Off Topic » We’re two weeks into the three game suspension being served

Not many - including fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - predicted a 2-0 start. Partially because of diminished confidence following a disappointing 2017 http://www.tampabaybuccaneersteamonline.com/mike-evans-jersey , and mostly because just about everybody was making predictions for the first few games, not the first couple. by quarterback Jameis Winston, and back-up Ryan Fitzpatrick has been playing like a man possessed.He isn’t alone though as the whole team seems to be clicking at the right time instead of floundering at the wrong times.Every scoring play is key, we all know that, but here are five plays which really steered the Bucs towards victory - including the most important scores.In chronological order -The Play: Bucs take an early shot, and it lands!In New Orleans, Tampa Bay’s offense dialed up a play-action pass for the first throw of the game and it went yard for their first score of the game.The deep ball to DeSean Jackson from Fitzpatrick was a thing of beauty and got the Bucs faithful excited early.Copy and paste this to Week 2 against Philadelphia, and here’s what you get, another beautiful connection between Fitzpatrick and Jackson, and another big score which got Bucs fans excited in a hurry.Starting games fast was a big issue last year, so seeing the offense rolling so quickly is great. Seeing them do it two weeks in a row is amazing.As the Fox broadcast team pointed out on Sunday, coming out swinging really seemed to knock Philadelphia off balance early. Of course, the Eagles are the champs for a reason, so it would take more than just one hay-maker to knock them down for good.The Play: JPP gets a clutch sackSome criticism was hurled in the direction of Jason Pierre-Paul when he was traded to the Buccaneers. There were some who said he’d lost some of his talent and failed to get sacks in key spots during early parts of games.Well, at least for this week, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Nearing the end of the first quarter Womens Chris Conte Jersey , Tampa Bay was still leading via the Fitzpatrick to Jackson salvo, and moving into Eagles territory when disaster struck.Normally sure-handed and focused, tight end O.J. Howard failed to secure a pass while getting hit, leading to a tip-drill interception giving Philadelphia the ball in Bucs territory.It looked to be a key moment for the Eagles, but JPP quickly turned in his own clutch play to swing the tide back to the good-guys.The sack not only prevented the Eagles from building on the momentum stemming from the interception. It also led to the team outright squandering the chance to put up points while getting the ball in Bucs territory altogether. Three plays after this sack, Philadelphia punted, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held on to their early lead.The Play: Classmates convoy to the end zoneO.J. Howard and Chris Godwin are both in the early stages of their second-year as professional football players, and both are off to a great start.Howard didn’t get a score last week, but he showed some of the trademark athleticism and receiving ability which made him the 19th overall pick in the first place.Godwin has continued to bring exponential return on investment after somehow slipping to the third-round of the NFL Draft in 2017.The first two offensive players added to the Bucs roster in last spring’s selection meeting joined forces in the late minutes of the second-quarter in this one.After coming out of a timeout, which honestly had me a bit annoyed, Fitzpatrick hit Howard on a slant. The tight end then made Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby miss and proceeded to follow Godwin down the opposing sideline as the former Penn State star effectively sealed former Buckeyes safety and current Eagle, Malcolm Jenkins away from his teammate.The end result was a touchdown. The second big strike of the afternoon, and a very impressive way of recapturing the lead after Philadelphia had tied the game at seven.Scoring is always key, but this one is just a little more impactful given the length of the play, the length of the run after the catch, and the teamwork which made it happen.The Play: Another timeout http://www.tampabaybuccaneersteamonline.com/caleb-benenoch-jersey , another scoreWhen the Buccaneers had to spend a timeout on the play proceeding the Howard score, I experienced a small emotional event. Why the team was unable to execute a play coming out of a natural timeout was beyond me. It showed a lack of focus. A lack of preparation. This was NOT how you beat Super Bowl Champions! Yep.The Buccaneers spent another timeout later in the second quarter and while this one was much more reasonable and sparked a much lesser response from me personally, the result was the same. A touchdown.This time Chris Godwin was on the receiving end of the touchdown pass as Tampa Bay extended their lead to two possessions before hitting the locker room for halftime. Important, because points are King in the NFL, and because the Eagles got the ball first to start the second half.Scoring two touchdowns coming out of two timeouts just supports what Bucs fans have all been saying. This team is just better than others at adjusting and calling plays which exploit the opposition.Well, maybe we should start saying it.The Play: A Browns blessingUp to this point I think an argument can be made saying Carl Nassib has benefited from being let go by the Browns more than the Bucs have from picking him up. Which is fine.Nassib wasn’t brought in to dominate the opposition and become a Pro Bowl defensive end. No, he was brought in as a role player. Well, nearing midway through the fourth quarter, Nassib played his role well.There are three defenders involved immediately in this play: Nassib, Lavonte David and Gerald McCoy.David is the one who makes contact with Eagles tight end Zach Ertz as he tries to make the catch. McCoy almost intercepts the deflected pass. What does Nassib do? He forces the whole thing to happen.Players in Nassib’s position can sometimes over extend themselves. Get a bit of a free release and they just run full steam towards the quarterback only to have the ball sail over their heads into the waiting arms of a Pro Bowl tight end for big yards and a momentum swinging result.Not Nassib and not here. Instead, Nassib and his teammates read the play and the former Browns waiver victim denies Ertz his outside release where his blockers were preparing to pave the way downfield.Instead, Ertz gets bottled up inside with an offensive lineman and David, and when Foles throws the ball there isn’t an analytic anywhere which would predict success.Nassib didn’t make the hit or nearly grab an interception on the play, but he was most definitely the key to it all.The play led to an obvious passing situation on 3rd-and-10, and another on 4th-and-10. Keeping Foles in predictable situations aided in the Bucs’ defense coming up big, up two scores Womens Demar Dotson Jersey , with the Eagles again in Tampa Bay territory.Given how the game turned out, I think we can all agree denying the Eagles the opportunity to convert field position into points was crucial to this Week 2 win. We are officially in the Bruce Arians era.While it still may be a dream to some that he is the new head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the reality has set in for others. Now, it’s time to take a look into the future and see what Arians and the staff he brings in have gotten themselves into. As we all know, the Bucs are very talented in multiple areas across their roster. But there are still many areas that need improvement. These next few months will be integral when it comes to setting up the future for Arians and the Bucs. Let’s dive in and see what’s in store. 1. Jameis WinstonThis is by far and away the easiest dot to connect. Winston was the number one overall draft pick in 2015. Despite his initial hold on the “franchise quarterback” label, his future status with the team is uncertain as he heads into year five. A lot of that has to do with his decisions off the field and his play on the field. Enter Bruce Arians. Arians is known for his tough, hold-everyone-accountable style of coaching. His coach ‘em hard and hug ‘em later style hails straight from the Bear Bryant days. Just ask Larry Fitzgerald about one of his first experiences with Arians after he took over as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2013. Based off of Arians’ past, he will get after Winston when it is necessary. Even though he seems to be on the right track since the Uber incident, it doesn’t hurt to have someone that keep Winston’s feet to the fire - in a good way - when it comes to making the right decisions off the field. Arians should help Winston reach new heights when it comes to his career.Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsIt certainly doesn’t hurt that the two have a close relationship. Arians has known Winston since he was a teenager growing up in Alabama. He even goes as far as referring to him as “Jaboo”. And there is no doubt that Winston loves to be coached hard. Very hard. Arians will do just that and Winston will respond positively. With Arians at the helm, not only does Winston have a proven winner in the NFL, but he also has a coach that understands the nuances of the position. If everything translates to the field, then this could become a perfect fit for the Bucs. 2. DefenseThere are a lot of factors at play when it comes to the defense. What type of system will Todd Bowles choose to run? Will it be a 3-4, 4-3, or hybrid base? Do the Bucs have the personnel to run a 3-4 base? All of those questions will be answered in time, but the main point here is that something has to be done with the defense. Considering how potent the offense was in 2018, it’s reasonable to think that the Bucs can make it to the postseason if the defense can just become average. Another point to consider is that Bowles loves to put his cornerbacks in man-to-man situations. Tampa Bay ran off-man coverage for the past three years under Mike Smith Authentic Jason Pierre-Paul Jersey , so it will be a pretty drastic change in philosophy for the Bucs’ corners. Instead of lining up 7-10 yards off the line of scrimmage, look for the corners to line up directly across the line from their assigned man and try to throw them off their routes. This should play well into the hands of Carlton Davis III, but it remains to be seen how it will affect the other players. Depending on what he wants to run, it may be a rough first year under Bowles. But Bucs fans won’t be too disappointed as long as there is some sign of progress or improvement throughout the year. 3.Offensive lineIt’s not likely, but this unit could be without three starters from 2018. Left tackle Donovan Smith is no longer under contract, right guard Caleb Benenoch is Caleb Benenoch, and right tackle Demar Dotson’s play declined noticeably last season. The only starters that are guaranteed to return are left guard Ali Marpet and center Ryan Jensen. If cutting Jensen in 2019 didn’t cost the Bucs $10 million, then there would be no guarantee that he returns, either. By far and away the worst position group on offense, Arians and his staff need to find a way to solidify the offensive trenches. There are some pretty decent options in this year’s free agent class and the draft features some studs as well - namely Jonah Williams out of Alabama. The Bucs missed out on Quenton Nelson in 2018, but are in prime position to snag Jonah Williams in this year’s draft.Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsIt won’t take long for Arians and his staff to figure out that this group needs a serious upgrade. Whether it’s through free agency or the draft is up to them, but if they return the same five from last season, there won’t be much reason to think the offense will be better than it was in 2018. 4. The need for a vertical threatIt will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next couple of months. Arians’ offense is a vertical offense, so it’s paramount that he has a player who can stretch the field. The Bucs already have that player in DeSean Jackson, but everyone knows that he hasn’t been happy in Tampa Bay. All signs point to Jackson leaving the Bucs in 2019.If that were to happen, then Tampa Bay would be in dire need of a vertical threat. Even though Mike Evans led all receivers with at least 42 catches in yards per catch (17.7) Womens Ali Marpet Jersey , he isn’t known for his speed. Neither is Chris Godwin, Adam Humphries, or O.J. Howard. If Jackson does in fact leave the Bucs, who could they go after? Just like the offensive line, we would have to look at free agency and the draft for potential replacements. Would Arians be up for a reunion with Ravens wideout John Brown? His best years came under Arians and he will be a free agent this offseason. Some other names to look for in free agency would be Tyrell Williams, Phillip Dorsett, and possibly Josh Gordon. But if none of those guys work out, there is always the draft. It’d be naive to think that Arians won’t look for a vertical threat this offseason. Expect the Bucs to make a solid move in this area. 5. The need for a reliable kickerThere really isn’t much to say about this other than the fact that Tampa Bay’s special teams have been absolutely dreadful over the past half decade. It all started when the Bucs decided to let Conner Barth walk in 2015. As a team, the Bucs had missed just 15 field goals from 2013-2015. But that wasn’t good enough. Jason Licht got the wonderful idea to trade up to draft Roberto Aguayo in the second round of the 2016 draft and since then, everything has been downhill. Tampa Bay has seen five kickers come through the doors of One Buc and 24 missed field goals during the past three seasons. Cairo Santos was OK in 2018, but will it be enough?Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports24. Missed. Field. Goals. In. Three. Seasons. That is absurd. And that number doesn’t even include missed extra points. Cairo Santos didn’t do much to quell the problems in 2018, either. There is no guarantee that he will be around for 2019. You could almost feel every ounce of energy drain from every fan and player after each missed attempt since 2016.This is more of a plea for help than anything, really. Please, Bruce. Fix this.