Fab 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• Another reason why Tampa Bay must win against Cleveland at home on Sunday? The Browns are the NFL’s worst road team, losing 23 straight games away from Cleveland. The last time Cleveland won a road game was a 33-30 overtime win at Baltimore on October 11, 2015. That’s over three years ago.

Browns head coach Hue Jackson and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Getty Images

The Browns have come close several times, most recently losing in overtime, 45-42, at Oakland on September 30 of this year. In fact, the Browns have had three overtime games this year, the most in the NFL, and are 1-1-1 in those contests. Cleveland’s lone overtime win came with a 12-9 victory against Baltimore on the heels of their overtime defeat at Oakland. The Browns opened the 2018 campaign with a 21-21 tie with Pittsburgh at home.

It’s crazy, but the Browns have had seven overtime games in the past three years under head coach Hue Jackson, but are just 1-5-1 in those contests. No team has had more overtime games than Cleveland over that span. Jackson, who took over in 2016, is still searching for his first road win as the Browns head coach. The Bucs are trying to make sure that doesn’t occur on Sunday in Tampa Bay.

DRAFT DIAMOND – PENN STATE CB AMANI ORUWARIYE
PewterReport.com is the undisputed leader in Bucs draft coverage each year. During the 2018 draft, we accurately forecasted the selection of three Tampa Bay draft picks as defensive tackle Vita Vea, offensive lineman Alex Cappa and wide receiver Justin Watson were all Bucs’ Best Bets.

Draft season for the PewterReport.com staff starts in September as we do a great deal of scouting during college football season. Trevor Sikkema, who also provides content for TheDraftNetwork.com, will provide SR’s Fab 5 with a weekly segment called Draft Diamond where we focus on a different draft prospect each week. This week’s Draft Diamond is Penn State CB Amani Oruwariye.

Oruwariye stands at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds. He’s a redshirt senior, who has had plenty of game experience, but until this season, that never garnered a starting role. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been able to make his impact, though, as he has recorded seven interceptions in his career prior to this season. In 2018, he’s been the Nittany Lions’ top outside cornerback.

Oruwariye is a true outside cornerback. He plays both the left and right side of the field, and has shown he is comfortable with shadow assignments in man coverage, as well as Cover 3 zone coverage roles on the outside. He has the mentality and length to be a press corner, but his technique needs work in that area, especially with his hands and when to fight of wide receivers.

The Tampa native (he attended Gaither High School) has the size to get it done on the outside, and his athleticism is not a liability, as can sometimes be the case with bigger cornerbacks. He has good ball skills and challenges passes well in the air. Right now he seems to be a late first-round or early second-round cornerback that the Bucs could truly use on the outside without limitations.

For more on Oruwariye and many other draft prospects, make sure you’re visiting TheDraftNetwork.com and following @DraftNetworkLLC on Twitter.

• Bucs football season is here (so is Tampa Bay Lightning season!) and if you want to buy a new Tampa Bay jersey – or college football apparel – there is only one place to turn and that’s Fanatics.com. PewterReport.com has partnered once again with Fanatics.com to provide our readers with the best online shopping experience and widest array of team merchandise and apparel found on the Internet.

The best part about it is that when you click on the Fanatics.com banners or links on PewterReport.com a portion of the sale goes to PewterReport.com to help pay for operating costs of the website you’ve come to love and trust for your Bucs news. So whether it’s NFL, college football, college basketball, NHL or MLB gear you are looking for, you’ll find it at Fanatics.com where they have the retro Starter pullover jackets now in stock. Click here and shop today.

• The @PewterReport Twitter account hit a milestone as we eclipsed 30,000 Twitter followers at the start of the Bucs’ regular season. Now we’re nearing 30,700 followers. Join us, Pewter Nation, and make sure you are following PewterReport.com on Twitter so you don’t miss out Bucs press conference and interview footage as well as breaking news and injury updates. To follow @PewterReport on Twitter please click here, and to follow us on Facebook please click here.

PewterReport.com is also updating our @PewterReport Instagram account more regularly this season. Make sure you are following @PewterReport on Instagram and you can do so by clicking here.

Former Browns DE Carl Nassib – Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

• With Vinny Curry out this week with an ankle sprain – he was in a cast and on a scooter at One Buccaneer Place this week – defensive end Carl Nassib will be counted on to provide more pass rush on Sunday, and motivation shouldn’t be a problem. Nassib was drafted in the third round by Cleveland in 2016 and featured on Hard Knocks this year prior to be released during the roster cut-downs following training camp and the preseason.

“Yeah, we’re excited, it’s the next game on the list so we want to be 1-0,” Nassib said, downplaying the fact that he will be playing his former team. “I’m excited to go out there and help my team win as much as I can. it’s going to be interesting going to see my old friends and guys that I’ve been with there. I’m just going to go out there and try to get a W.”

• As you may know, we’ve recorded 100 episodes of the Pewter Nation Podcast – and for some strange reason we’ve decided to call our latest show Episode 100 Part 3. Pewter Report.com’s Mark Cook, Trevor Sikkema and Scott Reynolds provide plenty of pre-game Bucs vs. Browns discussion in addition to some humor and entertainment in Pewter Nation Podcast Ep100 Part 3: Are The Bucs The Browns Of The NFC?

If you missed out on Episode 100 Part 2, which was an excellent blend of wit and Bucs insight, you must listen to it as it was one of the most listened to podcasts of the year as the Pewter Reporters discussed Mike Smith’s ouster as defensive coordinator on Monday. You can hear Pewter Nation Podcast Ep100 Part 2: Mike Smith Out As DC by clicking this link.

Listening to the Pewter Nation Podcasts on your drive home from work on Fridays or on Saturdays while doing some chores around the house or running errands this weekend is just smart. So do it. The next Pewter Nation Podcast will be taped immediately after the Bucs – Browns game, so stay tuned for the post-game thoughts from Sikkema, Cook and yours truly as Tampa Bay tries to improve to 3-3 and avoid a four-game losing streak.

The popularity of the Pewter Nation Podcast continues to grow. In addition to listening to the Pewter Nation Podcasts on PewterReport.com you can also subscribe to the free podcasts at PodBean by clicking here and on SoundCloud by clicking here. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode.

• In last week’s SR’s Fab 5, I chronicled how wide receiver Mike Evans was on the verge of becoming the Bucs’ all-time leading receiver with his first 14 receiving yards in Atlanta, in addition to threatening several other Tampa Bay receiving and scoring records in the future. This week I wanted to let you know that quarterback Jameis Winston is on the verge of making some history of his own.

Winston surpassed Doug Williams on the Bucs’ career passing touchdown list last week when he threw for four touchdowns in Atlanta. Winston now has 75 career touchdowns since joining the team in 2015. Williams had 73 from 1978-82.

Bucs QB Jameis Winston – Photo by: Getty Images

With just three more touchdown passes, which could come on Sunday against Cleveland, Winston will surpass Vinny Testaverde, who had 77 TDs from 1987-92. Tampa Bay’s all-time touchdown leader is Josh Freeman, who tossed 80 from 2009-13. Winston needs just six touchdowns to become the Bucs’ all-time TD passer, which should happen later this year.

Winston did break a record on Sunday with nine career games with at least three touchdowns, breaking the previous mark of eight, which was set by Brad Johnson. Winston now has three career games with at least four touchdown passes and can tie Johnson’s record of four with one more.

Winston passed for 395 yards last week in Atlanta and now has 12 career 300-yard games, which is tied with Testaverde for the franchise record in that category. Winston’s QB rating was over 100 in Atlanta, which marked the 15th time that has happened in his career, which is a new Bucs record.

• After not catching a pass in the first two weeks of the season, Bucs tight end Cameron Brate has caught three touchdowns over the past three games and is tied for the team lead with wide receivers Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson and Chris Godwin in that category. The only problem is that the Bucs are now 0-3 this season in which Brate has a catch and a touchdown.

Bucs TE Cameron Brate – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“So at my own personal expense, shoot, I’d rather win,” Brate laughed when I told him of that dubious distinction. “Absolutely, so the last couple of weeks have been hard for me in that aspect.”

Since 2016, Brate is tied with Minnesota’s Kyle Rudolph and Green Bay’s Jimmy Graham for the league lead in touchdowns among tight ends with 17.