Posted in: NFL, Sports | Tagged: DeSean Jackson, entertainment, HRL, Jameis Winston, nfl, sports, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL Post-Mortem: The 2017 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Published Wed, 17 Jan 2018 15:15:44 -0600

In 2015, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted quarterback Jameis Winston in the first round from Florida State. Winston played well enough to make the Pro Bowl, but the team went 6-10 and head coach Lovie Smith was fired. Dirk Koetter, who had been the offensive coordinator, was promoted to head coach to keep continuity for Winston. They went 9-7, landing them in second place in their division and just missing the playoffs. The signed free agent wide receiver DeSean Jackson and drafted tight end O.J. Howard in the first round, giving Winston two more targets in an improving offense. 2017 looked bright for the Bucs and their fans.

What Happened?

The team's season got off to a rough start because of the hurricanes in Florida, forcing them to move the first game of the season to their bye week, causing them to play all 16 games straight. They got a win against the Chicago Bears in their week 2 matchup, their first official game of the season, then they would go on to lose six of the next seven games. They had two, five-game losing streaks in the season and ended up with a 5-11 record, last in their division.

Winston missed his first 3 games of his career this season with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. The injury was first reported in week six, but he played with it into week nine before re-aggravating it enough to miss time. Statistically, Winston's completion percentage, passer rating and yards per attempt were all at career highs. Winston missed weeks 10, 11 and 12 with two of those being 2 of the teams 5 wins of the season, leaving Winston with a 3-10 record as a starter in 2017.

What's Next?

There isn't a clear-cut reason why the team regressed so much in 2017, other than they just didn't click. Bringing in a high-profile target like Jackson to line up opposite of Mike Evans and then adding O.J. Howard should've opened up a lot of options, but the problem was they focused on the passing game and almost all but forgot to run the ball. Doug Martin and the other running backs did next to nothing in 2017, which allows defenses to focus on the wide outs. Even Winston cut down his own running, something he was keen to do in his first season.

The Bucs were the only team in the NFC South not to make the playoffs, and if they want to get back into the mix, they'll have to focus on balancing their offense with more yardage on the ground and strengthening up their defensive line. That is the only way to win in the south, and the Bucs are seriously lacking. They draft 7th in the upcoming draft and will need to either look at secondary help, an edge rusher, or a bell cow running back. It might be worth the value to wait until the second round for a running back, but they do have to get one early to take the pressure off of Winston — or 2018 will end a lot like 2017.

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