The Bucs have played nine games and have produced a disappointing 4-5 record, including a three-game losing streak heading into a huge game against the 4-4 49ers game on Sunday. With eight games left, it’s time to dish out some Pewter Report midseason awards.

Bucs Midseason MVPs

Let’s take a look at the best of the best in Tampa Bay so far as the Bucs try to get back to .500 with a win over the visiting 49ers in Week 10.

Bucs Offensive MVP – QB Baker Mayfield

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and TE Cade Otton – Photo by: USA Today

Left tackle Tristan Wirfs and quarterback Baker Mayfield could be the Bucs’ lone Pro Bowlers this year. Wirfs has been dominant in pass protection, but the year Mayfield is having with his league-leading 23 touchdown passes with nine interceptions is even more impressive. Mayfield, who has been a perfect fit in Liam Coen’s offensive scheme, got rewarded with a big, three-year contract worth $100 million and the biggest question entering this season in Tampa Bay was, “Can he do it again?”

The Bucs’ captain of the ship has certainly delivered and is having an even better statistical season, and he’s even thrown a combined five touchdowns in the last two games without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Mayfield needs to keep his interceptions to a minimum or simply not throw them, as was the case in Kansas City on Monday night. If he can creep his touchdown-to-interception up from 2:1 to 3:1, the Bucs have a chance of winning more games down the stretch – as long as the defense improves. His 71.4% completion percentage is a career-best and he’s on pace to throw for well over 4,000 yards again.

Bucs Defensive MVP – CB Zyon McCollum

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs gambled in trading away starting cornerback Carlton Davis III, whose skills were in decline, with an eye on promoting Zyon McCollum to the starting lineup to replace him. So far, it’s paid off in a big way. McCollum is the highest-graded Bucs defender with an 86.8 overall Pro Football Focus grade, and his 88.2 PFF coverage grade is the best among cornerbacks with at least 15 pass coverage snaps. McCollum is everything the Bucs hoped he would become this season – a true shutdown cornerback.

Not only does McCollum lead the Bucs with 10 pass breakups on the year, he also has two of the team’s five interceptions. He’s only allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 51.2% of their passes in his direction. Outside of a bad game against Baltimore, McCollum hasn’t had a game with a PFF coverage grade lower than 71 since Week 1. If there’s one fault to his game, it’s that he’s surrendered four touchdowns this season, but only one in the last four games. McCollum only surrendered three passing TDs in all of last season.

Bucs Special Teams MVP – K Chase McLaughlin

Bucs K Chase McLaughlin – Photo by: USA Today

This one’s easy. Chase McLaughlin has been not only the best special teams player for the Bucs this year, he’s also been Tampa Bay’s best kicker in franchise history. After making 93.5% of his field goals (29-of-31) last year in his first season in red and pewter, the Bucs re-signed McLaughlin to much-deserved multi-year extension in the offseason.

The 28-year old kicker has rewarded the Bucs by connecting on 93.3% of his field goals this season (14-of-15). Known for his incredible range, McLaughlin is perfect under 50 yards, but is also 6-of-7 this year from 50 yards or beyond. Last year, he was 7-of-8 from 50+. Nicknamed “Money McLaughlin,” he has only missed one extra point in Tampa Bay, which came on a blocked PAT in the team’s rout of Philadelphia. Even though the ball was scooped and scored for two points, it wasn’t fatal.

The Other Best Bucs At Midseason

These Bucs deserve recognition for some good-to-great individual play through the team’s disappointing 4-5 start.

Best Rookie – RB Bucky Irving

Bucs RB Bucky Irving and Ravens ILB Roquan Smith – Photo by: USA Today

With apologies to center Graham Barton, the team’s first-round pick, running back Bucky Irving has been the best the best rookie from this year’s draft class. The fourth-round pick leads Tampa Bay in rushing with 419 yards and three touchdowns along with a 5.0 average. Irving also has three runs of 30 yards or longer, in addition to catching 23 passes for 174 yards.

With chants of “Bucky! Bucky! Bucky!” at Raymond James Stadium since ripping off a 31-yard jaunt against Washington, Irving has quickly become a Tampa Bay fan favorite. His uncanny ability to make defenders miss and his toughness between the tackles has essentially made him the team’s starting running back, supplanting Rachaad White or at least splitting carries with him.

Best Free Agent Acquisition – LG Ben Bredeson

Bucs G Ben Bredeson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Ben Bredeson has solidified the left guard position in Tampa Bay, which was the obvious weakness along the offensive line a year ago. Bredeson truly has been solid and has been slightly better than last year’s combination of Matt Feiler and Aaron Stinnie – neither of whom were re-signed this offseason. Bredenson was signed to a one-year, prove-it deal and has proved to be a good, short-term investment so far.

Pro Football Focus hasn’t been kind to Bredeson, as his overall blocking grade is 55.1. He’s still the least talented lineman on the team, but left guard isn’t as weak as it was a year ago. He’s filling his role as a stop-gap solution at left guard until either Elijah Klein is ready to step up or the Bucs wind up drafting another guard to replace Bredeson.

Newcomer of the Year – NCB Tykee Smith

Bucs DB Tykee Smith – Photo by: USA Today

Although Bucky Irving is the top rookie in Tampa Bay, Bucs nickelback Tykee Smith isn’t far behind. Lauded for his savviness and his high football I.Q., Smith has quickly grasped Todd Bowles defense and turned into a playmaking force in the secondary. He leads the team with three forced fumbles on the year, including one that led to a scoop-and-score by safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in New Orleans in Week 6.

Smith also excels in coverage and has one interception and a 69 Pro Football Focus coverage grade in the eight games he’s suited up for this season. Playing in the slot isn’t easy for a rookie, as many of the Bucs’ opponents have had their best receivers play in the slot. But Smith has proven to be up for the challenge and has some Winfield-type playmaking traits about him.

Unsung Player of the Year – LG Cody Mauch

Bucs RG Cody Mauch – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs expected Cody Mauch to make big strides in his second season as the team’s starting right guard and he’s delivered. As one of the team’s most improved players, Mauch has learned well from new offensive line coaches Kevin Carberry and Bryan Picucci. Gone are the days of wildly inconsistent reps and he’s become truly a solid and ascending player.

After hitting the weight room hard in the offseason to transform his body, Mauch started off the year slow, earning an average pass protection grade of 54.2, according to Pro Football Focus. Over the last five games, Mauch’s average pass pro grade has been 84.2 with a low of only 78.3 – and he’s done so facing the likes of Kansas City’s Chris Jones and Baltimore’s Nnamdi Madebuike among others. Plus, Mauch has improved as a run blocker and it’s showing in Tampa Bay’s run game production.

Most Improved And Most Disappointing Bucs

Like Pewter Report does after every game – win or lose – let’s examine the most disappointing Bucs players and the most impressive players – but from an improvement standpoint from a year ago.

Most Improved Offensive Player – TE Cade Otton

Bucs TE Cade Otton Photo by: USA Today

Tampa Bay tight end Cade Otton had a tremendous training camp, catching everything in sight from Baker Mayfield. Yet because Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were the top two options in the passing game, Otton was often battling with the Bucs’ rotating No. 3 receiver and Rachaad White for targets. With Godwin out for the year and Evans out through the bye week, Otton has moved up the target ladder and is currently Mayfield’s go-to-guy. And Otton is delivering Pro Bowl-caliber numbers.

Through the first six weeks of the season, Otton produced a combined 19 catches for 163 yards and a touchdown. Over the last three weeks when the team has been without Godwin and Evans, he’s caught 25 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 86 yards per game, including his first 100-yard game versus Baltimore. Not only has he emerged as a receiver, but he’s also improved quite a bit as a blocker.

Most Improved Defensive Player – DT Vita Vea

Bucs DT Vita Vea and Saints QB Spencer Rattler – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs were excited to hear that defensive tackle Vita Vea was taking his conditioning and training even more seriously this offseason. No one in the media knows the exact amount of weight he’s lost, but Vea looks at least 20 pounds lighter than he did a year ago. That has translated into Vea becoming even more effective as a run stopper and pass rusher. Vea’s athleticism and ability was on full display in Kansas City when he recorded a career-best two sacks against Patrick Mahomes and a career-high 10 tackles.

Vea is pushing cornerback Zyon McCollium for the honors of Bucs Defensive MVP this year with the type of season he’s having so far. Vea has stayed healthy and has missed just one game and leads the team with five sacks. The 29-year old Vea had 5.5 sacks last year, and with a strong finish over the last eight games, he could eclipse his career high of 6.5 that he produced two years when he also led Tampa Bay in quarterback captures.

Most Disappointing Offensive Player – WR Jalen McMillan

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs had high hopes for wide receiver Jalen McMillan, a third-round pick out of Washington back in April. After an impressive training camp and preseason in which he earned the starting Z receiver (flanker) position in Tampa Bay’s three-receiver set, McMillan has underwhelmed. While his first career catch was a touchdown in a Week 1 win versus Washington, McMillan has just 10 catches for 109 yards on the season and has split time as WR3 with Sterling Shepard and Trey Palmer as a result.

Adding injury to insult, McMillan missed two games with a hamstring injury in Weeks 4-5 and then another game in Week 9 at Kansas City with his hamstring flaring up again. Baker Mayfield came out with some strong words about McMillan not being prepared to play after the loss to the Chiefs, and it’s clear the rookie has some growing up to do in terms of becoming a professional. It’s way too early to give up on McMillan, but he deserves to be named the Most Disappointing Offensive Player so far.

Most Disappointing Defensive Player – SS Jordan Whitehead

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce and Bucs SS Jordan Whitehead – Photo by: USA Today

Maybe he’s been playing injured or maybe he’s just having a bad year, but outside of the play of inside linebacker K.J. Britt, no Bucs defender has played worse than strong safety Jordan Whitehead. What makes Whitehead’s season thus far even worse than Britt’s is that Whitehead’s return was supposed to solve the team’s issues at strong safety. Whitehead played for Todd Bowles and next to Antoine Winfield Jr. for years, helping the team win Super Bowl LV.

But Whitehead has been a liability in coverage and has not made any splash plays in his return to Tampa Bay. Since Week 2 in Detroit, Whitehead’s game has gone downhill. He has a 59.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and a 57 coverage grade. Whitehead signed a two-year, $9 million contract this offeason and he’s proven to be no better than last year’s starting strong safety Ryan Neal, which is a major disappointment.

The Best And Worst Of 2024 – So Far

Here are my picks for the best and worst team and individual efforts of the 2024 season at the midway point.

Best Individual Performance – RB Sean Tucker at New Orleans

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

With apologies to quarterback Baker Mayfield and his four-touchdown performance against Washington in Week 1, Sean Tucker’s 192-yard explosion at New Orleans in Week 6 came out of nowhere and shocked not only Tampa Bay but the entire NFL. Tucker, who was backing up Bucky Irving with Rachaad White out for the Saints game, finished with 136 yards and a touchdown on the ground as well as three catches for 56 yards and another touchdown. That performance, which was the Bucs’ only 100-yard rushing day of the year thus far, earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Unfortunately, Tucker has only seen a few carries here or there since then. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen is right when he says that White and Irving are also capable backs and it’s tough to get all three runners involved. But Tucker has a 7.2-yard rushing average this year, and a 13.9-yard receiving average as well. Simply put, he needs to get more action because he’s the fastest and most explosive weapon the team has on offense.

Best Win of the Year – 20-16 Win At Detroit

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

After a 37-20 Week 1 win over Washington, Tampa Bay headed to Detroit with revenge on its mind in Week 2. Last year, the Lions ended the Bucs’ playoff run in the NFC Divisional round in addition to winning in Tampa Bay back in Week 6. Lions quarterback Jared Goff has been a thorn in the Bucs’ side since his days with the Los Angeles Rams, so getting a 20-16 win and picking off Goff twice was quite a feat.

Todd Bowles’ defense played exceptionally well in Detroit, but has only played that well on two other occasions since then – a Week 4 win over Philadelphia and a Week 6 win at New Orleans. That game showed just how well the Bucs defense can play when it’s healthy, tackles well and plays tight coverage. It’s a shame we haven’t seen more of it.

Best Play of the Year – FS Antoine Winfield’s Scoop-And-Score At New Orleans

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin’s touchdown at Detroit or any of Bucky Irving’s three 30-plus runs were also in the running, but there was something fitting about Antoine Winfield Jr.’s scoop-and-score against the Saints in his return to action after missing four games with a foot injury he suffered at the end of the win over Washington. That play featured two other key elements that helped the Bucs get a much-needed win over New Orleans following a loss at Atlanta.

Rookie cornerback Tykee Smith, who leads the team with three forced fumbles, punched the ball out of Chris Olave’s hands just as cornerback Zyon McCollum delivered a huge hit on the Saints wide receiver. McCollum’s blow gave Olave a concussion and knocked New Orleans’ primary weapon out of action for the rest of the game. Winfield saw the ball on the field and scooped it and raced 58 yards for his first NFL touchdown. That helped give the Bucs a 17-0 lead en route to a 51-27 rout of the Saints.

Worst Individual Performance – KJ Britt at Atlanta

Bucs ILBs K.J. Britt and Lavonte David – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

There are plenty of candidates for this award, unfortunately. And most of them are on the defensive side of the ball. Bucs strong safety Jordan Whitehead was downright terrible against Baltimore. Outside linebacker Yaya Diaby was invisible outside of a few pressures against Washington, and didn’t record a single statistic. Cornerback Josh Hayes gave up two touchdowns at Kansas City trying to guard DeAndre Hopkins. But inside linebacker K.J. Britt has been so consistently bad this year that he deserves this distinction.

Britt has a team-low 41.5 Pro Football Focus grade this year, and according to PFF, his worst-graded game was actually against versus Denver at 29.2. But Britt played a big role in getting exposed in coverage at Atlanta in Week 5 as Kirk Cousins repeatedly targeted the middle of the field over and over in Britt’s direction. Britt’s grade for the Falcons game was 44.2 overall and 46.5 in coverage. For the season, Britt has a 36.9 coverage grade and has played a big role in Tampa Bay giving up massive amounts of passing yards as well as allowing 30 points or more in each of the Bucs’ last four losses.

Worst Loss of the Year – 36-30 OT Loss at Atlanta

Falcons WR KhaDarel Hodge – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

The Bucs had a win over the Falcons in their grasp until the very end of regulation. Kirk Cousins had been carving up Tampa Bay’s defense all game until late in the fourth quarter. Defensive tackle Logan Hall had sacked Cousins twice, including just before the Falcons QB threw a late interception to Lavonte David on fourth-and-15 with less than two minutes left. But the Bucs couldn’t run out the clock or get in field goal range after a penalty. And the refs missed a costly facemask penalty on a Falcons linebacker who grabbed Bucky Irving’s facemask while making a tackle.

The Falcons got the ball back, drove down the field and kicked a game-tying field goal. Atlanta won the coin toss and Cousins threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game to win it and finished with a Falcons-record 509 yards passing against Todd Bowles’ defense. That crushing, come-from-behind win, coupled with a 31-26 win in Tampa Bay, allowed the Falcons to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the NFC South.

Predicted Record Down The Stretch

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes are in a precarious place. A loss to the 49ers on Sunday drops the team to 4-6 on the season and makes a playoff push much more difficult. A win over San Francisco greatly helps Tampa Bay’s postseason aspirations.

A very favorable stretch awaits the Bucs after the bye week as just one team – the 5-3 Los Angeles Chargers – has a winning record. But can Tampa Bay’s defense improve enough to stop allowing 30 points per game? And will the return of Mike Evans and Jamel Dean be enough for the Bucs to win enough games to get to 10 victories? It seems like that’s the number Tampa Bay has to hit with seven teams in the NFC having winning records and three others at 4-4 right now.

If the Bucs lose to the 49ers, they’ll have to go 6-1 down the stretch to reach 10 wins. They’ll have a slightly bigger margin for error if the team is 5-5 heading into the bye week, as a 5-2 mark after the bye can get them to a 10-7 record.

Yet somehow this feels like a 9-8 finish for the Bucs, as the team has really struggled on defense and with injuries throughout the year. So whether it’s a loss to the 49ers and a 5-2 mark down the stretch, or a win versus San Francisco but a near-.500 record after the bye, it just feels like Tampa Bay falls short at the end until we see enough evidence to change our mind.