The Bucs played great complimentary football on the way to a 45-20 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, with plays on both sides of the ball. The Bucs saw another offensive outburst from Tom Brady, who threw for four touchdowns and rushed for one of his own, while the defense capitalized with an interception and three sacks.
Here are the most impressive player from the Bucs’ victory.
QB Tom Brady
You think Tom Brady is getting more comfortable in this offense? Brady didn’t have too many issues finding whoever the open receiver was, and he found plenty of them. You don’t orchestrate several long drives and score 45 points without your quarterback in command, and that’s all that Brady did for the entirety of the game. He ended the afternoon completing 33 of 45 passes for 369 yards, four passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown of his own after a patented Brady quarterback sneak.
TE Rob Gronkowski
Reasonably there were concerns that Rob Gronkowski was just a shell of himself after his return to the NFL from a year of retirement, but over the last two weeks the veteran tight end has wiped away those concerns. Gronkowski was once again a focal point of the offense, making his mark by scoring a touchdown for the second straight week. He finished the game with five catches for 62 yards and a score.
WR Chris Godwin
Over the past two weeks it has been easy to see what a difference Chris Godwin makes in the Bucs offense. Godwin is so reliable in any situation that even though he missed two weeks before playing last Sunday, Brady is very comfortable throwing to him. Godwin led the team in receptions with nine while recording 88 yards and a touchdown.
WR Scotty Miller
Miller had just one catch for six yards over the two previous games, while dealing with a couple lower body injuries. On Sunday, he showed why he should be taken seriously as a downfield threat in the Bucs offense. Miller had the first 100-yard receiving game of his career, leading the team with 109 yards while hauling in a highlight reel 33-yard touchdown reception just before halftime.
LB Devin White
It felt like White was in on almost every tackle on Sunday. White looked like he was shot out of a cannon whether he was attacking the run or blitzing against Derek Carr. The second-year linebacker out of LSU was everywhere for the Bucs, notching a career-best three sacks along with 11 tackles to lead the Bucs’ defense.
S Mike Edwards
Bruce Arians has dubbed Edwards a “ballhawk”, and now it’s easy to see why. Edwards had one interception in the game that was taken back by penalty, and a tipped pass that led to an interception by Antoine Winfield Jr. Edwards may not see the field all the time, but he’s making plays every time he does.
DT Steve McLendon
McLendon was able to join practice on Friday, so it was impressive to see what he was able to do with limited preparation. When in the game, McLendon led all interior defensive linemen with five tackles and one tackle-for-loss. There’s no replacing Vita Vea, but McLendon is a valuable option as a replacement on the Bucs’ defense.