines out of this duo, and I do not think that will change unless Evans has a severe drop off in production.  With that said, he still sees a slight increase from 2020 as he likely will play one more game than last year at the least (played in 12 last season).  

This increase likely will not cut into the other receivers on the team, as like I mentioned this is purely due to an increase in games played not number of targets per game.  At only 25 years old this season though, he should be looking to make an entry for the WR1 conversation on the team.

Since he would be going against the 2^nd best CBs in the teams he plays, his coverage would be slightly sparse compared to Evans.  If they can draw coverage off of eachother and try to “pick and roll” per-say, that would give them a huge advantage on the field for sure.  

Antonio Brown

Statline: 60 receptions on 82 targets (73.2% catch rate), 795 receiving yards, 8 TDs

Another player who will benefit from more games played is the addition from last season, Antonio Brown.  My guess is he will likely start 10-12 games of the 17 this season, which is why he has such a drastic improvement in this statline compared to last season.  His primary focus as a receiver is turning YAC and getting to the endzone if he can rip a gap open.

The low-ish receiving yards compared to the other two receivers is due to just lack of volume, sharing between three primary receivers is absolutely difficult to do, even for someone like Tom Brady.  There is only so many receptions that can be given out per game, and the focus of the offense is heavily reliant upon Godwin and Evans, so this deteriorates the touches of everyone else.  

With that said, since he would likely be going up against the CB3 of each team he plays, this would still allow him to produce no doubt.  When the duo ahead of him is getting a lot of the focus, he can get to the seam and rip off long plays.  

The post Projecting the prominent Buccaneers WRs stat lines in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.