Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 8 Stock Report

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit at 2-4 on the year, coming off a gut-wrenching loss in the final seconds against Washington in Week 7.

The Bucs squandered a 24-0 first-half lead, losing on the road 31-30 and washing away any positive momentum they'd built up heading into the bye week and coming off their first home win since 2013.

There are plenty of negatives to point out in Tampa Bay but also a few positives for fans to hold onto, most of which are on the offensive side of the ball.

Let's take a look at who has his arrow pointing up or down for the Bucs heading into Week 8.

Up: Offensive Line

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After an awful performance as a unit last season, Tampa Bay's offensive line was expected to struggle again in 2015, especially considering the Buccaneers were thrusting two rookies into the starting lineup from day one.

But after struggling over the first two games, the group has slowly been improving each week, despite having two late additions added to the starting lineup. Tampa Bay signed Joe Hawley and Gosder Cherilus to fill in for the injured Evan Smith and Demar Dotson, and the numbers prove things are getting better up front for the Bucs.

After giving up seven sacks over the first two games, the Bucs have allowed just five sacks over their past four matchups. Things are going even better on the ground, where Tampa Bay ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing, averaging 133.7 yards per game.

There's still plenty of room for this group to improve, but of all the weaknesses the team was expected to have this season, the offensive line has been a pleasant surprise so far.

Down: The Entire Defense

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It's hard to point the finger at any one defender after Sunday's historic collapse against Washington, so let's just go ahead and say Tampa Bay's entire defensive unit was an absolute embarrassment.

Despite being up 24-0 and holding all of the momentum following a sack-fumble, scoop-and-score touchdown for the defense, the Bucs still managed to find a way to lose to one of the other worst teams in the NFL. Going into "prevent" mode for the rest of the game, Tampa Bay allowed Kirk Cousins to look like Tom Brady, as he carved up the secondary with ease and without much of a pass rush to worry about.

From missed assignments to poor execution, Tampa Bay was awful on the defensive side of the ball last week, and it was the primary factor that led to the team's heartbreaking loss in the final seconds.

Up: WR Mike Evans

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After missing Week 1 and playing decoy in Week 2 due to a hamstring injury, Mike Evans has struggled to shake the rust off and live up to the high expectations set by his phenomenal rookie performance last year.

But he finally had his breakout game last week, hauling in eight passes for 164 yards and a touchdown and scoring from 40 yards out on Tampa Bay's third offensive snap of the game.

Evans struggled with drops over his first few games this year, but it looks like he's settling down and developing chemistry with rookie quarterback Jameis Winston. If they continue to develop that connection, big things are ahead for the Tampa Bay offense.

Down: Head Coach Lovie Smith

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After holding off the "fire Lovie" crowd with a much-needed Week 5 win at home over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Smith had a bye week and a favorable matchup against Washington to build more positive momentum moving forward.

Instead, Smith sent the Bucs cowering after blowing a 24-0 lead and falling to Washington 31-30 in the final seconds. His conservative approach and questionable clock management were painful to watch, as was his defense's ability to make Kirk Cousins look like a superhero.

The grumbles among the fanbase are even louder this week, and Smith will have to give them more than just words to keep the supporters patient.

Up: Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter

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While the defense continues to disappoint in Tampa Bay, the offense seems to be getting better every week, and that starts with new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.

After some ups and downs early in the season, the Bucs are starting to hum on offense, both through the air and on the ground. Jameis Winston threw for a career-high 297 yards last week and went a second straight game without a turnover. Doug Martin rushed for more than 100 yards for the third straight game, and Mike Evans had a breakout performance.

Koetter's play-calling has been a huge improvement for the Bucs over last year, and so long as Lovie Smith gives him the freedom to call the game his way, Tampa Bay's offense should only continue to get better as the season moves along.