Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 13 Stock Report

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' playoff push took a hit last week with a 25-12 road loss to the Indianapolis Colts, but they are still right in the thick of the NFC playoff race.

Another loss by the Atlanta Falcons has kept the Bucs just one game out of a wild-card spot, and the Pewter Pirates will welcome their NFC South rivals to Raymond James Stadium this week for a key showdown that could set the tone for the rest of the season for both teams.

Last week's loss brought an end to Tampa Bay's short winning streak, as the team had won back-to-back games for the first time in 31 tries. But the Bucs still have an advantageous remaining schedule, as they face a Falcons team coming off four straight losses, followed by three teams with losing records before closing the year out against the undefeated Carolina Panthers.

As they head into the playoff push, let's take a look at who's trending up or down for the Bucs.

Up: WR Vincent Jackson

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Vincent Jackson is finally back and fully healthy, and it's obvious how much the Bucs missed his presence in the passing game.

After missing four games with a knee injury, Jackson made his return two weeks ago against the Philadelphia Eagles and wasted no time making an impact, catching one of Jameis Winston's five touchdown passes. Last week against the Indianapolis Colts, Jackson led the Bucs with 76 yards on four receptions.

Jackson only caught four passes on Sunday, but they were all big ones. Whether it was showing fantastic concentration with a toe-tap on the sideline or a great adjustment to a ball thrown hard and behind him, the veteran pass-catcher moved the chains in key situations and gave Winston a much-needed presence opposite Mike Evans.

Down: CB Jude Adjei-Barimah

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After a couple of strong performances since being inserted into the starting lineup, Jude Adjei-Barimah finally had a performance that made him look like a rookie undrafted free agent.

Along with veteran Sterling Moore, Adjei-Barimah's performance over the past few weeks had been a catalyst to Tampa Bay's defense elevating its level of play across the board. But he struggled in coverage last week against the Colts' T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief, showing his inexperience.

There were still flashes of brilliance, including an impressive tackle for loss in the red zone, and the future still looks very bright for the young corner. But Sunday's outing was a bit of a step back, and is something he'll be looking to bounce back from this week.

Up: TE Cameron Brate

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Bucs fans have been frustrated with the amount of time Austin Seferian-Jenkins has missed due to injury this season, but Cameron Brate has taken advantage of the opportunity to establish himself as a valuable receiving threat at the tight end position.

Brate caught his second touchdown pass in as many weeks on Sunday, his third of the season and Tampa Bay's only one of the game.

The Harvard grad wasn't even a lock to make the final roster coming out of training camp, but he's clearly developed a valuable chemistry with quarterback Winston. Even when Seferian-Jenkins returns, expect Brate to still get plenty of action.

Down: OT Donovan Smith

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Since starting from day one at left tackle, rookie second-rounder Donovan Smith has performed admirably for the Bucs this season. But Sunday's performance proved the Penn State product still has plenty of work to do.

The entire offensive line struggled to protect Winston last week, and Smith was no different on the blind side. Despite having just 14 sacks heading into the game, the Colts were able to rack up five against the Bucs.

It should be expected of a rookie to take his lumps when thrown into a starting role immediately, especially at a position like left tackle. Smith has stepped up to the challenge so far this season, but Sunday's outing was a reality check that proved just how far he still has to go when it comes to consistency.

Up: DE Howard Jones

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The Bucs are still struggling to get consistent pressure from their front four, but one of the brightest spots in that unit all year has been Howard Jones, and he flashed his potential again last week.

An undrafted rookie out of Shepherd University, Jones bagged one of Tampa Bay's three sacks on Sunday. He now has 4.5 sacks in seven appearances this season, ranking him third on the team.

Originally signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bucs stashed Jones on their practice squad just before the start of the regular season before promoting him to the active roster in October. He's an impressive athlete with the kind of explosiveness the Bucs desperately need off the edge. With Jacquies Smith fighting through an ankle injury, Jones could get even more opportunities to make his presence felt.