National Football League

Week 12 Grades for the Buccaneers Win over the Seahawks

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:10 p.m. ET

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Nov 27, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Alterraun Verner (21) run with the ball after he intercepted it against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers extended their win streak to three games with a clutch win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12.

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For the second time in two weeks the Buccaneers faced off against a division leader as they matched up against the NFC West leader after knocking off the AFC West’s top team a week ago.

After a 14-5 victory at home this team not only has two consecutive home wins after failing to secure a single win in the first half of the season, they also have a three game winning streak.

Being above .500 is great, and at 6-5 the Bucs are right in the mix for playoff positioning with five games remaining in the 2016 regular season.

Before we get to those though, we have to wrap this thing up and put a bow on it. What better way than to hand out some grades?

Nov 27, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) runs out of the tunnel as he is introduced before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

QUARTERBACK: A-

Jameis Winston has thrown a touchdown pass in every game the Buccaneers have played this season except one, and has at least one score in every game he’s played as a pro.

Going up against hard defenses like the one representing the city of Seattle is the way these streaks bet broken, so Winston went ahead and made sure he extended his early.

After the Seahawks deferred, the second-year quarterback and his offense took the ball 78-yards in 14 plays and fired the first shot on a three yard pass from Winston to Mike Evans.

After a three-and-out by the Seahawks the Buccaneers once again took the ball down field and scored again, this time on a 23-yard dime from Winston to Evans over the head of Richard Sherman.

7-for-8, 98-yards, and two touchdown passes was the stat line after one quarter and a 157.3 passer rating had all signs pointing towards a dominating performance by Winston and the entire offense.

As we now know, that just wasn’t going to be the case as the visiting defense tightened up a bit in the second quarter and even more in the second half.

In total, Winston completed 21 of his 28 pass attempts for 220-yards, the two first quarter scores, and added a late interception just to keep things interesting.

The Bucs were able to get into scoring range a couple of times, but never found a way to cap off those drives with points as they were held scoreless in the final three quarters of action.

Still, an overall good performance by a young quarterback looking poised beyond his years in most cases. The interception was one of just a few ill-advised throws by Winston, and his 106.2 QB Rating supports the final marks.

Nov 27, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin (22) runs with the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

RUNNING BACKS: B-

Running back hasn’t always been a point of comfort for the Buccaneers, but during the last two seasons this team has found more success when running the ball consistently than when they haven’t.

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Doug Martin may not be stunning the fantasy football world, but I don’t think it’ll bother him much as his team has won all three games since he made his return from a hamstring injury suffered in Week 2.

For this week, his 23 carries netted just 87-yards (3.8 yards per carry), but they were consistently positive attempts and once again helped keep his team on schedule. A late fumble put his team in a bit of a situation giving the opponent a good amount of momentum and the game still within reach, but in some ways all’s well that ends well, right?

Undrafted rookie Peyton Barber has continued to contribute as a replacement for injured running backs Charles Sims and Jacquizz Rodgers. His line this weekend was five carries for 16-yards and he took one screen pass for four yards down to the Seahawks three-yard line to set up the team’s first score of the game.

The consistent gains on carries allowed the Buccaneers to control the clock and frustrate a strongly favored Seattle team looking to put their own division in a choke hold nearing the final quarter of the season.

No touchdowns and no splash plays take some of the shine of the final grade, but it’s not a bad one to begin with.

Nov 27, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Adam Humphries (11) during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

WIDE RECEIVERS and TIGHT ENDS: A

Hard to believe a wide receiver with two 1,000-yard seasons in his first two years as a pro could have people doubt him, but that’s exactly what was happening to Mike Evans entering the 2016 season.

After securing his third straight 1,000-yard receiving season and catching his ninth and tenth touchdown receptions of the year, I would hope those nay-sayers have been put to bed.

Facing the premier passing defense in the NFL with THE best cornerback in the business, Evans not only found success, but he found eight catches for 104-yards and the only two scoring plays which mattered in Week 12.

WINSTON TO EVANS! TD BUCS, BABY!!! pic.twitter.com/6NcQMEwpJF

— The Pewter Plank (@ThePewterPlank) November 27, 2016

He wasn’t alone in his efforts though, as Cameron Brate chipped in with four catches of his own totaling 49-yards with a long of 27.

Russell Shepard and Adam Humphries chipped in with a pair of 18-yard plays and undrafted rookie Alan Cross even made an appearance for the second week in a row.

While Cross didn’t find the endzone this weekend, it’s nice to see the Buccaneers finding post-draft and late round value in the past couple of classes.

Seven different receivers and tight ends caught at least one pass from Winston, and when targets result in catches it makes the quarterback’s job much easier.

Luke Stocker’s safety inducing penalty is going to drive the grade point a bit lower, but not too far since I’d rather he take the rusher down than let him get to the quarterback in the endzone.

Nov 27, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; A Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans known as the Big Nasty cheers during the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers won 14-5. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

OFFENSIVE LINE: B+

Let’s just get the bad out of the way for the Buccaneers’ offensive line. Cameron Brate had a touchdown reception – which would have been Winston’s third of the game – erased by a penalty called on Demar Dotson.

While the penalty alone doesn’t squash momentum, it came in a period of play where the Bucs’ line just couldn’t get things together as they had three key penalties in a short span of the game.

Gosder Cherilus was flagged for a false start – his second of the game – one iteration before Ali Marpet was flagged for hands to the face after a very good run by Doug Martin as he was trying to help bleed the clock and move the ball.

On to the good now: No Sacks.

I got it, the Seahawks had no Michael Bennett and no Earl Thomas among a few others, but they still had Cliff Avril and the second ranked defense when it comes to sacking the quarterback.

Quite simply, the Buccaneers were able to use play call and smart line play to stifle one of the best NFL pass rushes around.

For the second straight game this offensive line faced one of the NFL’s top sack artists as Avril came in tied with Dee Ford and Buffalo’s Lorenzo Alexander for the lead in sacks.

For the second straight game, the leader in sacks left without another notch on his belt and will have to wait one more week to try and expand their lead.

Nov 27, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Robert Ayers (91) is congratulated after he sacks Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

DEFENSIVE LINE: A+

The Buccaneers and their fans have got to be ecstatic over the drastic improvement Noah Spence has shown over the past few weeks, and he’s rewarded their investment with more than a couple sacks and two strip sacks in the past three games.

In this one, Spence got to Russell Wilson 1.5 times and cause the aforementioned fumble which was unfortunately recovered by the Seahawks quarterback himself.

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Wilson found himself under fire all game long and you can believe the pressure put on him by the front-four contributed greatly to the 52% completion percentage and just 151-yards of passing accomplished by the Seattle quarterback.

Five times in all, this unit got to the quarterback and it was truly a group effort. Gerald McCoy got a late solo sack to give him 1.5 after combining with Spence on one previously.

Meanwhile, Robert Ayers Jr. and the lesser known Ryan Russell each got to Wilson one time each.

The spread in sacks shows just how the pressure was coming from every angle throughout the game, and is a small measure of just how impactful their performance was in this win.

Wilson wasn’t the only player to feel the frustration caused by the Buccaneers defensive line though as Thomas Rawls was held to just 38-yards rushing on 12 carries and it was Wilson himself who led his team in rushing as he was running from pressure for 80-yards on the ground.

You don’t want to see Wilson running a whole lot, but when he’s running because he doesn’t want to get hit, then you’re defense is doing it’s job.

Nov 27, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA;Tampa Bay Buccaneers free safety Bradley McDougald (30) intercepts a pass intended for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 14-5. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

DEFENSIVE BACKS: A+

Just three weeks ago there were folks on social media calling for Mike Smith’s job as the Buccaneers defensive coordinator.

Those lines seem kind of quiet these days though as the defense has become a strength in the last three weeks, and the secondary has become a key piece to it’s success.

In back-to-back games this unit had to contain the usual lot of wide receivers looking to make plays against them, but also had to deal with Travis Kelce and Jimmy Graham who present a whole new level of challenges for a defense.

In both outings, the unit rose to the challenge and while the tight ends got some good stat lines on them, neither was able to make a real impact on the momentum or feel of the game.

Graham led all Seahawks players with 67-yards on his six catches, but also lost a crucial fumble with his team driving late and looking to shrink the Buccaneers’ two score lead.

Chris Conte’s revival continued as he tied for top on the team with his seven tackles in Week 12, and of course there was Bradley McDougald who not only issued out a handful of impactful hits on Seahawks players, but also brought in the game sealing interception with less than two minutes left in the contest.

The big moment of the game came in the second quarter on Russell Wilson’s first interception which was picked off by cornerback Alterraun Verner.

For those who don’t know, Verner’s father passed away Friday just one day after visiting his son for Thanksgiving. Deciding to play in his father’s memory instead of sitting out the game to grieve could not have been an easy decision, and you could see the emotion spill out of him as he fell to the ground after the play.

Swarmed by his teammates Verner made no secret of the weight tied to the moment, and I’m not afraid to tell you it got me right in the feels. The veteran defender has been relegated to mostly special teams duty this season after a rough 2015 saw him fall out of favor with the Bucs, so to see him have his moment was a surreal instance where football can transcend the game itself and shows the human side of what these players go through as a team and family.

Nov 27, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Lavonte David (54) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Alterraun Verner (21) combine on the hit against Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham (88) to fumble the ball during the second half of an NFL football game at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers won 14-5. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

LINEBACKERS: A

Lavonte David has been this year’s Buccaneers player the fans have decided to pile on, on the defensive side of the ball. Yes he had zero tackles in a game, and no he hasn’t made a bunch of splash plays this season, but the man is always impacting the field in some way.

This weekend, he made the splash play, and rightfully deserves some credit for it.

Remember the Jimmy Graham fumble? Well it was caused AND recovered by David who then proceeded to run the thing back 53-yards to Seattle’s 25-yard line.

What makes the play even more impactful than it already is, is the fact the Seahawks were driving with half of the fourth quarter remaining and had the ball on the Tampa 22-yard line when David struck one of two fatal defensive blows.

Not only did he get the forced fumble and recovery, he also tied for the team lead in tackles with seven and got a lick of his own on Russell Wilson – one of eleven for the Bucs defense.

Kwon Alexander didn’t get the fumble, but he was every bit as impactful for his squad in this match-up.

Six tackles didn’t lead the team, but his sack and tackle for a loss sure did help out a lot. He too got a hit on the Seahawks quarterback just adding to the all around bad visit to Florida for the visiting team from the Northwest.

Daryl Smith played sparingly as usual, but got in there with a tackle of his own.

If you really want to look at where the linebackers made their mark look at Thomas Rawls’ stat line again.

In case NFL fans have forgotten, Rawls is pretty good, and can turn a two-yard gain into a 20-yard run or longer with just one broken tackle.

All day, Rawls was able to make it to the second level on limited touches, and the Buccaneers linebacker crew was there to help clean it up to ensure the young running back didn’t do any real damage.

Run support, pass rushing and turnover producing from the second level? Doesn’t get much better than that.

Nov 27, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Josh Robinson (26) hits Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) after a punt during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 14-5. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

SPECIAL TEAMS: B+

Roberto Aguayo boo-birds have been waiting, and they got their chance on a missed 48-yard field goal which would have given the Buccaneers a 17-5 lead nearing halftime, and regain some of the momentum lost after the first stanza.

As it is, it’s a no-harm-no-foul situation and it’s a 48-yard field goal guys, c’mon.

Ok, it was makeable, and yes of course we’d all like to see him make it. Let’s not unwrite all the good things the rookie has been doing and the two times he’s won special teams player of the week this season.

Still for the day, his miss draws the special teams down.

What brings it up is the super-special-teams-duo of punter Bryan Anger and gunner Josh Robinson. With all the talk of wasted free-agency dollars riding on the bench with injured guard J.R. Sweezy, there’s little to no similar talk attached to Josh Robinson who was brought in to compete for a regular spot in the secondary and has done no such thing.

Instead, all he’s done is become one of the best – if not THE best – punt coverage guys in the NFL.

Anger sent four punts an average of 40-yards a piece and all four pinned the Seahawks inside their own 20-yard line with Robinson regularly meeting the ball on the other end to make a play for the Buccaneers.

Fans who know the intricacies of football will understand just how crucial it is to have the tandem this team does executing the way they are, and as long as they’re doing so it’s going to take more than one Aguayo miss to take this grade lower than a B.

	1	2	3	4	T
Buccaneers	14	0	0	0	14
Seahawks	0	5	0	0	5

That’ll do it for our grades for the Week 12 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

With the win, the Buccaneers improve to 6-5 and currently sit one game behind the Atlanta Falcons who defeated the once mighty Arizona Cardinals this weekend to maintain their lead over the NFC South.

From here the Buccaneers travel to sunny San Diego where they’ll face Phillip Rivers and the 5-6 Chargers. Keep a look out for our keys to the game next week as we build up to Week 13 action!

What are your thoughts on the game today, and what grades would you give out? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter anytime!

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