Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Detroit Lions
Final Score: Lions 24 – Buccaneers 9
Writer: Cesar Escajeda
In a clash of two heavyweight NFC contenders to start the Monday Night doubleheader, the score on paper was much closer than it should have been as Detroit clamped down on an injured Buccaneers’ offense while the Lions’ skill positions shined in primetime.
Two Up
- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB (DET) – On Gibbs’ first TD run of the night, he hit a max speed of 22.23 mph as he gashed up the middle for the monster 78-yard score. This was the cherry on top of a 218-yard performance from scrimmage with two TDs to boot. The talented young RB featured heavily against the Bucs, and once he got going he simply could not be stopped.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR (DET) – The Sun god looked almost impossible to cover throughout the game, racking up giant chunks of yardage on each catch against whoever Tampa Bay could throw at him. On the first score of the game, he breezed passed rookie CB Jacob Parrish who tripped on the coverage, jogging in for the 27-yard strike. St. Brown dominated targets for Detroit with 10 total, leading all Lions’ pass-catchers with 86 yards through the air. I’m sure fantasy managers would have wanted more from the former USC wideout given the passing volume, but it was still a dominating display of talent on a night where his teammate Gibbs stole the show.
Three Down
- David Montgomery, RB (DET) – Montgomery was an absolute afterthought in this offense, even if his carry total says otherwise. He averaged a paltry 1.6 yards per carry on 13 touches, being thoroughly up-shown by the performance his fellow RB put forth. Nothing he did really flashed, and while his punishing run style was still present, he simply could not get away from Tampa Bay’s front seven with the ease that Gibbs had all game. It was a solidly forgettable night for Monty, and one that likely cements his place as the surefire RB1b on the depth chart in Detroit.
- Jameson Williams, WR (DET) – Williams outside of two games this season has been a ghost. Entering the season it was predicted that he’d finally hit his stride in a high powered offense – but it’s been anything but through seven weeks. Here he put up a big fat goose egg in the stat sheet, failing to connect with Jared Goff on the only two targets he received. It was disappointing to say the least, but even more so considering just how down in the pecking order he found himself on the day.
- Baker Mayfield, QB (TB) – Considering the hype surrounding Mayfield and the performances he’s put on so far this season, it was disappointing to see him struggle on the road in Detroit. With how banged up the Lions’ secondary is, it looks even worse on paper. One interception, an almost lost fumble, and multiple batted balls spelled doom right from the start for Tampa Bay. The lack of Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving was certainly felt on the road, and it was compounded by the loss of Mike Evans early in the game – leaving Mayfield with a random assortment of pass catchers to work with. Great QBs make-do with the circumstances around them, and Mayfield simply failed to take over the game and keep it competitive. At this point you just expect more.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield: 28/50, 228 Yards, TD, INT, FUM
Nothing came easy for Mayfield and company on Monday night.
With news that both Evans and rookie Emeka Egbuka would be on hand against Detroit, many fired up the veteran QB with hopes he’d light up the injured Lions’ secondary in a high-scoring affair. Reality instead proved to be far from that as Mayfield simply could not get into rhythm on his throws, and his receivers did him no favors downfield. The turnovers were killer, and the four sacks Detroit put up on him kept him harassed throughout the night. Add in the multiple batted-down balls (seemingly due to his arm release angle) and it was a game to forget for Bucs’ offense as a whole.
Teddy Bridgewater: 1 Carry, -1 Yards
Running Back
Rachaad White: 10 Carries, 38 Yards | 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 6 Yards
Filling in for Irving has not been the most efficient endeavor, and it was on full display against the Lions’ front seven. Every touch was a hard fought carry, and while White received the bulk of touches in the RB room, he was terribly pedestrian with his stats. The nature of being down multiple scores on the road early also probably didn’t help pad his numbers, though he was decently involved in the passing game.
Sean Tucker: 1 Carry, 4 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Mike Evans: 4 Targets
Making his return from a hamstring injury, many expected Evans to simply pick back up from where he left off and dominate. Instead, he failed to reel in any of the four targets he received – with the last one causing him to break his collarbone on a diving attempt at a long ball. It’s terrible news for fantasy owners and Bucs fans alike, as he is now expected to miss the majority of the season. UPDATE: Evans reportedly has a broken collarbone and will likely miss nearly all of the remaining regular season.
Cade Otton: 9 Targets, 7 Receptions, 65 Yards
Someone had to step up.
With three of the top four options at the the skill position down for Tampa Bay, it was their veteran TE who came up big for the road team. Tied for second in targets and leading the Bucs in yardage through the air, he was a consistent safety net when the coverage downfield took away Mayfield’s preferred options.
Tez Johnson: 9 Targets, 4 Receptions, 58 Yards, TD
Johnson’s 22-yard TD was a very impressive screen play that he made look like a Madden highlight clip – hurdling a defender, sprinting down the field and spinning around before lunging at the goal line to score. His usage was very encouraging and should warrant a waiver consideration if he’s still available in your leagues.
Emeka Egbuka: 12 Targets, 4 Receptions, 58 Yards
The rookie phenom was heavily involved on his return from injury, but not nearly as consistent with the targets given. There seemed to be a slight disconnect between him and Mayfield throughout the evening, and once Evans left the game it was clear the Lions shifted their focus to prevent Egbuka from taking over.
Sterling Shepard: 7 Targets, 7 Receptions, 25 Yards, FUM (Lost)
The peanut-punch strikes again.
Ryan Miller: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
Kameron Johnson: 1 Target
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: 20/29, 241 Yards, TD, INT, FUM (Lost) | 2 Carries, 7 Yards
Not great, but not necessarily needed to be.
Goff started the game extremely fast with quick chunk strikes to Amon-Ra and Gibbs for the early lead. For most of the first half the game looked like it was primed to be an outright blowout, as the Lions offense moved with absolute ease. Then it got sloppy. Goff fumbled on a strip sack the very next drive, then later threw an interception to give Tampa Bay the ball back right after being picked off themselves. The rest of the night was spent in managerial mode, as Gibbs and the defense took over to seal the win. It wasn’t pretty (especially for fantasy), but it got the job done.
Running Back
Jahmyr Gibbs: 17 Carries, 136 Yards, 2 TDs | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 82 Yards
Positively electrifying.
Gibbs proved to be everything Detroit needed to win this game. Behind some stellar blocking, the young RB carved his way through a stout Buccaneers’ defense for his two scores, the first an absolute scorcher up the gut. On top of that, he was just as lethal catching the ball as he was rushing on the ground – finishing second on the Lions in receiving yards on the night. The heavy early involvement was certainly a plus, and even though Monty looms large to steal touches, it was abundantly clear who the more talented player is in that RB room.
David Montgomery: 13 Carries, 21 Yards | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 18 Yards
Nearly the same volume, with a drastically lower output. Montgomery just could not get going on the ground, and at times it felt like Tampa Bay’s front seven would stiffen up further the moment he’d enter the huddle. It’s encouraging that even despite a down game he’s still getting opportunities – but it was a rough one overall for fantasy owners that started him.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Amon-Ra St. Brown: 10 Targets, 6 Receptions, 86 Yards, TD
Nothing but pure talent on display.
St. Brown hit the ground running to start the game, with play after play going his direction before he sprang the big TD in the first quarter. The usage fizzled a bit once the Bucs’ defense seemingly made adjustments, but he was very clearly Goff’s favorite target in the passing game. It was once again yet another top-tier game for a top-tier wideout.
Brock Wright: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 23 Yards
Wright was surprisingly a frequently involved early target for Goff in the first half, being utilized substantially more than Sam LaPorta to open up the game. He dominated the first half in terms of TE targets, then it completely flipped in favor of LaPorta late. It was oddly inconsistent, though potentially more of an outlier than anything else going forward.
Kalif Raymond: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 17 Yards
Sam LaPorta: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 15 Yards
LaPorta finished with the same amount of targets Wright did in the end, but as I mentioned he wasn’t involved at all until the first drive of the third quarter. It was an oddball game when compared to his previous two weeks’ statistics.
Jameson Williams: 2 Targets
A true Boom-or-Bust player – Williams chose the way of the bust. Even more frustrating for fantasy owners, the Lions made no sort of effort to get him involved nor schemed him downfield. His only catch of the game was brought back by a penalty, and it was nothing if not a quiet night the rest of the way.
Isaac TeSlaa: 1 Target
Only one end zone target for TeSlaa, which is seemingly becoming his thing. Come on in for a red zone snap, try and catch a go or fade – and that’s it. A far cry from the random preseason hype through seven weeks.