“The Best”
October 1st, 2019
Digs Bucs receivers.
Well, looky here.
So the best wide receiver duo in the game isn’t Mike Evans and malcontent DeSean Jackson? It isn’t Mike Evans and Adam Humphries. But, per the great Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report, it’s Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
The Bucs are 2-2. For Bucs fans, this team has been so dreary the past decade, a .500 record, even in early October, is enough to break out the Oktoberfest beers. And after one of the most thrilling Bucs wins in recent memory, trashing the mighty Rams on USC’s home turf in the City of Angels, Bucs fans are giddy.
So why and how did the Bucs pull this off? Simple, types Tanier. It’s because the Bucs have the best wide receiver duo in the game, Evans and Godwin.
The best wide receiver duo in the NFL finally got everyone’s attention Sunday. …
Offensive mastermind Bruce Arians deserves some credit for Evans and Godwin’s success, but if an offensive mastermind is scheming to get you the ball, that’s just further evidence that you are pretty darned good.
Evans is a two-time Pro Bowler coming off five straight 1,000-yard seasons. He’s a mismatch waiting to happen with a knack for outjumping defenders and hauling in errant passes, making him a perfect fit as Winston’s go-to guy.
Godwin left Penn State as a buzzy third-round pick in 2017, but he got lost in the crowd as former Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter tried to spread footballs among him, Evans, DeSean Jackson, Adam Humphries, O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate. (Yes, Koetter and Winston had all of that talent and went 10-22 over two seasons, but that’s a topic for another day.) Godwin is a precision route-runner with reliable hands and a physical style that makes him tough to bring down after the catch.
Joe will always remember last year talking to Evans on a story for Godwin and Evans said that Godwin is a No. 1 receiver and would be on many teams. This stunned Joe not so much that Evans was right, but that Evans would admit that. Then Joe asked Evans, “Well, Mike, aren’t you a No. 1?”
Evans said, yes. Then as he began to walk away, he looked at Joe and said, “Now don’t you start nothing.” Joe just roared. But that’s how unselfish Evans is while putting up Hall of Fame numbers. And yeah, Godwin is demonstrating he is a wide receiver to be feared.
With Godwin now on the map, and Evans certainly is on the map, it’s time for Bucco Bruce Arians to get O.J. Howard more involved.
The Bucs have proven over the past few years they have a lethal offense when everything is clicking. The latest piece of evidence was Sunday in Los Angeles. If the Bucs can consistently keep this ball rolling, who knows what the result will be?
October 1st, 2019 at 1:04 pm
Godwin is also sneaky fast and explosive with the ball in his hands. He’s our best WR after the catch by far. With what he ran at the Combine (sub 4.4) and how he lit up USC’s 1st round CB Adoree Jackson, I was screaming at my TV for the Bucs to draft him… in round 2. We got super lucky that nobody else was in love with Godwin as I was. He had stud written all over him.
October 1st, 2019 at 1:04 pm
trade brate …. save cap space and get more draft picks
October 1st, 2019 at 1:05 pm
Easy to figure out Howard will get more involved as he blocks better, as Arians has said. This aint fantasy football to Bruce. Help the team and he helps you. Love it. Maybe Howard can go to Godwin for blocking advice
October 1st, 2019 at 1:08 pm
They were killing the Rams with the three receiver bunch package why not put OJ Howard in the bunch let Godwin and Evans run the deep route tree and cross Howard over the middle he has wide receiver speed Let him break some tackles
October 1st, 2019 at 1:11 pm
We gonna stomp the Aints on Sunday
October 1st, 2019 at 1:11 pm
as soon as defenses attempt to neutralize both those guys, look out for OJ Howard or watch out for the run. this should be a top 5 scoring offense at a minimum the way the ball is being spread around and the way these guys have been finishing drives. we finally get to see what happens when talented players meet capable coaches
October 1st, 2019 at 1:14 pm
same as pick6 says. As soon as teams focus more on the Evans/Godwin combo, lookout for Howard/Brate combo. With our Oline playing solid, there really is no way to stop all of our weapons.
October 1st, 2019 at 1:18 pm
Right now this team looks like Air Coryell from the early 80’s. Just like that team this team can’t stop anyone. Until they can stop people they won’t go as far as we would like them to. Shame.
October 1st, 2019 at 1:21 pm
.*pick6
Perfect statement
“we finally get to see what happens when talented players meet capable coaches”
October 1st, 2019 at 1:21 pm
I was soooooo stoked when we drafted Godwin.
I always thought’d he’d be very good, but he’s already exceeded those expectations.
If the o-line can continue to play the way they did this past Sunday, this offense should be unstoppable. Simply too many playmakers with Brate and Howard mixed in, and maybe we see Justin Watson continue to develop as well…
October 1st, 2019 at 1:22 pm
preach pick-6!
October 1st, 2019 at 1:22 pm
“If the Bucs can consistently keep this ball rolling, who knows what the result will be?”
Answer: A lot of Wins.
October 1st, 2019 at 1:22 pm
I didn’t catch all of Kay Adam’s Fantasy pickups this morning. She had a page up showing Rogo as having the most yards? Ahead of Gurley, etc. We may have a #1 running back, too. It would be better to not have him lose 75 yards on 2 run plays called back due to penalty.
It will be interesting to see how the team does as they embrace the new system. OTOH, our defense should do well against the now faltering Falcons offense. But, that’s for another week…
October 1st, 2019 at 1:30 pm
You shouldn’t get Joe worked up on an otherwise tranquil Tuesday afternoon.
October 1st, 2019 at 1:31 pm
This dude is clueless, read the whole article. He says Evans and Godwin are doing this despite a horrible offensive line, no running game and a inconsistent Winston lol. He literally looked at the stats and spewed some BS.
Then listen to Brian Baldingers breakdown of the O-Line against the Rams. The OL is far from garbage, the run game is averaging right around 5 yards per carry and this is the most consistent Winston has ever been minus week 1
October 1st, 2019 at 1:34 pm
“Evans and Godwin are doing all of this with Jameis Winston at quarterback, who remains his usual turnover-happy, wildly inconsistent self. The Buccaneers offensive line isn’t very good. Their running game is an afterthought. They’ve been productive against solid Rams, Panthers and 49ers defenses, and also against the Giants.”
This was part of it
October 1st, 2019 at 1:41 pm
Brate > OJ
October 1st, 2019 at 1:42 pm
I love the little unneeded shot below at Jameis.
“He’s a mismatch waiting to happen with a knack for outjumping defenders and hauling in errant passes, making him a perfect fit as Winston’s go-to guy.”
They just can’t help themselves can they? That’s ok just keep playing and it will take care of itself.
October 1st, 2019 at 1:47 pm
this dude throwing some low key shade at JW3 errant passes
October 1st, 2019 at 1:56 pm
Yeah i read the article, and like Jp said above, its like this guy didnt even watch a minute of tape. He slights winston multiple times while also saying we have a pourus line and a mediocre running game. The only thing the article got right was calling evans and godwin the best duo in the league.
October 1st, 2019 at 2:09 pm
I say keep Brate and trade Howard. Jameis has a better connection with Brate anyway. If BA is just going to use Howard for blocking what’s the difference anyway? We have Auclair for that
October 1st, 2019 at 2:15 pm
ME13 just stated the obvious: he’s got his partner on the other side of the field. He’s also 100% healthy; Ungodly isn’t. Time for Brate/OJ in the middle. RBs can also catch balls (all 3). POX on Buc Luck. Mighty Bucs will win Sunday!
October 1st, 2019 at 2:18 pm
P.S.: Ungodly needs to get his Penn State degree.
October 1st, 2019 at 2:20 pm
The sports writers not in our market do research by reading other out of market sports writers instead of looking at film or reading Stroud, Laine and Auman. Even the SiriusXM guys have a bad habit of spouting stuff that shows they don’t follow the Bucs.
It’s a Bucs life.
October 1st, 2019 at 2:29 pm
Good summary statement, Joe. More to come. No injuries please.
October 1st, 2019 at 2:40 pm
Of course he’s taking digs at Winston.
So is every other “national pundit” around.
Just watched BSPN: “the body of work suggests he’s just going to keep giving the ball away. They won’t win more than 6 games”
October 1st, 2019 at 2:45 pm
Unb
Give jameis time in the pocket like he had against the Rams (to my amazement) and he’ll carve up any defense.
October 1st, 2019 at 2:52 pm
Wow, as bad as most of the national reporters are when discussing the Bucs, this guy takes the cake. If he wanted to ridicule JW he could say that he has been bad for 25% of the season to this point. The slights make me think he really didn’t watch tape of the game Sunday. Outside of one bad decision, Jameis was nearly perfect and pinpoint with his accuracy. So annoying. When he states that running the ball is just an after thought that confirmed for me he is an idiot and really knows nothing about what the Bucs are doing under Arians.
October 1st, 2019 at 3:15 pm
Ironically Godwin is THIRD and Evans is SIXTH in receiving yards for the season at this point. (They are separated by only 18 yards. Both are on pace for 1400+ yards for the season) Evans is an unselfish team player and I am sure he doesn’t care about this anyway. Also they both have FOUR touchdowns.
October 1st, 2019 at 6:03 pm
Godwin is the Alvin Harper to Evans’s Michael Irvin.
October 1st, 2019 at 6:14 pm
The best thing about both of them – if we win 12 games and they both only get say 900 yards each….not that it would ever happen…but if it did – they could care less, they would be ecstatic to be a winner
Think about the diva WR’s in this league and then think about our duo
We are blessed!
October 1st, 2019 at 6:27 pm
STFu With the trade Brate BS.
October 1st, 2019 at 8:47 pm
Who is this homeless man in the picture?
October 1st, 2019 at 10:30 pm
MikeTainer = Clown. He wrote a terrible article while he may have been right about Evans and Godwin, everything else was a slap in the face to BucsNation. Dude these national types need to do their homework. Jameis has balled out the last 3 weeks. He soured on Jaboo in this piece, and Bucs fans and this team. Says we are not fun to watch w/o Evans and Godwin. HELLO SACK BARRETT anyone??!!
October 1st, 2019 at 10:34 pm
Clw JB Says:
“Think about the diva WR’s in this league and then think about our duo. We are blessed!”
.
.
Yup!