The holidays are always a great time, especially when you’re winning football games.

Following their 30-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins, the Bucs were back into the swing of things at One Buc Place on Wednesday. With Thanksgiving just a day away, the Bucs were operating under an adjusted schedule, so there was plenty of access to both the players and the coaches.

These were the six things we learned from One Buc on Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve.

Bucs All Business

Getting your first win after a five-game losing streak and getting your first road win of the year in back-to-back games calls for a little bit of relaxed pressure in the locker room, right?

Eh, not as much as you’d think.

On Wednesday, we asked a handful of the players whether or not the mood of the team has relaxed at all, now on a two-game win streak. First, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said maybe a little, but the focus is just as strong as it was two games ago.

Later in the day we asked defensive tackle Gerald McCoy the same question and his answer was even more to the point.

McCoy was asked about this team “turning the corner” with back-to-back wins un their belt, but McCoy quickly responded to say they haven’t turned the corner. He said that turning the corner is winning out the rest of their games, then they’ll have turned the corner – and likely made the playoffs.

That’s pretty focused, if you ask us.

Mike Evans Family Foundation

Yesterday Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans launched his foundation here in Tampa Bay called “The Mike Evans Family Foundation.”

You can listen to the whole explanation of what it is, what he hopes to help and where it will impact communities in the video above. Evans sometimes gets a bad rap for reasons such as kneeling during the national anthem or hitting Marshon Lattimore in the Saints game, but make no mistake, Evans is a great person who just wants to help people. Sometimes he lets his emotions get the best of him, but when it boils down to it, he’s a great kid.

Brocato’s Is Really Good

Every year during the week of Thanksgiving, Pewter Report, along with the help of our partners, puts on a media luncheon to give a treat to those in the media work room.

This year, as it was last year, the meal was provided by Brocato’s Sandwich Shop. The people at Brocato’s were so gracious to help make this a special day for those in the Bucs media, and their food was phenomenal, as always.

If you’ve never been, you have to try it. Whether it’s their gourmet sandwiches or their deviled crab, this is a must in Tampa Bay. Head on over to 5021 E Columbus Dr, Tampa, FL 33619, and tell them Pewter Report sent you!

No Hidden Howard This Week

Bucs tight end O.J. Howard has had a knack for not only finding soft spots in zone coverage this season, but quite literally going undetected by some defenses that has resulted in some huge plays for this team.

Miami was the latest victim last week, as Howard finished the game with 52 yards on three catches and a touchdown and could have even added another if it weren’t called back for a holding penalty.

After talking with Falcons head coach Dan Quinn on the phone on Wednesday, it doesn’t sound like he’s going to let his team fall victim to what many other have this year when guarding Howard. Quinn made sure to note how much they respect the ability of both Buccaneers tight ends. Don’t expect many, if any, slip-ups in that department.

Injury Report

No surprises on the Buccaneers injury report from Wednesday. Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves again was out with a hamstring injury, which caused him to miss last week’s game. We’ll certainly be monitoring his progress, but we’d label him doubtful for Sunday right now.

Koetter Praises Ronde Barber

The first question for coach Koetter coming off the field on Wednesday was about the three Buccaneer semifinalists for the Hall of Fame: John Lynch, Simeon Rice and Ronde Barber.

Koetter never went up against the likes of Lynch and Rice when they were Buccaneers, but he did get a chance to coach against Barber when Koetter was in Atlanta. He said that when his teams faced Barber, Barber was primarily a nickel cornerback, but was “one of the best in the league.”

That was Barber at an old age, too. More thought like that and we could see Barber wearing a gold jacket soon.