Buccaneers @ Chargers
Final Score: Buccaneers 40 – Chargers 17
Writer: Brett Ford (@Fadethatman)
One of the only games on the day that featured a pair of teams in the thick of a playoff chase, the Los Angeles Chargers hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon. The first half was highly competitive, with both teams trading blows back and forth and the Chargers earning a 17-13 halftime lead. The Buccaneers took over in the second half, outscoring the hosts 27-0 en route to a 40-17 victory. Let’s dig in.
Three Up
- Mike Evans – The future first-ballot Hall of Famer looked as good as he has all season.
- Jalen McMillan – The rookie receiver continues to grow into a larger role in this offense
- Bucky Irving – Despite splitting carries and snaps with Rachaad White, Irving showcased the ability that has had fantasy managers excited all season.
Three Down
- Cade Otton – The tight end has been left out of the offensive production yet again
- Gus Edwards – Edwards looked good early but was phased out with a negative game script
- Chargers Defense – The second half might have been the worst they’ve looked since the Brandon Staley era.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield: 22/27, 288 Yards, 4 TD, INT | 2 Carries, 25 Yards
A slow start for Mayfield ended in a cavalcade of fantasy points as the veteran quarterback threw for three second half scores. His best throw of the day came late in the third quarter when he fired a 30-yard dart, connecting with Mike Evans in the end zone at the end of a deep post route just in front of the corner and safety. Don’t be surprised if you see it in this week’s “Best Throws” article. Baker’s one mistake came in the second quarter when he tried to force a ball through a tight window, but a defensive back undercut the route. Other than that, it was a beautiful day for a criminally underrated quarterback.
Running Back
Bucky Irving: 15 Carries, 117 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, -4 Yards
Rachaad White: 15 Carries, 64 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards
Irving gained nearly half of his yardage on a breakout, 54-yard run. Irving hit the hole and broke one arm tackle before heading up the near sideline, just running out of steam in the red zone before being taken down inside the 10-yard line. Irving was the clear early-down back for the Bucs, while White took the clear passing downs and excelled in the passing game. With the snaps split nearly evenly (37-32 in favor of Irving), it appears that as long as both backs are healthy, this will continue to be an RBBC situation.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Mike Evans: 11 Targets, 9 Receptions, 159 Yards, 2 TD
It was quite the performance for Evans, who pulled in a pair of long touchdowns as part of a nine-catch day. He ran a great route on Baker’s best throw of the game for a score, his second of the day. The first came after Baker extended the play outside of the pocket, directly traffic downfield until he found Evans just in front of a corner. Evans beat the corner and turned upfield with nothing but green in front of him, scampering 57 yards for the touchdown. It was a legacy performance to propel fantasy managers to a likely victory.
Sterling Shepard: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 16 yards
Shepard had been reliable in the weeks leading up to this, but he picked the first week of the fantasy playoffs to take a step backward. Bad timing from the veteran.
Jalen McMillan: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 75 Yards, TD
McMillan has continued to see an uptick in usage as he surpassed Shepard in snap share and routes run. On the field for 46 offensive snaps (just one fewer than Evans), McMillan took advantage of his field time, grabbing five catches for 75 yards and a score. His touchdown came on what appeared to be a busted coverage but was really a rub route where a legal pick at the line of scrimmage sprung the rookie for a long catch and score.
Cade Otton: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 24 Yards
Otton was on the field for 66 out of 72 offensive snaps but was targeted just three times as Baker preferred to throw to his wide receivers all day long. Since his strong stretch midseason when the Bucs were super-thin at WR, Otton has backed into the bushes like the old Homer Simpson GIF, averaging just 2.5 receptions over his last four games and no touchdowns since Week 9.
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback
Justin Herbert: 21/33, 195 Yards, 2 TDs, INT
Herbert was clearly hobbled by a bad ankle, a lingering injury from last week’s game against the Chiefs. Still, Herbert relied on his pure arm talent to make a handful of great passes and keep his team in the game, at least for the first half. He threw his first interception since September in the third quarter. From his own end zone, Herbert backpedaled, clearly affected by the pass rush and unable to get his feet under him. He lofted up a prayer toward Johnston, and instead, it was picked off as the Bucs flipped the field position. With a suspect offensive line in front of him and clearly not at 100%, Herbert may struggle to perform the rest of the season.
Taylor Heinicke: 1/1, 4 Yards
Running Back
Gus Edwards: 10 Carries, 23 Yards
Edwards ran hard in the first half but was quickly phased out of the gameplan as the Chargers had to switch to a passing philosophy in the second half.
Kimani Vidal: 3 Carries, 9 Yards | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 13 Yards
Vidal’s increased usage and involvement are encouraging for fantasy managers but probably not great for Chargers fans. Most of his usage came in the second half with the Chargers in clear passing situations. When the Chargers are winning, they’re more likely to give the ball to Edwards instead.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Ladd McConkey: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 58 Yards, TD
McConkey was effective in his return from a short injury, garnering four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown in the first half. After the break, McConkey was limited by the Bucs’ defensive adjustments as the pass rush got home more often, making it difficult for Herbert to find his favorite receiver. As long as Herbert is upright, McConkey is going to get his. The problem is that Herbert was rarely upright in the second half.
Stone Smartt: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 50 Yards
Smartt has stepped up in the absence of Will Dissly and has looked like a more athletic tight end with great hands and playmaking ability. Smartt made a couple of really nice catches, including a 31-yard grab over his shoulder. It might be too late for him to factor into this fantasy season, but he could make a nice DFS plug-and-play option the rest of the season and should definitely be considered as a late-round flyer next year.
Quentin Johnston: 10 Targets, 5 Receptions, 45 Yards, TD
Johnston led the Chargers with 10 targets but pulled in just half of them for five catches. He did find the end zone for the second consecutive week, his eighth of the season. His catch-and-run touchdown was reminiscent of his time at TCU, where he was consistently a YAC monster. If he can continue to make tacklers miss after the catch, he could be a dangerous fantasy commodity for those in the playoffs.
Joshua Palmer: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 10 Yards
DJ Chark: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Tucker Fisk: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 0 Yards