The Bucs are 2-0 for the fifth straight season under Todd Bowles, and they are still atop the NFC South as the lone undefeated team in the division.
The offense had a rough stretch, but Baker Mayfield and his skill players put it together during the final drive, and they scored in the closing seconds. For the second week in a row, Tampa Bay has had to rely on some magic from its franchise quarterback, and for the second straight week, he delivered.
The defense had some moments where they bent but never broke, the special teams had some flatlining moments, but all in all, a win is a win.
With all that in mind, here are our report card grades for the position groups coming out of Week 2.
Quarterback
Grade: B+
Baker Mayfield looked to be much more of his usual self in Week 2 compared to Week 1. He was able to target his reeivers downfield more often, used his legs to make critical third down conversions, and while his numbers may not have reflected it he took a big step forward. On top of all of that, he was able to lead the team on a game-winning drive and lead the Bucs to a 2-0 start for the fifth straight year in the process.
Running Backs
Grade: A+
This was a vintage performance from the Bucs running back duo in Bucky Irving and Rachaad White. Including Mayfield into the mix, the team ran for a whopping 169 yards on the ground and were able to control the clock and set themselves up to have the final score as the game came to a close. Rachaad White looked especially brilliant running with force and good vision as he was able to pick up chunk plays time and again.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
Grade: B
Emeka Egbuka scored once again for the Bucs, Mike Evans flashed his brilliance at various moments, and Sterling Shepard and Ryan Miller also contributed with meaningful snaps. Cade Otton had one big catch where he converted a first down through major contact across the middle. It was a good performance from the group, but had they been able to bring down a few other big-time catches, this would’ve been an easy A.
Offensive Line
Grade: B+
The offensive line was far from perfect, but given the hand they were dealt, they exceeded expectations. Having already been down Tristan Wirfs, the team eventually lost Luke Goedeke as well. The team had to have Charlie Heck come in, and while he and Graham Barton struggled at various times, they were able to keep Mayfield’s jersey clean for the most part, and they excelled in creating running lanes for the backfield.
Defensive Line
Grade: B
The team lost Calijah Kancey for possibly the year with a pectoral injury, but the unit still was able to thrive overall. Vita Vea made his presence felt with a critical goal-line stand, Logan Hall was after C.J. Stroud all game long, and even rookie Elijah Roberts was able to flash some promising moments.
Linebackers
Grade: C+
Lavonte David being Superman for this group alone deserves an A, but sadly, this is a group project, so the grade reflects that. SirVocea Dennis remains a major question in this unit as he showed time and again in Week 1, and then in Week 2, that he struggles to provide even average pass coverage. As a result, the Texans’ running back group was able to be productive in the pass game, and it made the game closer than it should have been.
Secondary
Grade: C+
The secondary was in position to make plays against Nico Collins time and again during Monday night’s matchup. However, C.J. Stroud was still able to make some plays against the secondary, and the likes of Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jamel Dean were rather quiet.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Report Card grades from the Buccaneers comeback win over the Texans
Reporting by Andrew Harbaugh, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
