Monday night's Week Nine contest will likely be dictated by the tight end position. With the Buccaneers' Cade Otton and the Chiefs' Travis Kelce igniting their respective offenses in recent weeks, the outcome could hinge on which defense is able to mitigate the mismatch threat. The Chiefs are allowing an NFL-worst 7.0 receptions per game and 80.9 receiving yards per game to tight ends in 2024 with three tight ends producing over 90 receiving yards in a game against Kansas City this season including Isaiah Likely, George Kittle and Mike Gesicki.
Otton leads Tampa Bay with 17 receptions and 181 receiving yards in Weeks 7-8 and ranks second among tight ends in targets, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns since Week Seven. With the absence of Chris Godwin (injured reserve) in the Bucs' lineup, Otton has assumed a revised role to help supplement the production of the team's injured YAC weapon. Otton has become Baker Mayfield's go-to target on third down, moving the chains.
Against the Falcons on Sunday, Otton ran a variety of routes to help fill the void of Godwin and he did so with precision. He ran a route tree that typically is occupied by Godwin, and picked up chunk yardage off choice routes underneath, out-breaking cuts and seven (corner) routes. Otton is the Bucs' every-down tight end that rarely comes off the field with his ability as a blocker in-line. He effectively blocks edge-defenders in the run game with sound technique and displays outstanding awareness. Otton is able to sink when breaking on routes and understands how to gain leverage in man coverage, while also generating space against zone.
"Cade's a guy – I mentioned it after the game – when we have Mike [Evans] and Chris out there, the offense just looks different," stated Baker Mayfield. "You know, you're scheming things up for those guys and Cade does a lot of the dirty work, so right now Cade is being able to showcase his physical talent and he's such a smart football player, unselfish guy, but he understands in some of these zone coverages, what he's supposed to do, where he's supposed to attack it, and you're seeing him thrive because of that."
Travis Kelce has accumulated seven-plus receptions and 70-plus receiving yards in three of his last four games. His 8.5 receptions per game against Tampa Bay (including playoffs) are the most by any tight end versus a single opponent in NFL history and his 103.8 receiving yards per game against the Bucs (including playoffs) are the second-most by any tight end versus a single opponent in league annals. The Buccaneers are allowing 64.8 receiving yards per game to tight ends in 2024 (third-most in the NFL) and tight ends have scored four receiving touchdowns against Tampa Bay (tied-third-most in NFL).
Kelce has a wide catch radius and smoothly operates in and out of breaks like a receiver. He has a feel for how to generate leverage that is second to none and knows when to sit in zone. What he has been able to accomplish at the position is unprecedented. Kelce can change direction on a dime mid-route and the way he sets up defenders on unorthodox routes cannot be emulated. He is deceptively shifty and is the focal point for defensive coordinators around the NFL. He is quick enough to get separation from press and can bait with double moves when working against off coverage. For the Bucs' defense, No. 87 is circled in the game plan. On Monday, the outcome of the game will likely hinge on the tight end position and which defense is able to step up to the task.
