Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 14 Stock Report
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into Week 14 at 6-6, with a pirate-ship load of hope that they'll be able to sneak into the playoffs.
Their first hurdle? Another home tilt against an NFC South rival, as the New Orleans Saints will come to Raymond James Stadium on Sunday to try to spoil Tampa Bay's postseason dreams.
The Saints nearly dethroned the undefeated Carolina Panthers last week, as Drew Brees locked horns with Cam Newton in a shootout that just narrowly missed sending home the crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome happy.
Tampa Bay is coming off a dramatic comeback win at home over the Atlanta Falcons, with both sides of the ball starting to put things together at just the right time. The Bucs are ready to make a playoff push, and they've got as much positive momentum as they've had all season, already tripling their win total from last season.
Let's take stock of which Bucs are moving up and which are moving down after last week's big win.
Up: DE William Gholston
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With both Gerald McCoy and Jacquies Smith out with injuries, Tampa Bay's pass rush was expected to suffer greatly against the Falcons last week. Instead, their replacements stepped up in a big way, led by William Gholston, who bagged two of Tampa Bay's three sacks on the day.
A fourth-round pick out of Michigan State in 2013, Gholston has littered seven career sacks over 39 career games and 20 starts. He's a versatile player who can play both inside and outside in Tampa Bay's 4-3 scheme, and his performance Sunday proved he can be just as effective as a pass-rusher as he is against the run.
If the Bucs are without Smith and McCoy for any extended period of time, Gholston's emergence will be even more vital to the defense's success over the final four games of the regular season.
Down: LB Kwon Alexander
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The only thing making Kwon Alexander's arrow point down is his four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, which he'll begin serving this week. The suspension will end Alexander's rookie season, unless the Bucs are able to sneak into the playoffs.
A fourth-round pick out of LSU, the Bucs traded up to grab Alexander and are surely glad they did after the performance he's put together in his first NFL season. Alexander ends the regular season with 93 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions in 12 starts.
It's rare for a rookie to be able to step in and become such a catalyst to success for an entire unit, but that's what Alexander has done for the Bucs defense this season. Again, his arrow is only pointing down because his mistake will cost the Bucs one of their best defenders at the most important time of the year.
Up: TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins
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After catching a pair of touchdowns in Week 1, Austin Seferian-Jenkins injured his shoulder the following week and had been inactive until last week.
The second-year pro made his presence felt immediately, catching three passes for 31 yards and giving Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay offense yet another weapon. He showed a little rust when he dropped a would-be touchdown on a key third down late in the game, but overall, it was a solid performance for a player who had missed 10 weeks of action.
A second-round pick out of Washington last year, Seferian-Jenkins has a rare blend of size and athleticism the Bucs should put to good use over the final four weeks of the regular season. With opposing defenses already having a top rushing attack and pass-catchers like Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson to worry about, ASJ should have plenty of room to work.
Down: OT Gosder Cherilus
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After filling in for an injured Demar Dotson at right tackle since Week 1, Gosder Cherilus found the tables turned last week, as he was on the inactive list and replaced by Dotson.
Dotson suffered a knee injury in the preseason, and he was widely regarded as Tampa Bay's best offensive lineman at the time. Cherlius has struggled with penalties throughout the season, and with Dotson now fully healthy and returning to the starting lineup, his veteran replacement might not see the field much over the last four weeks of the year.
Cherilus gave the Bucs a much-needed veteran presence on a unit with two rookie starters, but it looks like his run as the starting right tackle in Tampa Bay has likely come to an end.
Up: HC Lovie Smith
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After a monumental collapse in Week 7 against Washington, the Tampa Bay faithful were calling for the head of head coach Lovie Smith in droves.
What a difference a few weeks makes in the NFL.
Since that crushing defeat, Smith's Bucs have won four of their last six games, now sitting at .500 and just one game out of an NFC wild-card spot. His defense is making big plays, his rookie quarterback is playing like a seasoned veteran and fans across Tampa Bay are believing in the Bucs for the first time in a long time.
Just six weeks after the town was littered with "Fire Lovie" requests, it looks like Smith's request for patience is starting to pay off.
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