It was over last week but now it’s OVER over.
I’m tired, man. I’m sure most of you all are, too.
How many more positives can be dug out of the pile of manure that’s now firmly ensconced the Buccaneers’ 2025 season? The truthful answer is, “very very few.”
For the third straight week, the Bucs faced a division rival hoping to get right and capitalize on the commanding 6-2 start they sprinted out to, and for the third straight week they failed in nail-biting fashion as they lost 23-20 to the Carolina Panthers and dropped below .500 for the first time all year. Baker Mayfield wasn’t good enough again, Todd Bowles forced a drastic change in approach and it backfired spectacularly, and the roster as a whole seems to be losing any semblance of vigor.
The vibes are just bad.
So we’re going to use the word “top” loosely here. Who would’ve thought the best Christmas present Bucs fans would be getting this year is not having to watch this franchise play on a holiday.
Offensive Top Performer: WR Mike Evans
In the few instances where the Bucs actually decided to pass Sunday, Evans continued to look the part of WR1.
The stats were nothing special — hard to be when your QB attempts 15 passes total entering the 4th quarter — yet Evans still scored on his patented goal-line fade for Tampa’s opening TD and made some big grabs later on for a line of 5-31-1. He and Mayfield suffered from a miscommunication on the final play that led to the game-sealing interception, but it’s hard to blame Evans for breaking off his route when it was very reasonable for him to assume Mayfield would scramble.
Overall, Evans looks locked in and impactful still. Hopefully he’ll continue for one more year to try and end his illustrious career on a better note.
Not much else to say here.
The running game numbers look fine (169 total yards on 33 carries), but the extremely passive approach reeked of Todd Bowles pulling rank on first-year offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard in hopes of controlling time of possession and limiting Carolina opportunities. The team easily set a season-low in neutral pass rate while running the ball a staggering number of times on first down. To do this when the team finally has all of its premier weapons active at the same time in Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan is nothing short of absurd.
It was not only conservative but cowardly — reflections of an older Bowles approach that smattered the play-calling tenures of Byron Leftwich and (early on) Dave Canales. It was the mandate of man who’s out of answers and out of fight; it would be a complete shock to see him stay as head coach even if they somehow win their final two games.
Defensive Top Performer: CB Jacob Parrish
In a completely broken defense full of underperforming veterans, it’d behoove us all to note this unit is not devoid of young talent.
Most prominently, games like Sunday are a good reminder of how good Jacob Parrish already is and how high his ceiling is. The 21-year-old prevented a touchdown early in the game with excellent coverage on Tetairoa McMillan, and he looked consistently up to the task splitting reps in the slot and outside. He finished with 5 total tackles and two passes defensed.
There’s been lumps throughout the season, as is common with most rookie corners, but there’s been a lot more good than bad and it’s exciting.
Benjamin Morrison, who collected 7 tackles, was a little more up and down but generally looked up to the task most of the day. He certainly showed the second-round flashes you want to see, and he’s hopefully on the upside of struggles that included several injuries and confidence issues. No reason to feel too pessimistic about him right now, especially with a new coaching staff likely coming in that might better harness his talent.
Special Teams Top Performer: K Chase McLaughlin
Chase McLaughlin has made 16 straight field goals and extended his NFL-best 50+ field goal streak to boot. His 11 consecutive makes from 50+ yards this season is a new single-season NFL record.
He’s been the best kicker in football, and it would be a crime to see him miss out on All-Pro or Pro Bowl honors.
Category: General Sports
