Despite a disappointing 3-6 record, the Bucs are still in the thick of the division race in the downtrodden NFC South, which features all four teams with either 3-5 (Carolina and New Orleans) or 3-6 records (Tampa Bay and Atlanta). The Bucs enter the bye week with a 2-0 record in the division and are coming off a gut-wrenching 27-24 loss at Chicago to a 7-2 Bears team on Sunday Night Football.

The Bucs’ bye week falls right at the midway point of the team’s 17-game schedule, and Tampa Bay opens its final eight-game stretch at Detroit against a 6-2 Lions team in Week 11. This is the perfect time to finish revealing Pewter Report’s 2026 Midseason Awards. On Tuesday, we published a story with Tampa Bay’s team MVPs on offense, defense, and special teams.

On Wednesday, Pewter Report revealed the best rookie, best free agent acquisition, the newcomer of the year and the unsung player of the year. Now we’ll finish the Midseason Awards with the most improved and most disappointing on offense and defense, plus the best individual performance of the year and the best wins and losses of the year – so far.

On Thursday, Pewter Report identifies the most improved players on offense and defense as well as the most disappointing players on both sides of the ball.

2026 Bucs Midseason Awards

Most Improved Offensive Player – RB Bucky Irving

This one is Bucky Irving – by a mile. After last year’s disappointing and injury-riddled season in which Tampa Bay’s star running back ran for just 588 yards and one touchdown while averaging 3.4 yards per carry, Irving is back with a vengeance. After running for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie in 2024, Irving is on pace to have a career year – and possibly break a big record.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Irving has 825 yards and seven touchdowns through the first nine games of the 2026 campaign. He’s averaging 91.7 yards per game and is the league’s fourth-best running back in terms of yards this season. Irving is on pace for 1,558 yards rushing this year and that would break James Wilder’s franchise single-season record of 1,544 yards during his Pro Bowl year back in 1984.

Wilder also set the franchise record for single-season rushing touchdowns that year with 13 and that could be matched or set by Irving down the stretch. The only thing Irving isn’t doing as well as he did during his rookie season is his yards-per-carry average. Irving averaged 5.4 yards per carry in 2024 and is averaging 4.9 yards per carry this year. Still, he was leading the charge in Tampa Bay’s 324-yard rushing record performance versus Atlanta with a career-high 170 yards.

Most Improved Defensive Player – CB Zyon McCollum

What a difference a year makes for Zyon McCollum, who looks night and day different from a year ago when he was being heavily criticized for poor play after signing a three-year contract extension worth $16 million per year. Now McCollum looks like a bargain as he’s tied for the team lead with four interceptions and also has 11 pass breakups.

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

McCollum had just one pick last year and allowed a career-high five touchdowns. He’s allowed just one touchdown so far through nine games and is coming off his first multi-pick game at Chicago on Sunday Night Football. McCollum is truly playing at a Pro Bowl level and has shut down the likes of Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, Green Bay’s Christian Watson, Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb, Carolina’s Tetairoa McMillan and Atlanta’s Drake London.

McCollum has responded well to the challenges presented by new cornerbacks coach Rashad Johnson, who is 20 years younger than his predecessor Kevin Ross. Johnson has McCollum more focused and locked in play to play, and is also preparing better for games each week with his film study.

Most Disappointing Offensive Player – QB Baker Mayfield

Unfortunately for the Bucs, there are several contenders for this dubious distinction. Emeka Egbuka being a shell of his former self with just 31 catches for 278 yards (9.0 avg.) and two touchdowns in seven games this year after catching 40 passes for 677 yards (16.9 avg.) and six touchdowns in the first nine games of his rookie season. Chris Godwin Jr. has been an afterthought, catching 29 passes for 259 yards with no touchdowns at age 30.

Bears DE Austin Booker and Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But Baker Mayfield’s season is the most disappointing so far, and not just because he missed three games with a thumb injury. It’s because he’s played poorly in the six games he’s started since signing his $165 million contract extension. Mayfield looks nothing like a $55 million per year quarterback, and the Bucs blundered by giving him this contract extension early when he already said he would play out his contract year – even though he was disappointed that a deal didn’t get done sooner.

Granted, Zac Robinson’s passing game does not appear to be a good fit at all for Mayfield. The Bucs’ passing game ranks dead last in the league, averaging just 141.3 yards per game. Mayfield has completed 60.6% of his passes for 922 yards and is averaging a paltry 6.5 yards per attempt with three touchdowns and four interceptions, along with three fumbles and a rushing score. If the Bucs are going to win the NFC South, South Mayfield must play better down the stretch and prove he’s worth his new deal.

Most Disappointing Defensive Player – DT Calijah Kancey

Lo and behold, Calijah Kancey has been fully healthy all year and hasn’t missed a single game due to injury. That’s great news for a talented player who has missed parts of each season due to soft tissue injuries, including all but three games last year due to a torn pectoral muscle.

Bears QB Caleb Williams and Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Despite missing nearly four games, Kancey recorded four sacks during his rookie season in 2023 and added another one in the playoff loss at Detroit with 45 pressures. The next year, Kancey missed five games but had a career-high and team leading 7.5 sacks and 40 pressures. The NFL is a production-based business, and through nine games Kancey has registered just 12 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and only half a sack despite notching 18 pressures. Thankfully, he also has a scoop-and-score touchdown on a fumble return.

That’s the same amount of tackles that backup defensive tackle Elijah Roberts has on the season. Remember, the Bucs already picked up Kancey’s fifth-year option next year and he’s set to make just under $15 million. That’s a huge pay increase for a guy that gets close to the quarterback but doesn’t finish, and it may not be warranted.

Best Individual Performance – ILB Josiah Trotter at Cincinnati

There have been several great individual performances so far this year. Bucky Irving’s 170-yard rushing day vs. Atlanta and his 165-yard two touchdown game at Dallas come to mind. There was Yaya Diaby’s three-sack game at Carolina, Alex Anzalone’s two-pick game versus Atlanta and Zyon McCollum’s two-INT game at Chicago.

But the best individual performance goes to Josiah Trotter, who had 11 tackles in his first game with the Buccaneers, plus his first sack and a pick-six on Joe Burrow. That was one heck of an NFL debut and a catalyst to him leading the team in tackles with 76 – on pace for 161 this season.

Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Best Play of the Year – Bucky Irving’s 76-yard run vs. Dallas

Again, there have been lots of great plays to choose from. Calijah Kancey’s scoop-and-score touchdown at Carolina and Josiah Trotter’s pick-six at Cincinnati are certainly in the running. But Bucky Irving’s career-long 76 run was a thing of beauty and helped key his 165-yard rushing performance in the team’s first win of the season at Dallas.

Irving made multiple Cowboys defenders miss and ripped off a huge run that set up Emeka Egbuka’s 14-yard end-around touchdown on the next play. Irving has been the best player on offense, so it’s only natural that he turns in the best play of the year.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Best Win of the Year – Bucs’ 16-0 Victory vs. Falcons

There have only been three to choose from, and the 30-point annihilation of the Panthers in Carolina by a score of 43-13 was heavily considered. That was a game in which all three phases came together and played great football in a Buccaneers victory. But there was something about that 16-0 shutout win versus the Falcons that takes the honor.

The Bucs made history rushing for a franchise-record 324 yards that day and getting four takeaways on defense, picking off Michael Penix Jr. four times in a rain-soaked affair. Tampa Bay had a pair of 100-yard rushers with 170 yards from Bucky Irving and 140 yards from Kenny Gainwell and Baker Mayfield didn’t even complete a pass in an absolute monsoon.

Bucs RB Kenny Gainwell – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Worst Loss of the Year – Bucs’ 27-24 Loss at Chicago

All six of the Bucs’ losses have been close, one-score games. And it was a shame Tampa Bay blew double-digit fourth quarter leads against both Cleveland at home in Week 2, 23-19, and at home against Pittsburgh in Week 6, 26-19 in overtime. But that loss at Chicago on Sunday Night Football really stings.

The Bucs ran for 126 yards and the defense recorded five takeaways, picking off Caleb Williams four times. And the offense only generated 10 points off those five takeaways, which was absurd. Throw in the fact that Baker Mayfield threw two interceptions, including a pick-six in the second half, and that was a winnable game that slipped away from Tampa Bay.

Bears DE Austin Booker and Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect