Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 17 Stock Report

As they head into their final game of the 2015 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have only pride to play for, hoping to end the year on a high note and take some positive momentum into the offseason.

They'll also try to end a three-game losing streak, which won't be easy against the 14-1 Carolina Panthers, who already beat up the Bucs back in Week 4, 37-23.

All of Tampa Bay's losses over the last three weeks have come against teams with losing records, dropping them from a team with a .500 record and playoff hopes to potentially owning a top-10 draft pick yet again next year.

Despite last week's disappointing effort against the Chicago Bears, there were still a couple of bright spots. Let's take a look at who has their arrow pointing in the right direction—and who needs to turn things around—heading into Week 17.

Down: Secondary

Brian Blanco/Associated Press

Tampa Bay's defensive backs have played so poorly in recent weeks that it's impossible to single out one of them.

The Buccaneers have cycled through different lineups at corner all season long, trying to find the right combination, but the conclusion seems to be that they simply don't have enough talent at the position to be consistently competitive. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 70 percent of their passes against the Bucs this year, and that includes signal-callers such as Case Keenum, Ryan Mallett, Matt Cassel, Mark Sanchez and Matt Hasselbeck.

Tampa Bay needs to overhaul the defense this offseason, and most of it should happen in the defensive backfield. A lack of consistent pressure from the front four hasn't helped, but the secondary isn't holding up its end of the bargain this season.

Up: RB Charles Sims

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Potential NFL rushing champ Doug Martin had a disappointing outing last week—marred by two costly fumbles—but backup Charles Sims turned in one of his best performances of the season.

The former third-round pick out of West Virginia racked up 117 total yards on just seven touches, punctuated by a 50-yard touchdown reception. Sims averaged 16.7 yards every time he touched the ball against the Bears, giving Tampa Bay a much-needed spark.

Martin has gotten most of the press this year for leading Tampa Bay's fourth-ranked rushing attack, and rightfully so. But Sims has been the perfect change-of-pace back to Martin's more bruising running style and has proved to be a key feature in the Bucs' offensive game plan throughout his second NFL season.

Down: DE Jacquies Smith

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Tampa Bay's inability to create consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks has been well-documented, and that inconsistency is reflected in the performance of its best edge-rusher, Jacquies Smith.

Through the first two games of the season, Smith was on fire, bagging four sacks and forcing a pair of fumbles. But since then, he has managed just three more sacks, missing four games due to injury and being rendered largely ineffective in too many others.

Smith is still just 25 years old and a promising player who should be in Tampa Bay's plans for the foreseeable future. But injuries and inconsistent play have plagued him for most of this season, and he'll need to shake that off if he wants to reach his full potential in 2016 and beyond.

Up: TE Cameron Brate

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

He only had one catch last week against the Bears, but he made the most of his opportunity and continues to push Austin Seferian-Jenkins for the most snaps of any tight end on the team.

Brate hauled in a 46-yard bomb from Jameis Winston on Sunday, leaping over a turned-around Chicago defender to secure the big play. The long reception set the Bucs up with great field position, though they were unable to capitalize because of a turnover.

While Seferian-Jenkins was out with an injury for 10 weeks earlier in the season, Brate took advantage of his chance and played well in his absence. He's clearly developed chemistry with Winston that should keep him around next season and serve him well in the future.

Down: Head Coach Lovie Smith

Steve Nesius/Associated Press

All seemed well just three weeks ago for head coach Lovie Smith, when the Bucs were 6-6 and still in the thick of the NFC playoff race following a big home win that secured a sweep of the division-rival Atlanta Falcons.

But Tampa Bay has since dropped three games in a row—all to teams with losing records—and will have to beat the 14-1 Carolina Panthers on the road to avoid dropping its last four games of the season.

A four-game losing streak to end a season is a big reason why Tampa Bay fired Jon Gruden following the 2008 season. The Bucs controlled their own playoff destiny down the stretch that season but missed the postseason after dropping the last four games in a row.

Smith has had his ups and downs this season, but such a disappointing finish could end up being the worst blemish on his 2015 campaign. Tampa Bay made strides this year, but mostly on offense, while Smith's defense struggled and even seemed to regress in some areas.

If the Bucs lose Sunday, Smith will finish his first two seasons as Tampa Bay's head coach with an 8-24 record, three games worse than Greg Schiano's two-year record that got him canned just prior to Smith's tenure. He is likely to get at least one more season to turn things around, but finishing this season on a four-game skid with such a poor defensive performance can't have fans too hopeful heading into 2016.