Enjoy It While It Lasts
June 30th, 2023
Franchise icons.
The Bucs have been so fortunate to have two stud receivers like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Sometimes Joe takes it for granted.
And browsing some of the Bucs’ numbers from last year, it hit Joe that in a few short years, it’s possible that the Bucs’ receiving corps takes a major nosedive.
Of the top seasons in team history for individual receptions, it’s basically an Evans and Godwin record. Only two other receivers were listed. Keyshawn Johnson has the most catches in a season in Bucs history at 104. Mark Carrier is in a three-way tie for fifth place with — guess who? — Evans and Godwin at 86.
Now the following reminder surprised Joe: Godwin last season was just three catches away from breaking Johnson’s team record. And Godwin did this playing with a gimpy knee!
Memo to fantasy football types: It’s almost that time of the year to start researching your draft. Godwin might be a steal.
The Bucs, and Bucs fans, are so fortunate to have two class acts like Evans and Godwin around. Enjoy these two while they are still here. Joe fears it won’t be too long before one is gone, maybe both. They’re not getting any younger.
June 30th, 2023 at 5:09 am
Johnson was a selfish jackass. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are the polar opposite on the field and off. We should all be very proud. These two are the very best we have ever had. Canales should have great success with them.
June 30th, 2023 at 5:41 am
Wasn’t Keyshawn the guy who only had 1 touchdown for that year?
LOL!
106 receptions and 1 touchdown. To me he was useless.
June 30th, 2023 at 6:35 am
Hopefully Godwin doesn’t have that many catches. That would mean the ball is being spread around more evenly including the backs through the run game. Bucs aren’t going to pass 45 times a game this year, so the chances of Godwin catching that many passes is next to zero. That doesn’t mean Godwin can’t have a monster season, but it won’t be from volume of passes coming his way.
June 30th, 2023 at 7:48 am
They’re no Jacquez Green & Reidel Anthony duo, but they are pretty good still!
June 30th, 2023 at 7:55 am
Evans & Godwin are > Landry & Beckham jr, but we need a better Baker than the QB that played with those two and it remains to be seen if Mayfield is even trying to improve as a QB.
June 30th, 2023 at 7:57 am
Chris would of broke that record last year if he wouldn’t miss 3 games with a bad hammy. It still can be done. All he has to do is average 6.3 catches a game.
June 30th, 2023 at 8:15 am
Excellent point Hodad. Chris’s problem has been how he’s been used lately. In his first 3 years (2017-2019) with Winston at QB he averaged 15.1 Yards/Catch (YPC), but in the 3 years with Brady at QB (2020-2022) he averaged only 11.1 YPC. And it was even worse last year … on 9.8 YPC.
In line with that, his catch percentage increased rather dramatically these last 3 years. Chris caught 66.1% of passes targeted to him in 2017-2019 with Jameis, but 75.6% of those thrown to him by TB12. That almost 10% consistent improvement is very impressive IMO. Part of that was Godwin maturing as a WR I’m sure, but a big part of it also is probably due to having The GOAT throwing you the rock.
Personally I think Chris will be more productive IF Canales’ approach pans out (ie, if he’s really good at scheming receivers open). And of course if Trask or Mayfield can get him the ball in stride. Sit down routes drive me nuts admittedly (Scotty Miller was the master of those IMO … and came about as close to 0 YAC as you can come).
June 30th, 2023 at 9:00 am
Great point JOE. It won’t last forever. Enjoy it while we can.
June 30th, 2023 at 10:32 am
Defense Rules: That’s a cheap shot! Why are fans always blaming everything J W with a negative eye …he been gone!
June 30th, 2023 at 10:46 am
So unfortunate JBF writes repetitive, negative articles that include the input of analyst that know d!ck about the Bucs like it was friggin Reacher/ Beport.
June 30th, 2023 at 11:10 am
“Part of that was Godwin maturing as a WR I’m sure, but a big part of it also is probably due to having The GOAT throwing you the rock.”
Not so fast DR, you’re forgetting a part of that was playing the “big slot” in Arians’ offense in 2019 which was Chris Godwins’ best year as a pro where he posted career highs in yardage(1330/15.5 yards per catch), TDs(9), and first downs(63) on his way to his only pro bowl season. I get you’re point tho, just saying there were some things that happened in our first year in BAs’ system that made Tampa attractive to TB, and the system itself was on of them.
June 30th, 2023 at 11:40 am
I am more worried about the right side of the OL. Two rookies, almost.
June 30th, 2023 at 12:30 pm
Well said Dooley 💯
June 30th, 2023 at 2:59 pm
Evans doesn’t have 1×100 receptions season. Kind of makes his feats more impressive.
June 30th, 2023 at 3:19 pm
Both really good, but for them to really jell we need a slot, which we dont have
June 30th, 2023 at 4:38 pm
Surprised no one already mentioned this. My heartburn with going from 16 to 17 NFL games is the asterisks and subsequent math…
16-GAME SEASON
2001 Keyshawn: Actual 106 receptions
2022 Godwin: Estimated 98 receptions (6.12 per game average)
17-GAME SEASON
2011 Keyshawn: Estimated 113 receptions (6.63 per game average)
2022 Godwin: Actual 104 receptions
Either way, Keyshawn is still 8 or 9 receptions ahead of Godwin. That said, Johnson doesn’t rep the Bucs as his own when he’s in the media like Dungy, Dominik, and Sapp so… GO GODWIN!
June 30th, 2023 at 6:15 pm
@SOEbuc,
What’s unfortunate is someone finding they dislike an article posted on a news/opinion-hybrid blog, and that person not simply closing the webpage or choosing to read Bucs articles on another site, one that is just as in-depth and creates just as much content every day… oh wait, there isn’t one.
Not sure if you are struggling to be a troll, or if you are serious. If you aren’t looking for opinions in your articles, I recommend reading less blogs and more Associate Press articles from their site.
July 1st, 2023 at 3:47 am
So true Joe
We have never enjoyed a WR duo of this caliber for this length of time.
Go Bucs!