Biggest Takeaways from Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 13 Win
The playoff push is still alive and well at One Buc Place, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wrestled a key 23-19 victory away from the NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
The win gets the Bucs back to .500 at 6-6, keeping just one game out of the final NFC wild-card spot with just four games left in the regular season.
Rookie quarterback Jameis Winston turned in another impressive outing, leading the Bucs on a game-winning drive in the final minutes. The defense did its part by forcing the Falcons to settle for field goals for most of the afternoon, then sealing the win with an interception on Atlanta's last-ditch effort.
As they head into the final quarter of the 2015 season, let's take a look at what we learned about the Bucs after Sunday's dramatic win.
It's Time to Start Believing in Jameis Winston
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Many Bucs fans were believers in Jameis Winston from the moment he donned his pewter-and-red cap on draft day. For others, it's taken a bit longer to climb aboard the Jameis Train.
Sunday's gutsy performance should convince the few skeptics left in Tampa Bay that Winston is the real deal. He is the franchise quarterback the club has lacked for arguably its entire 40-year existence. He willed the Bucs to yet another late comeback win, keeping them in the playoff hunt and laying another brick in the foundation of a new culture at One Buc Place.
Winston has now accounted for 22 touchdowns—17 passing and a team-high five rushing—and just 12 turnovers so far this season, showing veteran traits on a weekly basis and already proving himself to be the vocal leader of the team. Even if the Bucs don't manage to sneak into the playoffs, the future is bright for the Pewter Pirates, and No. 3 is the No. 1 reason.
Vincent Jackson Can Still Stretch the Field
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After a ridiculous rookie campaign from top-10 draft pick Mike Evans in 2014, some might have expected veteran Vincent Jackson to fade into the role of the reliable chain-mover and security-blanket possession receiver.
But while Jackson has indeed been a reliable intermediate target for Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay offense, his performance last week against the Atlanta Falcons proved he's still got plenty of spring in his step as a downfield playmaker.
Jackson averaged 29 yards per pop on his three receptions Sunday, showing slippery moves in the open field to shake defenders and the speed to get over the top of dropping linebackers. While Evans is still considered the team's deep threat, the 32-year-old Jackson looks like he's not willing to let that torch go without a fight.
Kwon Alexander's Absence Will Leave a Gaping Hole
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After dropping his appeal, Bucs rookie linebacker Kwon Alexander will begin serving his four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs this week, which will sideline him for the rest of the regular season, per Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
His performance last week was just the latest example of how vital he is to the Tampa Bay defense, as the fourth-round pick out of LSU racked up 10 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. His speed, athleticism and instincts won't be easily replaced by Bruce Carter or Danny Lansanah, and losing him at a time when the Bucs can't afford to lose any more games is especially painful.
Alexander ends his first NFL regular season with 93 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles, which should garner strong consideration for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
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Doug Martin Has a Legitimate Shot at the NFL Rushing Title
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After another solid day running the ball, Doug Martin proved he's still the engine that makes the Tampa Bay offense go.
But thanks to a lackluster performance from Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, Martin is now creeping up on the NFL rushing yardage lead, sitting just 49 yards behind Peterson. At the moment, it looks like a two-horse race between the two NFC runners, as the next-closest back—Carolina's Jonathan Stewart—is 219 yards behind Martin.
After two straight injury-riddled seasons, the Bucs decided this past offseason not to pick up Martin's fifth-year option for the 2016 season.
Now that he's proved himself to be an even better back than he was in his rookie season—nearly 2,000 total yards and a Pro Bowl berth in 2012—Martin has made the most of his contract-year audition, and he should get a sizable extension before he's able to hit free agency this offseason.
Bucs Getting Healthy on Offense at Just the Right Time
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While they overcame a pair of key injuries on defense last week, the Bucs got back a few key pieces on offense that have been missing for weeks, and the results were obvious.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins returned to his starting tight end spot after missing 10 games with a shoulder injury. The second-round pick in 2014 out of Washington wasted no time making an impact, catching three passes for 31 yards and giving Jameis Winston yet another dangerous weapon at his disposal.
The Bucs also got a huge shot in the arm up front, as both Ali Marpet and Demar Dotson returned to the starting lineup after lengthy absences.
Marpet had missed three games with an ankle injury, while Dotson had yet to make a regular-season appearance after suffering a knee injury in the preseason. Their return helped Tampa Bay allow just one sack all afternoon while racking up 166 yards on the ground.
As the Bucs make a playoff push through the final quarter of the season, the offense will be in much better shape with the return of these key players.
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