On an afternoon in which such established stars as Mike Evans, Lavonte David and Antoine Winfield Jr. provided the biggest plays in a dominant win over Jacksonville, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also got notable contributions from some of its greenest players.
Evans caught two more touchdown passes, Winfield did a little bit of everything on defense and David had eight solo tackles and a sack, and that's a good formula for a Buccaneers victory. But the Bucs completely ran away from the Jaguars, scoring the game's first 30 points in a 30-12 decision. It was a complete team victory, and that was made possible by the play of such relative newcomers as outside linebacker Yaya Diaby, cornerback Zyon McCollum and wide receiver Trey Palmer.
On Monday, Head Coach Todd Bowles said his team has had no other option but to lean on some very young players because so many rookies and second-year players made the 53-man roster out of training camp. That's particularly true on defense, where the Bucs had six different rookies or second-year players get meaningful snaps in Sunday's win.
"They were going to be playing no matter what," said Bowles. "It's a matter of them settling down in situations and understanding situational football – how to play, when to take advantage of their athleticism and when to play scheme-fit defense for our part. Those guys have done a great job at it. They continue to get better and better – you can see the confidence growing in them and it's growing at the right time."
Diaby, in particular, has had his trajectory point upward for the entire second half of the season. A third-round draft pick this spring out of Louisville, he moved into the starting lineup in Week 12, in part because he is the team's best run defender among edge rushers. On Sunday he took over the team's season sack lead, adding 1.5 for a total of 6.5. Diaby also tripped up wide receiver Calvin Ridley for a loss of 12 on an attempted end-around.
"When we drafted him, the biggest thing for me was that he was a shutdown run defender and he could close off the edge," said Bowles. "We knew he could run straight ahead. We didn't know that much of the pass-rush arsenal that he has because he played inside as a three-technique at Louisville. We knew he was very athletic and once we saw him when he got in and we saw the movements, we said, 'This guy has a chance to be a very good football player.' He's continued to grow and grow and progress and you're kind of seeing a lot of that right now."
McCollum, a fifth-round draft pick in 2023, has been invaluable all season for the Buccaneers, as he has repeatedly filled in for starting corners Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis when they were injured. That happened again on Sunday, with Davis suffering a concussion in the first half and missing the rest of the game. McCollum took over his spot and produced four tackles, a pass defensed and a forced fumble, which Winfield recovered.
McCollum actually saw his first snaps of the game at a new position. Given how well McCollum has played as a spot starter, the Bucs' coaching staff wanted to find ways to keep him on the field even with both Dean and Davis healthy. McCollum was one of several players who rotated in at safety in the early part of the game, and Bowles said the Bucs could take advantage of his versatility going forward.
"Depending on who we play and what the matchups are, he could be anywhere from safety, nickel, or linebacker," said the coach. "The matchups will determine that – what we can or think we can or can't do with him will determine that. [I am] not sure at this point in time."
The Bucs aren't quite as green on offense, and most of their production against Jacksonville came from usual suspects like Evans, Chris Godwin and Rachaad White. However, Palmer, a sixth-round rookie who has gradually seized control of a larger and larger role as the third receiver, caught four passes for 42 yards, including a key 18-yard catch-and-run on third-and-seven on a game-opening field goal drive.
"Trey has been solid," said Bowles. "Trey has been very solid. I love the way he blocks, I love the way he works routes inside. [When] you've got Mike and Chris getting off pretty [well] like they did yesterday and last week, you're going to be kind of quiet. But, we know where he is, we can count him, he plays with confidence, he's a very good football player. We really like him."
The Buccaneers are one win away from clinching the NFC South thanks to a four-game winning streak. They've greatly improved their playoff chances thanks to some outsized performances from the likes of Evans, Winfield and Baker Mayfield. But a number of young players are filling in the cracks to produce full-team efforts. If the Bucs do make it to mid-January football, they'll be relying on those young players then, too.
