The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the Washington Redskins, 31-30, Sunday at FedExField, dropping their 2015 record to 2-4. Here are some of the more notable statistics and milestones from Sunday's game:
WATCH: BUCS VS. REDSKINS HIGHLIGHTS
Let's get the bad news out of the way at the top: The 24-point lead the Buccaneers surrendered in their one-point loss on Sunday is tied for the second-largest advantage the team has ever had in a game it lost. Tampa Bay was up by a 28-3 margin against the St. Louis Cardinals on Nov. 8, 1987 before falling, 31-28. The Bucs also built a 27-3 lead over the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 6, 1992 but eventually ended up with a 31-27 loss.
Tampa Bay's defeat on Sunday was stunning not only for the Redskins' nearly unprecedented comeback but also because the final stat sheet is filled with numbers that would generally indicate a pleasant ending. For instance:
- The 479 yards of total offense the Buccaneers put up is the team's fifth-highest single-season total ever. Actually, this stat is not necessarily a good indicator of success; the Bucs have now lost four of the top five games on their total yardage chart.
- Tampa Bay's offense converted seven of their 12 third-down tries for a success rate of 58.3%. That ties for the 15th-best third-down conversion rate in a single game in team history. That statistic has had a good correlation with victory for the Buccaneers; Tampa Bay is 14-6 in games in which it has converted third downs at that rate or better.
- The Buccaneers ran for 190 yards on the afternoon, the 33rd time they have reached that plateau in a single game. Sunday's outing was just the sixth time in those 33 games that the team has not gone on to win the game.
- Tampa Bay's defense held Washington to 50 rushing yards, which means the Bucs out-rushed their opponent by 140 yards. They have now done that 17 times in team history; Sunday's game was just the second time the Bucs have out-rushed their opponent by at least 140 yards and lost. The other occasion was a 21-16 loss to Green Bay on Oct. 5, 1997 in which Tampa Bay ran for 217 yards while allowing 64. Even a rushing-yardage edge of 100 is usually enough to secure victory; the Bucs have done that 50 times and won 44 of those games.
- Tampa Bay averaged 6.33 yards per carry on 30 totes, he 15th-best single-game total in team history and the fifth-best in a game with at least 30 rushing plays.
- Rookie QB Jameis Winston compiled a passer rating of 128.1. That is the second-highest rating for a Buccaneer passer or passers in a game that the team did not win. On Nov. 3, 2013, Mike Glennon and Mike James (who threw one touchdown pass on a gadget play), combined for a 133.7 passer rating but the Buccaneers lost in overtime, 27-24. The Bucs have had 35 games in which their passer(s) finished with a rating of 120 or higher, and they have won 33 of them.
One statistic that was consistent with a loss was the 16 penalties the Buccaneers committed on Sunday. That marks the fifth time the team has been flagged 15 or more times in a game, and they have lost all five. Four of the five were decided by six points or loss and two were decided in overtime. Those flags resulted in 142 penalty yards, the fourth time Tampa Bay has eclipsed 140 in a single game. All four of those games were losses (all four are part of the same subset as the 15-penalty games).
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Behind-the-scenes photos of the Buccaneers vs. Redskins game at FedExField on October 25th.
Jameis Winstongot his outstanding passer rating by completing 21 of 29 passes for 297 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. In his previous outing, Winston hit on 13 of 19 throws against Jacksonville for 209 yards, one touchdown and no interception. That was good for a passer rating of 122.5. Winston is just the third quarterback in franchise history to string togethertwo consecutive games with a passer rating of 120 or better**. Mike Glennon did it against Atlanta and Detroit on Nov. 17 and 24, 1997; Trent Dilfer did it against Minnesota and Miami on Sept. 14 and 21, 1997.
Winston's 297 yards on 29 throws equates to 10.24 yards per pass attempt. That is the 36th time in team history that a Buccaneer quarterback has averaged 10 yards per attempt or better (minimum of 15 passes thrown). In his previous game against Jacksonville, Winston threw for 209 yards on 19 attempts, an average of 11.0 yards per attempt. He is just the fourth Buccaneer quarterback to average 10 yards or better per pass attempt in consecutive games, joining Glennon (the same two games mentioned above), Josh Freeman (Oct. 14 and 21, 2012 against Kansas City and New Orleans) and Trent Dilfer (Nov. 7 and 14, 1999 against New Orleans and Kansas City).
Through the first seven weeks of the NFL season, there have been 25 individual performances in which a quarterback compiled a passer rating of 120 or better (minimum of 15 pass attempts). Winston is one of only five quarterbacks to appear on that list twice, and he is the only rookie. He and Cincinnati's Andy Dalton are the only two to accomplish the feat in consecutive games (Dalton did it in three straight from Sept. 20 to Oct. 4).
Most Games with a Passer Rating of 120 or Better, NFL, 2015:
Player |
Team |
Games >= 120 |
Andy Dalton |
Cincinnati |
3 |
Jameis Winston |
Tampa Bay |
2 |
Tom Brady |
New England |
2 |
Aaron Rodgers |
Green Bay |
2 |
Tyrod Taylor |
Buffalo |
2 |
Winston won't celebrate his 22nd birthday until next January. With his performance on Sunday he joined Fran Tarkenton as the only quarterbacks in league history to record two games with 120+ passer ratings before they turned 22. There have only been five such games in total, three of them this season.
Games with a 120+ Passer Rating, QBs Aged 21 or Younger:
Player |
Age (Years, Days) |
Team |
Opp. |
Date |
Rating |
Jameis Winston |
21-292 |
TB |
WAS |
10/25/15 |
128.1 |
Jameis Winston |
21-278 |
TB |
JAX |
10/11/15 |
122.5 |
Marcus Mariota |
21-318 |
TEN |
TB |
9/13/15 |
158.3 |
Fran Tarkenton |
21-303 |
MIN |
LA |
12/3/61 |
121.1 |
Fran Tarkenton |
21-226 |
MIN |
CHI |
9/17/61 |
148.6 |
Winston also now owns two of the top five passer-rating performances by a rookie in Buccaneers history. Here are the top 10:
Player |
Opp.-Date |
Rtg. |
|
at DET-11/17/13 |
138.4 |
|
vs.ATL-11/17/13 |
137.5 |
3. Jameis Winston |
at WAS-10/25/15 |
128.1 |
|
at SEA-11/3/13 |
123.1 |
5. Jameis Winston |
vs. JAC-10/11/15 |
122.5 |
|
at ATL-11/30/09 |
118.5 |
|
at NO-9/20/15 |
114.6 |
|
at CHI-1/2/00 |
109.4 |
|
at KC-10/8/78 |
108.2 |
|
at NO-10/8/06 |
107.6 |
Winston fell just short of his first 300-yard outing in the NFL, but his 297 yards on Sunday are still tied for the fourth-highest total for a Buccaneer rookie. Here are the top five:
Player |
Opp.-Date |
Pass Yds |
|
at NO-12/6/87 |
369 |
|
at CAR-12/8/09 |
321 |
|
vs. MIN-10/1/78 |
311 |
4t. Shaun King |
vs. DET-12/12/99 |
297 |
4t. Jameis Winston |
at WAS-10/25/15 |
297 |
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Winston threw roughly 40% of his passes in the direction of Mike Evans on Sunday, targeting the second-year wideout 12 times. That resulted in eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown for Evans, marking his career-high in catches and his second-best single-game yardage output. Coincidentally, the only game in which Evans has put up more receiving yards was also played at FedExField, as he compiled 209 yards and two touchdowns on seven grabs in last year's road game against the Redskins.
That receiving yardage total also ties for the 11th-highest in a single game in Buccaneer history. There have been a total of 22 individual performances of 150 receiving yards or more in franchise annals, and Evans joins teammate Vincent Jackson, Mark Carrier, Kevin House, Bruce Hill and Joey Galloway as the only players to appear on that list more than once. Jackson has the most 150-yard games as a Buccaneer, with four, while Galloway is next with three.
Evans topped 100 receiving yards for the second time this season and the fifth time in his first 20 NFL games. Those five 100-yard outings are the most ever by a Buccaneer in his first two seasons, and he has 10 more weeks in which to pad that record.
PHOTOS: BUCS VS. REDSKINS
Evans' 40-yard touchdown catch on Tampa Bay's third play from scrimmage on Sunday marked his 13th score in those 20 games. Evans has found the end zone on 14.6% of his 89 career catches so far. That is easily the highest scoring rate of any player in team history with at least 50 career receptions.
Highest Percentage of Receptions for Touchdowns, Buccaneers (minimum 50 catches):
Player |
Seasons |
TDs |
Recs. |
Pct. |
|
2014-15 |
13 |
89 |
14.61% |
|
1992-01; 04-06 |
24 |
184 |
13.04% |
|
1978-86 |
34 |
279 |
12.19% |
|
1987-91 |
23 |
190 |
12.11% |
|
1976-79 |
14 |
116 |
12.07% |
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RB Doug Martinran for 136 yards on 19 carries, marking the third straight game in which he has eclipsed 100 yards on the ground. He is the first Buccaneer back to recordthree straight 100-yard rushing gamessince Cadillac Williams did so in the first three games of his 2005 rookie season. Williams rushed for a combined 434 yards against Minnesota, Buffalo and Green Bay during that career-opening stretch, averaging 4.9 yards per tote; Martin has 365 total rushing yards during his run and isaveraging 5.8 yards per carry** in that span.
Martin has ascended to second on the NFL's chart of leading rushers, with his 541 yards trailing only the 621 put up by Atlanta's Devonta Freeman. Those two runners will share the field this coming Sunday when the Buccaneers take on the Falcons in the Georgia Dome. Martin is now on pace for 1,443 rushing yards by season's end which, if achieved, would be the third-best mark in team history. Martin's own total of 1,454 in 2012 is second on that list behind James Wilder's record 1,544 yards in 1984.
If Martin hits triple digits again in that game in Atlanta, he will tie the team's all-time record for consecutive 100-yard rushing games in a single season.Wilder set that mark all the way back in 1985 when he opened the season with 100-yard games against Chicago, Minnesota, New Orleans and Detroit. Wilder's streak was actually six games long, as he also finished off the 1984 season with two such performances.
Martin combined with Evans to give the Buccaneers a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in the same game for the second time this year and only the 18th time in franchise history. Martin and Vincent Jackson pulled off feat together against Carolina in Week Four. Martin has been a part of three of those 18 combos, but this is the first time he has combined with Evans to make the list. For the Buccaneers as a team, this is the first time this combination of performances has ever happened twice in the same season. Here are those 18 games:
Opp |
Date |
Receiver |
Yards |
Rusher |
Yards |
@chi |
9/20/81 |
Jimmie Giles |
109 |
Jerry Eckwood |
114 |
STL |
11/10/85 |
Jimmie Giles |
134 |
James Wilder |
120 |
CHI |
10/8/89 |
Bruce Hill |
107 |
Lars Tate |
112 |
@min |
9/30/90 |
Bruce Hill |
104 |
Gary Anderson |
108 |
@chi |
10/18/92 |
Courtney Hawkins |
102 |
Reggie Cobb |
109 |
LA Rams |
12/11/94 |
Charles Wilson |
176 |
Errict Rhett |
119 |
GB |
12/10/95 |
Horace Copeland |
122 |
Errict Rhett |
118 |
@jax |
11/15/98 |
Reidel Anthony |
126 |
Warrick Dunn |
107 |
STL |
12/18/00 |
Keyshawn Johnson |
116 |
Warrick Dunn |
145 |
IND |
10/6/03 |
Keenan McCardell |
106 |
Michael Pittman |
106 |
@no |
10/8/06 |
Joey Galloway |
110 |
Cadillac Williams |
111 |
@no |
12/2/07 |
Joey Galloway |
159 |
Earnest Graham |
106 |
@az |
10/31/10 |
Mike Williams |
105 |
LeGarrette Blount |
120 |
@gb |
11/20/11 |
Kellen Winslow |
132 |
LeGarrette Blount |
107 |
PHI |
12/9/12 |
Vincent Jackson |
131 |
Doug Martin |
128 |
ATL |
11/17/13 |
Vincent Jackson |
165 |
Bobby Rainey |
163 |
CAR |
10/4/15 |
Vincent Jackson |
147 |
Doug Martin |
106 |
@was |
10/25/15 |
Mike Evans |
164 |
Doug Martin |
136 |
Getting 100 receiving yards out of one player and 100 rushing yards out of another would seem like two good steps towards victory, but these pairings have not been particularly indicative of wins and losses. In fact, the Bucs' record in those 18 games has been exactly even: 9-9.
Martin caught three passes for another 35 yards in Sunday's game, giving him 171 total yards from scrimmage, his high-water mark for the season. He had 158 yards from scrimmage in the Week Five win over Jacksonville. Martin is one of only six running backs in the NFL who already have two games with at least 150 yards from scrimmage this year; Freeman and the Rams' Todd Gurley have three each while Martin, the Ravens' Justin Forsett, the Bears' Matt Forte and the Jets' Chris Ivory have two each. Martin also had 143 yards from scrimmage against Carolina in Week Four. He, Freeman and Gurley are the only three running backs in the NFL to have hit 140 or more in three separate games (Freeman has four).
Martin's efforts in Washington produced the 10th 100-yard rushing game of his career, the third-most in franchise history. He needs just one more to tie Warrick Dunn for second place on the list.
Most Career 100-Yard Rushing Games, Regular Season, Buccaneers:
Player, Seasons |
100-Yd. Games |
|
14 |
|
11 |
3. RB Doug Martin, 2012-15 |
10 |
|
9 |
|
8 |
6t. FB Mike Alstott, 1996-2007 |
7 |
6t. RB Ricky Bell, 1977-81 |
7 |
6t. RB LeGarrette Blount, 2010-12 |
7 |
6t. RB Reggie Cobb, 1990-93 |
7 |
6t. RB Michael Pittman, 2002-07 |
7 |
- Tampa Bay scored a touchdown on its third possession, with Winston connecting with WR Donteea Dye for a seven-yard touchdown on a 14-play, 72-yard, 7:00 drive. The 14 plays are the most on a scoring drive by the Buccaneers this season and the 7:00 marks the longest scoring drive by play time for the team this season.
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K Connor Barth, playing in his second game since returning to the team for which he toiled from 2009-12, put up an identical stat line to his previous outing: 3-3 on field goal tries and 3-3 on extra point attempts for a total of 12 points. Barth's three field goals edged him close to 100 for his Buccaneer career, broke a tie for fourth place on the franchise's all-time list and put him in position to take over third place soon.
Career Field Goals Made, Buccaneers:
Player, Years |
FGs |
|
137 |
|
117 |
|
98 |
4. Connor Barth, 2009-12, 2015 |
97 |
|
94 |
Barth entered the game as the most accurate kicker in franchise history and obviously did nothing to jeopardize that record on Sunday. Barth has made his 97 field goals as a Buccaneer in 114 attempts, a success rate of 85.1%. Using a minimum of 20 field goal attempts, here are the top five in team history:
Kicker |
Seasons |
Made |
Att. |
Pct. |
Connor Barth |
2009-12, 15 |
97 |
114 |
85.1% |
Patrick Murray |
2014 |
20 |
24 |
83.3% |
Matt Bryant |
2005-08 |
98 |
118 |
83.1% |
Steve Christie |
1990-91 |
38 |
47 |
80.9% |
Rian Lindell |
2013 |
23 |
29 |
79.3% |
Including time spent with the Chiefs and Broncos, Barth is 122 of 142 on his career, for a success rate of 85.9%. Since the start of the 2011 season, he has been the second most accurate field goal kicker in the NFL, and he trails the first-place kicker by a very slim margin. Here are the top five:
Kicker |
Team |
Made |
Att. |
Pct. |
Dan Bailey |
DAL |
124 |
137 |
90.5% |
Connor Barth |
TB, DEN |
75 |
83 |
90.4% |
Stephen Gostkowski |
NE |
145 |
161 |
90.1% |
Steven Hauschka |
SEA |
129 |
145 |
89.0% |
Justin Tucker |
BAL |
110 |
124 |
88.7% |
Barth also remains one of only five active kickers who have made all of their career extra point tries. Bailey and Tucker are also on that list, as are Ryan Succop and Nick Folk.
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Odds and Ends:
- The Buccaneers converted seven of their 12 third-down tries on offense, a success rate of 58.3%. They were good on exactly half of their 16 tries against Carolina in Week Four and on five of 11 attempts (45.5%) against Jacksonville in Week Five. This marks the first time since Nov. 7-21, 2010 that the Buccaneers have converted at least 45% of their third-down attempts in three straight games. Sortable date for third-down conversions is available back through 1991; since then the Bucs have had three-game stretches like the current one four other times, once each in 1997, 2005, 2006 and 2010. There are no streaks of four or more games in that stretch, so there's another milestone for the Bucs to shoot for next Sunday in Atlanta.
- Two Buccaneers scored the first touchdowns of their careers on Sunday. WR Donteea Dye snared a seven-yard TD pass in the second quarter on the very first reception of his NFL career. DE Howard Jones, playing in just his second NFL game after a two-sack debut against Jacksonville in Week Five, returned a fumble 43 yards for a score in the second quarter, as well. The Buccaneers now have two fumbles returned for touchdowns this season, the most they have recorded in a season since 2005, when they had three. The team has recorded a fumble returned for a touchdown in consecutive contests for only the second time in team history (also Oct. 18, 1987 vs. Minnesota and Oct. 25, 1987 vs. Chicago). DE Jacquies Smith returned a fumble three yards for a touchdown against Jacksonville in the Bucs' previous game.
- Smith created Jones' scoring opportunity by sacking QB Kirk Cousins and forcing a fumble. Smith now has 5.0 sacks on the season and is on pace for 13.3 by the end of the year. The Buccaneers have not had a 10-sack player since Simeon Rice had 14 in 2005. DT Gerald McCoy, with 4.5 sacks on the season, is on pace for 12.0.
- The Buccaneers have forced at least one turnover in 12 straight games. That's the team's longest such streak since a 13-game run that crossed the 2009-10 seasons (Nov. 29, 2009 to Dec. 7, 2010. Coincidentally, the opening and closing games of that streak were both at Atlanta, where the Buccaneers will play this Sunday and try to get to 13 in a row again.