Tight end Cameron Brate left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' game on Saturday with a back injury, but not before he caught his eighth touchdown pass of the season. If Brate is able to play in the Buccaneers' season finale on Sunday, he'll have a shot at a franchise record and a notable NFL accomplishment.
In fact, Brate already tied the team's single-season standard for touchdown receptions by a tight end, matching the total Ring of Honor member Jimmie Giles put up in 2016. Brate and Giles are the only tight ends in franchise history to have more than five touchdowns in a season.
Most Touchdown Receptions, Single-Season, Tight Ends, Buccaneers
Player
Season
TDs
1t. Cameron Brate
2016
8
1t. Jimmie Giles
1985
8
- Jimmie Giles
1979
7
- Jimmie Giles
1981
6
5t. Calvin Magee
1986
5
5t. Dave Moore
1999
5
5t. Kellen Winslow
2009
5
5t. Kellen Winslow
2010
5
Brate also took over the NFL lead in scoring among tight ends with his eighth touchdown on Saturday. If he can hang onto that edge for one more week it will mark just the second time a Buccaneer player has led all NFL tight ends in TD catches; Giles also did it in his eight-touchdown campaign in 1985.
Most Touchdown Receptions, Tight Ends, NFL, 2016
Player
Team
TDs
- Cameron Brate
Buccaneers
8
2t. Hunter Henry
Chargers
7
2t. Delanie Walker
Titans
7
4t. Martellus Bennett
Patriots
6
4t. Antonio Gates
Chargers
6
4t. Jimmy Graham
Seahawks
6
4t. Kyle Rudolph
Vikings
6
According to Statspass, Brate is just the fourth undrafted tight end in league history to have at least eight touchdown catches in a season. Future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates has met or exceeded that total eight times.
Most Touchdown Receptions, Single Season, Undrafted Tight Ends, NFL
Player
Team
Season
TDs
- Antonio Gates
Chargers
2004
13
- Antonio Gates
Chargers
2014
12
- Paul Coffman
Packers
1983
11
4t. Antonio Gates
Chargers
2005
10
4t. Antonio Gates
Chargers
2010
10
6t. Paul Coffman
Packers
1984
9
6t. Antonio Gates
Chargers
2006
9
6t. Antonio Gates
Chargers
2007
9
9t. Cameron Brate
Buccaneers
2016
8
9t. Antonio Gates
Chargers
2009
8
9t. Antonio Gates
Chargers
2008
8
9t. Marcus Pollard
Colts
2001
8
Brate does not lead the Buccaneers in touchdown catches in 2016, however. That mark belongs to wide receiver Mike Evans, who caught his 11th scoring pass on Saturday, four days after learning that he had been selected to his first Pro Bowl. Evans, who set the team single-season record with 12 touchdown catches as a rookie in 2014, is the only player in franchise history with two seasons of 11 or more scoring grabs.
Most Touchdown Receptions, Single Season, Buccaneers
Player
Season
TDs
- Mike Evans
2014
12
2t. Mike Evans
2016
11
2t. Mike Williams
2010
11
- Joey Galloway
2005
10
four tied with…
9
Evans had three touchdowns in 2015, giving him 26 in his brief career. That's already tied for the 10th highest TD reception total a player has ever recorded in his first three NFL seasons.
Most Touchdown Receptions, First Three Seasons, NFL History
Player
Team(s)
Seasons
TDs
- Randy Moss
MIN
1998-2000
43
- Jerry Rice
SF
1985-87
40
- Rob Gronkowski
NE
2010-12
38
- John Jefferson
SD
1978-80
36
- Odell Beckham, Jr.
NYG
2014-16
35
- Daryl Turner
SEA
1984-86
30
- A.J. Green
CIN
2011-13
29
- Sammy White
MIN
1976-78
28
- Dez Bryant
DAL
2010-12
27
10t. Mike Evans
TB
2014-16
26
10t. Isaac Curtis
CIN
1973-75
26
10t. Joey Galloway
SEA
1995-97
26
10t. Terrell Owens
SF
1996-98
26
10t. Andre Rison
IND/ATL
1989-91
26
Evans and Brate are just the second pair of Buccaneer teammates to each catch eight or more touchdown passes in the same season. Their 19 combined TD grabs are the most ever by a pair of Tampa Bay teammates.
Most Combined Touchdown Receptions, Buccaneer Teammates, Single Season
Season
Player
TDs
Player
TDs
Total
2016
Mike Evans
11
Cameron Brate
8
19
2012
Mike Williams
9
Vincent Jackson
8
17
2010
Mike Williams
11
Kellen Winslow
5
16
1981
Kevin House
9
Jimmie Giles
6
15
1988
Bruce Hill
9
Mark Carrier
5
14
1989
Mark Carrier
9
Bruce Hill
5
14
Evans led the Bucs with seven catches for 97 yards in Saturday's game at New Orleans to push his season stat line to 91-1,256-11. He joins Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown and the Giants' Odell Beckham as the only players to rank in the top five in the NFL in all three categories.
Most Receptions, NFL
Player
Team
Rec.
- Antonio Brown
Steelers
106
- Larry Fitzgerald
Cardinals
102
- Odell Beckham, Jr.
Giants
96
- Doug Baldwin
Seahawks
92
5t. Mike Evans
Buccaneers
91
5t. Jordy Nelson
Packers
91
Most Receiving Yards, NFL
Player
Team
Rec.
- T.Y. Hilton
Colts
1,353
- Odell Beckham, Jr.
Giants
1,323
- Julio Jones
Falcons
1,313
- Antonio Brown
Steelers
1,284
- Mike Evans
Buccaneers
1,256
Most Receiving Touchdowns, NFL
Player
Team
Rec.
- Jordy Nelson
Packers
14
- Antonio Brown
Steelers
12
- Mike Evans
Buccaneers
11
4t. Davante Adams
Packers
10
4t. Odell Beckham, Jr.
Giants
10
With his seven catches on Saturday, Evans moved into second place on the Buccaneers' single-season receptions list. He's unlikely to catch the team record in that category but has an outside shot at the receiving yardage standard, set by Mark Carrier in 1989. He would need 167 yards to grab that record, a number he has reached only once in a game in his three-year career, but he has hit 150 or better four different times.
Most Receiving Yards, Single Season, Buccaneers History
Player
Season
Rec.
- Mark Carrier
1989
1,422
- Vincent Jackson
2012
1,384
- Joey Galloway
2005
1,287
- Keyshawn Johnson
2001
1,266
- Mike Evans
2016
1,256
Most Receptions, Single Season, Buccaneers History
Player
Season
Rec.
- Keyshawn Johnson
2001
106
- Mike Evans
2016
91
- Mark Carrier
1989
86
- James Wilder
1984
85
- Keenan McCardell
2003
84
Evans is already the fifth player in NFL history to open his career with three straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, as both he and Beckham this year joined a list that had included only A.J. Green, John Jefferson and Randy Moss. With one game left to play in 2016, he has the seventh-highest yardage total ever for a receiver in his first three seasons, with a realistic chance at bumping Hall of Famer Jerry Rice from the top five.
Most Receiving Yards, Player's First Three Seasons, NFL History
Player
Team(s)
Seasons
Yards
- Randy Moss
MIN
1998-2000
4,163
- Odell Beckham, Jr.
NYG
2014-16
4,078
- A.J. Green
CIN
2011-13
3,833
- Torry Holt
STL
1999-2001
3,786
- Jerry Rice
SF
1985-87
3,575
- DeAndre Hopkins
HOU
2013-15
3,533
- Mike Evans
TB
2014-16
3,513
- John Jefferson
SD
1978-80
3,431
- Anquan Boldin
AZ
2003-05
3,402
- Isaac Bruce
LA/STL
1994-96
3,391
Obviously, with Brate and Evans hauling in so many touchdown passes, quarterback Jameis Winston has to be faring well in the same category. In fact, his two scoring tosses on Saturday pushed his 2016 total to 27 to tie the franchise's single-season record. Winston will have a chance to break that mark in Sunday's season finale against Carolina, and he has thrown at least one TD pass in 13 of 15 games this season and 26 of 31 in his young career.
Most Touchdown Passes, Single Season, Buccaneers
Player
Season
TDs
1t. Jameis Winston
2016
27
1t. Josh Freeman
2012
27
- Brad Johnson
2003
26
- Josh Freeman
2010
25
5t. Brad Johnson
2003
22
5t. Jameis Winston
2015
22
Winston's rookie season is also in that list above, giving him 49 total touchdown passes through his first two NFL seasons, with one game to play. That's the fifth-highest total in NFL history.
Most Touchdown Passes, Player's First Two Seasons, NFL History
Player
Team
Seasons
TDs
- Dan Marino
MIA
1983-84
68
- Derek Carr
OAK
2014-15
53
3t. Peyton Manning
IND
1998-99
52
3t. Russell Wilson
SEA
2012-13
52
- Jameis Winston
TB
2015-16
49
Most of the year we've discussed Winston's passing yardage total in terms of the "pace" he was on, per game, and how that would translate to an end-of-season total. Now, with one more game to play, it's simply a matter of what he does on Sunday, and he'll head into the game with a chance to break the Buccaneers' single-season record in that category, too. Winston has 3,888 passing yards, so he needs 155 yards to top his own mark from last season and 178 to set a new franchise standard. Winston had 277 passing yards on Saturday in New Orleans and he's averaged 259.2 per game this year. The Bucs' Week 17 opponent, Carolina, has allowed a league-high 290.6 gross passing yards per game this season.
Most Passing Yards, Single Season, Buccaneers
Player
Season
Yards
- Josh Freeman
2012
4,065
- Jameis Winston
2015
4,042
- Jameis Winston
2016
3,888
- Brad Johnson
2003
3,811
- Josh Freeman
2011
3,592
Winston is on the verge of becoming the first quarterback in league history to open his season with two consecutive 4,000-yard seasons. He needs 70 yards on Sunday to accomplish that feat, and if he gets to 267 he will break the league record for most yards in a player's first two seasons.
Most Passing Yards, Player's First Two Seasons, NFL
Player
Team
Seasons
Yards
- Andrew Luck
IND
2012-13
8,196
- Jameis Winston
TB
2015-16
7,930
- Cam Newton
CAR
2011-12
7,920
- Peyton Manning
IND
1998-99
7,874
- Blake Bortles
JAX
2014-15
7,336
**
Additional Stat Shots
- Linebacker Kwon Alexander led the Buccaneers with 10 tackles on Saturday, a week after setting a 2016 NFL single-game high with 21 stops in Dallas. Alexander has tallied 135 tackles this season, as compiled by Statspass using press box totals, which ranks fourth in the NFL. His 102 solo tackles lead the league.
Alexander is the only player in the NFL so far to crack triple digits in solo tackles, but that's not a particularly rare accomplishment for Buccaneer linebackers. Statspass has tackle totals compiled through the 1994 season and Alexander is the sixth Buccaneer to reach 100 solo stops in a year in that span. The others were Hardy Nickerson (once), Derrick Brooks (five times), Shelton Quarles (once), Barrett Ruud (twice) and Lavonte David (three times).
However, Alexander could become the first Buccaneer in a dozen years to lead the NFL in solo tackles in a season since that data became available in 1994.
Buccaneers Who Led the NFL in Solo Tackles in a Season, 1994-2016
Player
Season
ST
Derrick Brooks
1998
123
Derrick Brooks
2000
123
Derrick Brooks
2004
109
Kwon Alexander *
2016
102
( Through 15 games.)
- PunterBryan Anger has already broken one Buccaneer punting record in his first year with the team and merely needs to maintain his gross and net punting averages for one more game to break two more.
Anger dropped all three of his punts inside the 20 on Saturday in New Orleans, giving him 32 inside-the-20 boots this season, fifth most in the NFL and the most in a season in franchise history. He ranks fourth in the NFL with a 42.4-yard net average and his gross average is currently the best in Buc annals.
*Most Punts Downed Inside the 20, Season, Buccaneers History
Punter
Season
ST
- Bryan Anger
2016
32
2t. Josh Bidwell
2007
30
2t. Tom Tupa
2002
30
- Josh Bidwell
2008
27
5t. Mark Royals
2001
26
5t. Tom Tupa
2003
26
Best Net Punting Average, Season, Buccaneers History
Punter
Season
Net Avg.
- Bryan Anger *
2016
42.4
- Michael Koenen
2011
40.3
- Michael Koenen
2013
38.3
- Tommy Barnhardt
1996
37.8
- Josh Bidwell
2008
37.6
( Through 15 games.)
Anger is not likely to lose more than two yards on his net average in one game, particularly since he's put up a net of 40 or better in all but three games so far this season. His hold on the gross punting average is a little more tenuous.
Best Gross Punting Average, Season, Buccaneers History
*
Punter
Season
Net Avg.
- Bryan Anger
2016
45.9
- Josh Bidwell
2005
45.6
- Michael Koenen
2012
45.3
- Michael Koenen
2011
45.1
- Josh Bidwell
2008
44.5
- The Buccaneers converted seven of 12 third-down situations on offense in Saturday's game at New Orleans to raise their season average in that category to 44.6%. That's the sixth-highest success rate in the NFL this season and it's on pace to set a new single-season record for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have never even cracked 43% in a season before.
Best Third-Down Efficiency, Buccaneers, Single Season
Season
Made
Att.
Pct.
2016 *
90
202
44.6%
1984
94
219
42.9%
2010
89
211
42.2%
2015
84
202
41.6%
1989
95
230
41.3%
At the same time, the Buccaneers' defense has allowed the second-lowest third-down conversion rate in the NFL, at 35.0%. Tampa Bay and New England (fourth on both offense and defense) are the only teams in the NFL that rank in the top six in third-down efficiency on both offense and defense. The Buccaneers have the best differential in the NFL between their own third-down success rate and what they've allowed their opponents, and are one of only five teams that are even five percentage points better in that category.
Best Offensive-Defensive Third-Down Percentage Differential, NFL
Team
OFF
DEF
DIFF
Tampa Bay
44.6
35.0
9.6
New England
45.1
35.6
9.5
Tennessee
45.0
37.9
7.1
New Orleans
49.0
42.6
6.4
Green Bay
46.2
41.2
5.0