Chris Godwin Jr. hasn’t looked like the player Tampa Bay has leaned on for years, and the Buccaneers need that to change fast against Chicago.
In his first season without Mike Evans, Godwin has not broken free from the long shadow of the Bucs’ veteran star and taken over as the clear No. 1 option. He still leads Tampa Bay’s receivers and tight ends in catch rate at around 77 percent, but the rest of the production hasn’t followed.
He’s averaging just nine yards per catch and fewer than seven yards per target, with 243 receiving yards on the season and only 30 yards per game. That’s not enough for a player expected to carry more of the passing load.
The bigger issue is what Godwin hasn’t done for the rest of the offense. He hasn’t lifted the floor of the unit or created more room for Emeka Egbuka and the other playmakers around him.
At times, he has been a useful safety valve for his quarterbacks, but he’s not separating often enough, which helps explain why his target share has stayed so low. Tampa Bay could do more to scheme him open, but when he’s on the field, he’s been hard to notice, and once he has the ball, he’s been borderline useless after the catch.
That matters even more this week. The Buccaneers got through their last two games by pounding the rock, but the Chicago Bears present a different kind of challenge.
They’re not as soft as the Carolina Panthers, and their passing game won’t be shut down by weather the way Atlanta’s was in Week 8. With all due respect to Michael Penix and the Dirty Birds, the Falcons are not close to the Bears on offense, and Chicago might be the most explosive team in the league.
Baker Mayfield, in his third game back after the thumb injury in his throwing hand, is going to need help from everyone around him. Tampa Bay’s most experienced receiver and best all-around option has to play like a true No. 1.
At some point, the Bears are going to make the Buccaneers answer with a big play. Godwin is the elder statesman in that locker room, and this is the kind of night where he needs to leave his mark.
Tampa Bay can’t expect to lean only on the run this time. If the passing game is going to get moving against Chicago, Godwin has to get open, keep drives alive and generate some yards after the catch. This is a bigger game for him than most people realize, and he has to start showing out.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Secondary Looks Different Thanks To One Rookie Surprise
The Buccaneers secondary has gotten an unexpected lift from a rookie who has forced his way into the conversation early in his first NFL season. Keionte Scott has become a real part of Tampa Bays defensive rotation, piling up 39 tackles, a sack and five pressures while handling 63% of the defensive snaps, and his work has fit neatly into a unit that has helped push the Bucs into the leagues top three defenses.
For a team that has been trying to keep its back end steady, Scotts emergence matters because it gives Tampa Bay another young piece to build around alongside Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish. Todd Bowles has noticed the impact, and the bigger question now is how far Scott can keep climbing as the season goes on, especially with the Buccaneers looking for that secondary to stay one of the strengths of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Faces A Defining Test Against Chicago's Surging Offense
The Buccaneers are heading into a matchup that should tell plenty about where Todd Bowles defense stands right now. Tampa Bay has looked better on that side of the ball, but the next challenge comes against a Chicago offense that has been moving with real purpose and a quarterback in Caleb Williams who has found a strong rhythm of late.
For Bowles, the test is as much about adjustments as it is about execution. The Bears have been one of the leagues most productive units, and the coaching chess match with Ben Johnson adds another layer to a game that could force Tampa Bay to prove its defensive progress is real against a much sharper opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Suddenly Look Much Healthier For A Tough Bears Test
The Buccaneers head into their Week 9 matchup with the Bears in a far better spot physically than they did earlier in the week, with the final injury report pointing to a roster that is mostly intact for a tough road test. Emeka Egbuka is listed as questionable but was a full participant in practice, while the bigger concern on the defensive side is the absence of outside linebacker YaYa Diaby because of a knee injury.
Tristan Wirfs also returned to limited practice and is expected to be available, which matters for a Tampa Bay offense trying to keep its footing against a Chicago defense dealing with its own question marks. The Bears have a few players listed as questionable as well, including running back Kyle Monangai, defensive back Malik Muhammad and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, so both teams enter Sunday with some uncertainty even if the Bucs are trending healthier overall. [Read more 🡒]