When fully healthy, the Bucs have the best receiving corps in the NFL. The problem is, that hasn’t been the case for much of the season. The Bucs lost Antonio Brown to an ankle/foot injury in Week 6, causing the star receiver to miss the past three games. With Brown on the field, the Bucs are 5-0 this season. Without him, the team is 1-3. His absence isn’t the only reason for the dismal record, but it was a big part of Sunday’s struggles against Washington.

Speaking on Bucs Total Access this week, head coach Bruce Arians was clear the team needs more from the No. 3 wide receiver spot.

“The No. 3 receiver, whoever it might be, needs to step up,” Arians said. “Whether it’s Tyler (Johnson), BP (Breshad Perriman), whoever it is right now. Jaelon (Darden). Antonio is a No. 1 [receiver], but he’s a third option sometimes. When he gets singled, he’s gonna win. When those guys are getting singled, they gotta win.”

“Winning” was a struggle for Tyler Johnson on Sunday, as I wrote about in this week’s Bucs Briefing. The second-year receiver had a difficult time creating separation due to his lack of speed and burst. Johnson’s game could be improved with better attention to detail, but he’ll never offer what Brown does. With Chris Godwin less than 100 percent against Washington, Johnson’s struggles were magnified.

Bucs WR Jaelon Darden and WFT CB William Jackson III – Photo by: USA Today

It wasn’t just Johnson either. Rookie Jaelon Darden got a handle of offensive snaps and did catch a 29-yarder. But Darden’s first quarter drop-turned-interception was a brutal mistake. The Bucs also played with a ton of two tight end sets, and both O.J. Howard and Cam Brate struggled to get open. Brate finished with one catch for a six-yard touchdown. Howard had zero targets.

In Bruce Arians’ offense, the wide receiver position is critical. He doesn’t scheme guys open as often as Sean McVay or Matt Lafleur does, so it’s critical that receivers are able to win one-on-one. When Tampa Bay is down on talent at the position, it hurts their offense a lot. Getting Brown and Scotty Miller back in the coming weeks will be key for the Bucs offense.

You can listen to the spectacular entirety of Bucs Total Access with team reporter Casey Phillips right here.