Injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have thrust the spotlight on the rest of the wide receiver corps in Tampa Bay.
With Godwin out for the season and Evans expected to miss at least four weeks, Baker Mayfield's receiver corps is now led by Sterling Shepard, rookie Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer and undrafted second-year player Ryan Miller.
"I'll be extremely confident in those guys," Mayfield said Wednesday. "Obviously, I had rapport with Trey going back to last year, Sterling for years obviously, and Jalen, all of offseason and training camp. I expect those guys to have success and play really well, and you know, throughout the week, getting on the same page within the game plan as we continue to nail this thing down. We expect everybody to step up in a big way and [we're] still leaning on our offensive line -- [I] thought they played great."
The loss of Mayfield's top two targets can't be overstated. Evans and Godwin are the only pair of teammates each with five-plus receiving touchdowns in 2024 -- Evans: six rec TDs, tied for first in the NFL; Godwin: five rec TDs, tied for third.
Mayfield has a 101.7 passer rating when Evans and Godwin are both on the field since the QB joined the Buccaneers in 2023, per NFL Research. That dips to an 88.4 passer rating when at least one of them is not on the field and a 54.9 passer rating when neither is on the field.
After Godwin (50 catches, 576 yards) and Evans (45 catches, 335 yards), the Buccaneers' third-leading wide receiver in 2024 is Shepard with eight receptions and 93 receiving yards.
Mayfield believes opponents not knowing where the ball is going could benefit the Bucs offense in the coming weeks.
"As we're getting this game plan going, looking at obviously not having Mike and Chris, teams can't exactly play to those tendencies when we're game planning with those guys," he said. "It'll look different but everybody just has to do their part. Everybody has to be dialed in, and it's next man up."
McMillan, a third-round rookie out of Washington, could see his target share skyrocket. The wideout has generated six grabs for 74 yards and a TD in five games. The training wheels will be off moving forward.
Sans two of the best receivers in the game, the Bucs are likely to lean on the backfield, both on the ground and through the air. Bucky Irving, Rachaad White and Sean Tucker can all run and catch, providing Tampa with diverse playmaking. Expect offensive coordinator Liam Coen to lean on them heavily for the rest of the 2024 season.
