SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 04: Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throws against the San Diego Chargers during the first half at Qualcomm Stadium on December 4, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
NFLBy Eli Hershkovich on

A late-season charge has made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a team to watch in the NFC.

Following a 15-point loss to the Atlanta Falcons at home in early November, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers laid in a pile of skepticism with a 3-5 record. Although quarterback Jameis Winston strung together a 261-yard, three-touchdown performance, 125 of those yards came after Tampa Bay trailed by three scores late in the third quarter.

Hence, the second-year starter was constantly unable to put his team in position to produce six points, moving the ball past the opposition’s 33-yard line just twice prior to that point, one of those possessions coming off a Falcons’ fumble. Plus, Matt Ryan absolutely slivered up the Buccaneers’ defense, completing 73 percent of his passes for 344 yards and four touchdowns.

Buccaneers fans, who booed Winston in his first career start, had grown impatient with a team riding an eight-year playoff drought. But just one month later, the Bucs have swapped their misfortunes for a four-game winning streak and currently hold the second wild-card spot in the NFC playoff picture. Though Atlanta is clinging to a slight tiebreaker at the moment, Tampa Bay possesses the same mark as its NFC South foes. What has head coach Dirk Koetter’s unit rolling at the right time?

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During the undefeated ride, Winston has thrived in the spotlight as one of the primary catalysts for the Bucs’ success. Although the 6-foot-4, 231-pounder accumulated a below-average 6:3 TD/INT ratio, ranking No. 21 in the category overall, his knack for generating a sizable play has soared during this four-game winning streak. Winston averaged 8.78 yards per pass attempt, almost two points higher than what he notched through the first eight contests (6.81). Despite a smaller sample size, that number would place No. 2 in the league, behind the aforementioned Ryan. Given the team’s inability to establish a consistent rushing attack in the previous four matchups (3.1 YPC), the offense is relying more on Winston’s arm to pickup larger chunks downfield.

Moreover, Winston actually performs extra effectively when pressured. According to ESPN Stats & Info, he has received intense heat on 35 percent of his pass attempts this season, ranking fourth in the league. Nevertheless, his total QB rating (87.1) while under duress sits No. 1 in the NFL, which would be the highest total since the stat was instituted in 2009. On top of that, Winston’s mark places 21 points above any other signal caller.

The king of crab legs doesn’t stop chomping through defenses there, though. His 68.2 completion percentage during the past four games stands close to nine points higher than his passing efficiency through the Bucs’ first eight games (59.4). The most impressive showing came in Week 12 against the Seahawks, who yield a rock-solid 61.2 completion percentage to opposing QBs. Still, he managed to weave together 21-of-28 passes (75 percent) for 220 yards and two scores in a 14-5 win.

In that contest, third-year wideout Mike Evans was the quarterback’s favorite target, reeling in eight receptions for 104 yards and both of Winston’s touchdown strikes. Through 12 games, the 6-foot-5, 231-pound dynamic playmaker ranks No. 1 in the game in pass targets (138), ahead of fellow wide receivers Antonio Brown (127) and the Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. (125).

So far, Evans is drawing 31 percent of the Buccaneers’ total targets, compiling a stout 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns as a result. Unlike many Buccaneers, his overall stats don’t cause any confusion. But a season ago, his sophomore slump was a bit eye-opening, as he manufactured 1,206 yards and only three scores (tied for No. 85 in the NFL) in 15 games. Evans has bounced back tremendously in 2016, providing Winston additional opportunities to utilize his cannon of an arm. In the past four games, he averaged 77.2 receiving yards per contest and should easily surpass his receiving numbers from a year ago, regardless of how much coverage rotates towards his direction.

Beyond Evans, tight end Cameron Brate’s emergence arrived at an ideal point amid wide receiver Vincent Jackson’s injury-riddled campaign. The 6-foot-5, 235-pounder essentially owns the same dimensions as Evans, minus the exceptional catch radius. Nonetheless, the Harvard product tallied two 80-plus yard games in the past four games, including a six-catch, 86-yard afternoon versus the Chargers this past Sunday. He even snagged the game-winning touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.

Furthermore, his consistent production, averaging 59.4 yards in the preceding four contests, will create plenty of havoc for future opponents. Should Evans draw a double-team from the safety over the top, Brate would match up with a linebacker on most snaps. Against the Chargers, he blew by linebacker Denzel Perryman for the score, proving the majority of players at that position are no match for his athleticism.

Even though the Bucs’ offense has shown potency, its 24.2 points per matchup since Week 10 aren’t ridiculously staggering. Yet the defense exhibited a massive improvement, giving up only 13.2 points per contest (No. 1 in the league) during the four-game winning streak. Prior to that, the Bucs allowed an abysmal 29 points each game, ranking No. 29 in the league. At the time, folks were even questioning if defensive coordinator Mike Smith was the right man for the job.

However, the 18-year NFL coach can clearly still preach about his craft. The defense has induced 11 turnovers (No. 1 in the NFL) and 12 sacks (No. 5), along with allowing a mere 67.3 passer rating (No. 1), a 28.9 third-down conversion rate (No. 2) and an average of 300 yards per game (No. 5) over the four-week frame. Not bad, sir.

Credit defensive linemen Gerald McCoy, Robert Ayers and rookie Noah Spence for supplying the pressure, as they’ve combined for nine sacks over the four games. The back-seven deserves appraisal, too, as linebacker LaVonte David and safety Chris Conte both contributed key interceptions in the latest victory.

With the Bucs squaring off with the Panthers (4-8) and Saints (5-7) in three of their next four contests, the road to the postseason seems likely through a Wild Card birth or even a division title. Don’t look past their matchup with the Cowboys in Week 15, though, as it could even represent a preview of something larger down the road. About a month ago, you would’ve been slapped for thinking that.

About Eli Hershkovich

Eli Hershkovich is a graduate of DePaul University. Along with writing, he also works at 670 The Score, a sports radio station in Chicago.

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