Each week during the regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' communications department publishes a "Game Release" to aid the media in coverage of their upcoming game. Within that release are a number of documents regarding the player roster, including a depth chart, which lists the pecking order at every position on offense, defense and special teams.
Each game week, we will be taking a closer look at that depth chart, pointing out any changes or relevant notes from the previous game and which players saw notable action in that game. Let's start on offense. Rookies are marked with an asterisk. Players we will be discussing in depth are highlighted in bold text.
OFFENSE
WR: Chris Godwin, Tez Johnson*
WR: Sterling Shepard, Kameron Johnson
LT: Tristan Wirfs, Benjamin Chukwuma*
LG: Ben Bredeson, Michael Jordan
C: Graham Barton
RG: Dan Feeney, Luke Haggard, Elijah Klein
RT: Luke Goedeke, Charlie Heck
WR: Emeka Egbuka*, Ryan Miller
TE: Cade Otton, Payne Durham, Devin Culp
QB: Baker Mayfield, Teddy Bridgewater
RB: Bucky Irving, Rachaad White, Sean Tucker, Owen Wright
As expected, the Buccaneers took it slow with the return of wide receiver Chris Godwin after he had missed five games with a fibula injury. Godwin did not start the game against the Rams on Sunday night, and he was limited to 25 offensive snaps out of a possible 70. Head Coach Todd Bowles said on Monday that Godwin's playing time would increase in Week 13 against the Cardinals. Godwin had two catches for nine yards, one of which converted a third down, against the Rams.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield missed significant playing time due to an injury for the first time since joining the Buccaneers in 2023, as a left shoulder injury put him on the sideline in a sling for the second half. Teddy Bridgewater didn't make his Buccaneers debut – he had handled a couple end-game kneel-downs earlier in the season – but he did throw his first passes for the team, completing eight of 15 for 62 yards. The Buccaneers' quarterback depth chart remains unchanged for now, but Bowles said on Sunday night that the team would bring rookie Connor Bazelak up from the practice squad if Mayfield is ruled out for the upcoming game against Arizona.
The only offensive lineman to play all 70 snaps against the Rams on Sunday was center Graham Barton, as the team emptied out its bench in the waning moments of a lopsided loss. Rookie Benjamin Chukwuma, who made the team as an undrafted free agent and had previously only played on special teams, saw his first six NFL snaps on offense. Chukwuma and Charlie came in to replace the tackles while Luke Haggard and Elijah Klein each got one series at guard.
DEFENSE
DL: Elijah Roberts*, Greg Gaines
NT: Vita Vea, Elijah Simmons*
DL: Logan Hall, C.J. Brewer
OLB: Yaya Diaby, Chris Braswell, Markees Watts
ILB: SirVocea Dennis, John Bullock*
ILB: Lavonte David, Deion Jones
OLB: Haason Reddick, Anthony Nelson
CB: Jamel Dean, Benjamin Morris*, Kindle Vildor
CB: Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish*, Josh Hayes
S: Antoine Winfield Jr., Christian Izien
S: Tykee Smith, Kaevon Merriweather
With both Jamel Dean (hip) and Benjamin Morrison (hamstring) unavailable due to injury, the Bucs put rookie cornerback Jacob Parrish back into a dual role, using him on the outside in base defense and in the slot in nickel packages. He had taken on a similar assignment in Weeks Five and Six when Dean and Zyon McCollum each missed a game. Parrish played all 56 defensive snaps and turned in six tackles. Kindle Vildor soaked up the snaps on the outside when Parrish was in the slot, notching 39 snaps, four tackles and a pass defensed.
Defensive lineman C.J. Brewer was active for the first time in five weeks, as he got the call over rookie nose tackle Elijah Simmons, but he logged just four defensive snaps overall. In another minor change, Logan Hall got the start even though the team opened in a nickel package with just two down linemen. In recent weeks, the Bucs had been starting rookie Elijah Roberts next to Vita Vea in such situations. Hall ended playing 44 of the 56 defensive snaps, the most of any of the Bucs' five active down linemen and had one tackle.
The Buccaneers gave their starting outside linebacker duo of Yaya Diaby and Anthony Nelson a little more of a rest in Week 12 than in recent games, using Chris Braswell on 54% of the snaps. With Haason Reddick still out, Markees Watts also got eight snaps on defense. Braswell had one quarterback hit while Diaby produced the team's lone sack of the evening.
SPECIALISTS
P: Riley Dixon
PK: Chase McLaughlin
KO: Chase McLaughlin
H: Riley Dixon
LS: Evan Deckers
PR: Kameron Johnson, Tez Johnson*
KR: Owen Wright, Sean Tucker
KR: Kameron Johnson, Rachaad White
Given their roles in recent weeks, the Bucs switched Owen Wright ahead of Sean Tucker on the depth chart at kickoff return. Wright handled both of the Bucs' returns on kickoffs in the game, recording 48 yards. There were only two returns because the Rams elected to kick the ball deep for touchbacks for most of the game.
Cornerback Josh Hayes played all but one of the Bucs' 23 special teams snaps in the game and turned in the team's only kick-coverage tackle of the night. Hayes and wide receiver Kam Johnson served as the gunners in punt coverage, with Johnson logging 61% of the special teams snaps. Another reserve receiver, Ryan Miller, got a 65% usage share on special teams, as did Watts in his return from a two-game absence due to a hand injury.
