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. 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: Ted Hurst*, David Sills
WR: Chris Godwin, Kameron Johnson
LT: Tristan Wirfs, Benjamin Chukwuma
LG: Ben Bredeson, Billy Schrauth*
C: Graham Barton, Dan Feeney
RG: Cody Mauch, Luke Haggard
RT: Luke Goedeke, Justin Skule
WR: Emeka Egbuka, Tez Johnson
TE: Cade Otton, Payne Durham, Ko Kieft, Bauer Sharp*
QB: Baker Mayfield, Jalon Daniels*
RB: Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell, Sean Tucker
The Buccaneers, who ran 56 times and threw just three times in their 16-0 blanking of the Falcons in Week Eight, committed to the rushing attack with a heavy dose of tight ends. Cade Otton played all but three of the offensive snaps, as is common for him, but Payne Durham also played 70% of the snaps and rookie Bauer Sharp was on the field for a season-high 19 plays.Wide receiver David Sills, in just his second game as a Buccaneer, also drew 22 offensive snaps to take advantage of his blocking ability.
Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell powered a historic rushing attack, as the Buccaneers set a single-game franchise record with 324 yards on the ground and became the first team in 52 years to win a game without completing a single pass. As it turned out, their workload was a completely even split, with both backs getting 30 offensive snaps. Irving turned his into 170 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries while Gainwell netted another 140 yards on 25 carries.
Tristan Wirfs was slow to get up after a Gainwell run in the third quarter and had to come off the field, but he returned to action after missing just two snaps and helped block for Irving's four-yard touchdown run moments later. Justin Skule filled in at left tackle on those two missed snaps.
DEFENSE
DL: Calijah Kancey, Elijah Roberts
NT: Vita Vea, Rakeem Nuñez-Roches, Elijah Simmons
DL: A'Shawn Robinson, DeMonte Capehard*
OLB: Yaya Diaby, Anthony Nelson, David Walker
ILB: Josiah Trotter*, SirVocea Dennis
ILB: Alex Anzalone
OLB: Rueben Bain Jr.*, Al-Quadin Muhammad
CB: Zyon McCollum, Benjamin Morrison, Ayden Garnes*
CB: Jacob Parrish, Keionte Scott*, Kevin Knowles
S: Antoine Winfield Jr., Ifeatu Melifonwu
S: Tykee Smith, Miles Killebrew
Outside linebacker Yaya Diaby left the game with a knee injury after playing just seven defensive snaps, meaning more work for David Walker (25 snaps), Al-Quadin Muhammad (23 snaps) and Anthony Nelson (16 snaps). With the Falcons also running the ball more than they threw it, and with Michael Penix routinely getting rid of the ball very quickly, there were few opportunities for pressure from the edge rushers and the Bucs finished with no sacks and no quarterback hits. This came after the team had back-to-back five-sack games against Pittsburgh and Atlanta.
Rookie defensive back Keionte Scott started the game in a nickel alignment, with defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson off the field. Scott played 72% of the defensive snaps and contributed a tackle and a pass defensed. The only two defenders to play all 53 snaps were linebacker Alex Anzalone, who had his first career two-interception game, and cornerback Zyon McCollum, who picked off a pass for the second game in a row.
SPECIALISTS
P: Riley Dixon
PK: Chase McLaughlin
KO: Chase McLaughlin
H: Riley Dixon
LS: Evan Deckers
PR: Tez Johnson, Kameron Johnson
KR: Kenny Gainwell, Sean Tucker
KR: Kameron Johnson
Sean Tucker fielded the only kickoff made by Atlanta in the game to start the second half and returned it 20 yards. That was the first kickoff return of the season for Tucker after he had 26 of them last season, and it came on his only snap of the game.
In addition to his expanded role on defense, Walker led the team with 16 snaps on special teams. Linebacker SirVocea Dennis took 15 snaps in the kick-and-coverage game and produced a pair of solo tackles. Cornerback Kevin Knowles also played 15 special teams snaps and took over the team lead with his ninth tackle of the season in that phase of the game.
