It was one of the most dominant games in franchise history as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coasted to a 43-13 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Many deserve credit for this victory, and we will be going over all of it in this one. Let's go over the top grades for the Bucs' Week 7 win.
Quarterbacks: B+
Baker Mayfield did not do a lot in his return game, and he didn't need to. However, he did finish with 64 passing yards and a passing touchdown, with zero turnovers on the day and a 109.7 quarterback rating. He was the handoff king in this game, and that's 100% okay.
Running Backs: A+
It was one of the best rushing games in franchise history for the Buccaneers. Bucky Irving had 24 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns; Kenny Gainwell had 14 carries for 88 yards, and even Sean Tucker had seven carries for 52 yards and a touchdown as well.
This is what a peak Zac Robinson game can look like, as he was able to generate some great rushing teams while serving as offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons. Here's hoping for more of this in the future.
Wide Receivers: C+
Emeka Egbuka missed this game with a concussion, and there is not much else to speak about here. Tez Johnson was the best thing for this group, as he finished with three receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown. Chris Godwin also finished with four catches for 27 yards.
Tight Ends: B+
The tight end room gets this grade purely off of their blocking ability. Cade Otton, Payne Durham and Bauer Sharp were instrumental in the Bucs having a gigantic game on the ground, and they deserve plenty of credit for that.
Offensive Line: A+
These guys were absolute units in this one. When you lead the charge for an offense that generates 258 rushing yards and three touchdowns, you are getting a good grade. This group rose to the occasion in spades, and that's with Benjamin Chukwuma filling in for the injured Luke Goedeke in this matchup.
Defensive Line: A+
The players in this group were absolute all-stars in this game. Yaya Diaby led the way with three sacks, putting him second on the team this season. Vita Vea had a sack as well, and Al-Quadin Muhammad had a sack that forced a fumble, which was recovered by Calijah Kancey for the touchdown.
Overall, the Bucs defense finished with six quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss and five sacks on Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.
Linebackers: C
Josiah Trotter was solid in this game and led the Bucs with 10 total tackles on the day and a pass deflection. However, Anzalone still struggles to make tackles, and SirVocea Dennis got beat on a 50-yard touchdown in this game. With Christian Rozeboom on the injured reserve with a finger injury, Trotter is the saving grace of this group.
Defensive Backs: A
The defensive line wasn't the only group that had fun today. Tykee Smith had seven total tackles, one pass deflection, and an interception. Rookie Keionte Scott had a blocked extra point that fellow corner Zyon McCollum returned for two points. Speaking of McCollum, he also had an interception in this game as well as a pass deflection. Jacob Parrish got involved as well, with good coverage and a pass deflection.
Special Teams: A+
Danny Smith has this special teams unit humming lately. There was a muffed punt return by former Buccaneers receiver David Moore that was recovered by Bucs special teamer Ko Keift. There was also the blocked extra point by Keionte Scott that was returned for two points by Zyon McCollum.
Finally, kicker Chase McLaughlin continues to be the best thing about the team and made all of his kicks for 11 points.
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