The Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed a get-right game after getting massacred by the Saints last week, and the Carolina Panthers proved to be the perfect victims.
The Bucs doubled up Carolina 46-23 on Sunday in what became their fourth game with 38-plus points this season. This came on a short week following last Sunday night's 38-3 embarrassment and less than a day after hanging on the tarmac for five hours catching a ride to Charlotte.
All phases worked in concert for Tampa Bay (7-3) as it re-established itself in Week 10. Tom Brady threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns, Ronald Jones set a 2020 record with his 98-yard touchdown rush and the defense held Teddy Bridgewater to just 136 passing yards and less than 6 yards per attempt.
It'd be another crowning game for the Bucs if they haven't proven themselves to be untrustworthy so often this season. That they lost the first game of the season in the Superdome is no worry, but Week 5's loss on Thursday Night Football to the Bears was concerning. But then they followed it up with a 28-point dismantling of the Packers and all was forgotten.
…Until they struggled on Monday Night Football against the Giants in Week 8 before getting trounced last week in what was effectively a shutout.
It was a wild Week 10 Sunday, and there's a lot to go over. John Breech, Ryan Wilson and host Will Brinson break it all down on the Pick Six Podcast; listen below and be sure to subscribe for daily NFL goodness.
It will take a lot more than a 46-point performance against a team that should pick in the top-10 of April's draft to forget about the most surprising result of the 2020 season so far, but the Bucs are on the right path.
Rob Gronkowski looked like the Gronk of old, catching two passes for 51 yards including a 44-yarder where it took a good fraction of Carolina's defense to bring him down. Cam Brate got involved early, as well, with three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown to make folks remember he's still very much a threat.
And Antonio Brown was all smiles on the sideline late in the game after getting 69 yards on seven catches and eight targets. And the offense as a whole ran roughshod over the Panthers' putrid third-down defense by collecting 10 of their 16 third-down attempts.
Just as importantly, the defense got its groove back. For the eighth time this season—but first since Week 8—the Bucs held an opponent to less than 100 rushing yards. Jason Pierre-Paul dropped into coverage 10 yards and picked off a confused Teddy Bridgewater in the second half while the whole defense allowed just two third or fourth down conversions out of 12 attempts.
As expected, the Bucs are solidly in wild-card position 10 weeks into the year. More tests come in the following weeks with contests against the Rams and a Week 12 tilt with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
By that point, we should have a good idea of what the Bucs really are. For now, they're a solid playoff contender who just righted the ship against an overmatched opponent.
Pay a running back?
I'm not sure how the New York Giants justify paying Saquon Barkley a big second deal next offseason, if they're considering it now.
At the risk of Barkley catching a stray in this column as he recovers from ACL surgery, the Giants are getting plenty of ground production from Wayne Gallman, Alfred Morris, Devonta Freeman (when not on IR) and, of course, Daniel Jones. The Giants have eclipsed 100 rushing yards in each of their past five games in figuring out life without Barkley.
Before his ACL surgery, Barkley was in line for a $15 million per year deal in 2021 going into his fourth season. But he was banged up most of last year and tore his knee in Week 2 this year. Throw in a reduced salary cap next season and it's hard to see how the Giants will even want to pay him.
There are some running backs you pay in this league. Alvin Kamara, Dalvin Cook and Derrick Henry top the list for me. But the Giants are showing they don't need to tie up 8-10% of their cap with a running back.
Other notes
- The Jags almost gift-wrapped the No. 1 pick to the Jets with an upset win over the Packers. I still think New York gets the top pick in the draft -- and I'm not sure they'll wind up with Trevor Lawrence based on his personal preferences -- but the Jags are the only team left that can give them trouble.
- It wound up becoming moot once the Giants kicked the field goal to go up 10, but I have no idea why Doug Pederson tried a 2-point conversion down 4 points with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. At that point in the game, there is no material difference between being down 3 or 4, and by missing the 2-point you hurt your chances of tying. A tie game against a division rival in this miserable NFC East would be valuable, and I'm not sure win probability takes that into account.
- Matt Prater saved Matt Patricia's bacon by making that 59-yarder to win the game against Washington. The Lions entered the game having lost three games that they had previously led by double digits, and they saw their 21-point third-quarter lead evaporate Sunday. I don't see a path to Patricia saving his job short of a playoff appearance, but he definitely couldn't withstand blowing that game.
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November 16, 2020 at 05:35AM
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Bucs win get-right game, why Giants should pass on new contract for Barkley, more insider notes from Week 10 - CBS Sports
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