WR Mike Evans and TE Cameron Brate tied for the Buccaneer lead on Sunday with five catches, one ahead of WR Vincent Jackson, who had four. Between them, those three produced 12 first downs on their 14 combined catches. That's an impressive shared number, but not at all out of the ordinary. In fact, Jackson and Evans rank first and second in the NFL this season in the percentage of their catches that produce first downs. Here are the top 10:
|
Player |
Team |
Rec |
1st |
1st% |
|
Vincent Jackson |
TB |
29 |
25 |
86.2 |
|
Mike Evans |
TB |
49 |
41 |
83.7 |
|
DeAndre Hopkins |
HOU |
81 |
65 |
80.2 |
|
Ted Ginn Jr. |
CAR |
30 |
24 |
80.0 |
|
James Jones |
GB |
30 |
24 |
80.0 |
|
Alshon Jeffery |
CHI |
43 |
34 |
79.1 |
|
Nate Washington |
HOU |
33 |
26 |
78.8 |
|
Michael Floyd |
AZ |
28 |
22 |
78.6 |
|
John Brown |
AZ |
45 |
35 |
77.8 |
|
Andre Johnson |
IND |
26 |
20 |
76.9 |
Brate doesn't have enough receptions to qualify for the league lead in this category, but if you lower the minimum to at least 10 receptions in 2015, he would tie for 11th with a rate of 78.6% (11 of 14). Jackson and Evans would fall to second and third on the list under those circumstances, because Tennessee's Dorial Green-Beckham has recorded a first down on all 16 of his catches. Again, with the qualifying minimum reduced to 10 catches, Brate has the highest first-down rate of any tight end in the NFL.
Brate is also tied for the Buccaneers' team lead with three touchdown catches after his 20-yard score in Indianapolis. With three trips to the end zone on just 14 receptions, Brate is among the NFL leaders in touchdowns per catch. Here are the top 10:
|
Player |
Team |
Rec |
TD |
TD% |
|
Andre Holmes |
OAK |
8 |
4 |
50.00% |
|
Ahmad Bradshaw |
IND |
10 |
3 |
30.00% |
|
Zach Miller |
CHI |
15 |
4 |
26.67% |
|
Tyler Eifert |
CIN |
46 |
12 |
26.09% |
|
James Jones |
GB |
30 |
7 |
23.33% |
|
Darren Fells |
AZ |
13 |
3 |
23.08% |
|
Clive Walford |
OAK |
13 |
3 |
23.08% |
|
Cameron Brate |
TB |
14 |
3 |
21.43% |
|
Seth Roberts |
OAK |
21 |
4 |
19.05% |
|
Martavis Bryant |
PIT |
27 |
5 |
18.52% |
All of Brate's touchdown passes have been delivered by rookie QB Jameis Winston. On Sunday, Winston completed 20 of 36 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown and one interception. In the process, he broke the franchise record by most passing yards by a rookie, with five games still to play. Here's the top five:Player, Season, Yards
|
1. Jameis Winston |
2015 |
2,650 |
|
2. Mike Glennon |
2013 |
2,608 |
|
3. Josh Freeman |
2009 |
1,855 |
|
4. Bruce Gradkowski |
2006 |
1,661 |
|
5. Doug Williams |
1978 |
1,170 |
Winston and Williams are the only two on that list who started on opening day in their rookie campaigns, and Williams was limited by injury to 10 games in his 1978 debut. Glennon actually started the most games as a rookie, with 13. Winston has started the Bucs' first 11 games and is almost certain to start all 16, barring injury. If he does, and he continues producing at his current pace, his passing numbers will have significance beyond his rookie status.
In fact, at his current pace, Winston would finish with the second-most passing yards in a single season in team history. He is on pace for 3,854 yards, not enough to catch Josh Freeman's 2012 team record of 4,065 but enough to inch past the 3,811 Brad Johnson put up in 2003. With 16 touchdown passes through 11 outings, Winston is on pace for 23 by season's end. That would rank fourth in team annals, on a list topped by Freeman's 27 in 2012, Johnson's 26 in 2003 and Freeman's 25 in 2010.
