The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were shut out for the first time in nine years on Sunday night by the New Orleans Saints, 9-0, and games with no points generally also have few statistics to get excited about, unless you're the opposing defense. To put it another way, there is not much Data to Crunch this week.
Still, Chris Godwin, Leonard Fournette and a couple other Buccaneers did hit notable milestones or moved up lists of some importance. Godwin only played one quarter and 90 seconds of the second period before leaving with what has proved to be a season-ending knee injury, but he used that time to catch six passes and in the process moved into second place in team history in single-season receptions.
Most Receptions, Single Season, Buccaneers History
| Player | Season | Recs. |
|---|---|---|
| Keyshawn Johnson | 2001 | 106 |
| Chris Godwin | 2021 | 98 |
| Mike Evans | 2016 | 96 |
| Mark Carrier | 1989 | 86 |
| Mike Evans | 2018 | 86 |
| Chris Godwin | 2019 | 86 |
As it turns out, that's a final 2021 total for Godwin, who will not get a chance to top 100 catches or catch Johnson at the top of the list due to an ACL tear. Godwin also won't improve his totals relative to the league's other top receivers but he had moved into the top five in the NFL in both receptions and receiving yards, with four Week 15 games still to be played on Monday and Tuesday nights.
2021 NFL Leaders in Receptions
| Player | Team | Receptions |
|---|---|---|
| Cooper Kupp* | Rams | 113 |
| Tyreek Hill | Chiefs | 102 |
| Chris Godwin | Buccaneers | 98 |
| Davante Adams | Packers | 96 |
| Keenan Allen | Chargers | 92 |
2021 NFL Leaders in Receiving Yards
| Player | Team | Receiving Yards |
|---|---|---|
| Cooper Kupp* | Rams | 1,489 |
| Justin Jefferson* | Vikings | 1,288 |
| Davante Adams | Packers | 1,248 |
| Tyreek Hill | Chiefs | 1,178 |
| Chris Godwin | Buccaneers | 1,103 |
(* Kupp and the Rams play on Tuesday night; Jefferson and the Vikings play on Monday night.)
Fournette also left the game in the third quarter due to a hamstring injury, but before doing so he caught another seven passes for 33 yards, giving him 69 receptions on the season. That total leads all NFL running backs in 2021.
Most Receptions, Running Backs, NFL
| Player | Team | Receptions |
|---|---|---|
| Leonard Fournette | Buccaneers | 69 |
| Austin Ekeler | Chargers | 62 |
| Najee Harris | Steelers | 62 |
| D'Andre Swift | Lions | 56 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | Falcons | 48 |
Fournette's availability for the remaining three regular-season games is obviously in question early in Week 16, but if he can get back on the field he'll have a chance to chase the second-most receptions by a running back in a single season in franchise history, if not the top spot.
Most Receptions by a Running Back, Single Season, Buccaneer History
| Player | Season | Recs. |
|---|---|---|
| James Wilder | 1984 | 85 |
| Michael Pittman | 2003 | 75 |
| Leonard Fournette | 2021 | 69 |
| Warrick Dunn | 2001 | 68 |
| Mike Alstott | 1996 | 65 |
Despite his early exit, Fournette finished Sunday's game with 77 yards from scrimmage. With the aforementioned four games still to be played on Monday and Tuesday nights, the Bucs' back ranks fifth among NFL running backs in yards from scrimmage in 2021.
2021 NFL Leaders in Yards from Scrimmage, Running Backs
| Player | Team | Yards |
|---|---|---|
| Jonathon Taylor | Colts | 1,854 |
| Austin Ekeler | Chargers | 1,347 |
| Joe Mixon | Bengals | 1,298 |
| Najee Harris | Steelers | 1,296 |
| Leonard Fournette | Buccaneers | 1,266 |
Rob Gronkowski caught two passes for 29 yards on Sunday night, a modest total in what has been a stellar season for the veteran tight end. That was enough yardage, however, to push him past another impressive career milestone. Gronkowski is now just the fifth tight end in NFL history to surpass 9,000 receiving yards.
Most Receiving Yards by a Tight End, NFL History
| Tight End | Team(s) | Yards |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Gonzalez | Chiefs/Falcons | 15,127 |
| Jason Witten | Cowboys/Raiders | 13,046 |
| Antonio Gates | Chargers | 11,841 |
| Shannon Sharpe | Broncos/Ravens | 10,060 |
| Rob Gronkowski | Patriots/Buccaneers | 9,011 |
Tampa Bay's defense had a strong outing in Sunday's loss, holding the Saints to 212 total yards and just 3.5 yards per play, both the lowest totals the Bucs have allowed in a game this season. One of the standouts in that effort was inside linebacker Lavonte David, who led the team with 11 tackles and also produced one sack, three tackles for loss, one quarterback hit and one forced fumble.
TFLs and forced fumbles have been calling cards for David throughout his 10-year career, which began in 2012 when the Buccaneers selected him in the second round of the draft. In the decade since, David has ranked third in the league in both forced fumbles and tackles for losses. Every other player in the top five on those lists is a pass-rusher, with TFLs and forced fumbles frequently the results of high sack totals.
Most Forced Fumbles, NFL, 2012-21
| Player | Team(s) | FFs |
|---|---|---|
| Chandler Jones | Patriots/Cardinals | 31 |
| Robert Quinn | Rams/Bears/Cowboys/Dolphins | 29 |
| Lavonte David | Buccaneers | 26 |
| J.J. Watt | Texans/Cardinals | 26 |
| Khalil Mack | Raiders/Bears | 23 |
| Von Miller | Broncos/Rams | 23 |
Most Tackles for Loss, NFL, 2012-21
| Player | Team(s) | TFLs |
|---|---|---|
| J.J. Watt | Texans/Cardinals | 166 |
| Aaron Donald | Rams | 143 |
| Lavonte David | Buccaneers | 134 |
| Cameron Jordan | Saints | 131 |
| Von Miller | Broncos/Rams | 127 |
