Each week following every Bucs game, we’ll take a closer look at the snap count distribution for Tampa Bay on offense and defense. We’ll assess what we can learn from who played the most and least in the game.

Let’s get a closer look at the Bucs players who received the highest and lowest number of snaps in their 31-26 loss to the Falcons on Monday Night Football in which injuries to star wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin may impact the rest of their season.

Bucs Offense

It is downright shocking how little Sean Tucker played in yesterday’s game at seven snaps and 10%. Two weeks ago Tucker was the NFC Player Of The Week, and all of a sudden he can’t hit the field? It’s even more surprising considering that Bucky Irving was coming into the game with a toe injury and yet Tampa Bay didn’t limit him at all. A three-headed running back monster? Not at all. Because the Bucs chose to do it that way. Rachaad White and Bucky Irving split the snaps 41-31 or 56% to 42% so the two of them were leveraged out fairly.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

We were all curious to see how the wide receivers would shake out with no Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. I thought Sterling Shepard was going to be WR1, but based on the percentages, he was actually used less than Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer. McMillan played the most at 81% and Palmer wasn’t that far behind at 70% with Shepard at 62%, None of these receivers made a gigantic impact. It was actually Rakim Jarrett who flexed the most considering he was in for 27% of the game. He led all Bucs’ wide receivers with three catches for 58 receiving yards.

Jarrett would have led the whole Bucs team in receiving had it not been for tight end Cade Otton. If you didn’t know, it was National Tight Ends Day yesterday and Otton balled out. He made a career-high nine catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns as the leading force in the passing game for Tampa Bay. Surprisingly, he played less than he typically does at a 93% rate. It’s crazy to say he plays more than that number, but that just shows how important he is to the team, especially with others out for the time being.

Bucs Defense

Cornerback Tyrek Funderburk started the game on the opposite side of Zyon McCollum. But after he got burnt like toast a couple of times in coverage, head coach Todd Bowles made the switch and put in Josh Hayes, who did a much better job. Funderburk was in for 42% while Hayes was in for 52%.

Falcons WR Darnell Mooney and Bucs CB Tyrek Funderburk and ILB K.J. Britt – Photo by: USA Today

Throughout the weeks we’ve all been clamoring to see inside linebacker J.J. Russell to see the field in really any capacity. Well, we saw J.J. Russell but it was at the expense of losing Lavonte David for a little bit. David is typically one of the players who play 100% of the snaps, but he faired out to 87% because of it.

Considering how it all went, Russell played just 11% but it should have been more to replace the other linebacker, K.J. Britt. At 97%, Britt was hardly off of the field and only trailed McCollum and Antoine Winfield Jr. in playing time as they were on for the whole game and 100%. Is Britt responsible for the Bucs allowing 31 points? Well, he’s a huge part of it.

I’m not sure what’s going on at outside linebacker for the Bucs at the moment. For the second week in a row, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka out-snapped second-year edge rusher Yaya Diaby 63% to 61% and it was just by one snap. It shouldn’t even have to come down to one extra play, in no world should JTS be playing more or even close to the same amount of time that Diaby is in.

There’s a good chance this is Tryon-Shoyinka’s last season in Tampa Bay. The Bucs are attempting to get Yaya Diaby on track but at this point, he’s showing that he’s better as the second edge rusher rather than the top guy. The Bucs don’t have a lot of answers on defense and apparently outside linebacker is another discussion.

All of the other rotations looked similar to what Tampa Bay typically does. Defensive lineman Earnest Brown IV played less than Will Gholston after playing more than him the week before, so that was a slight adjustment. After that, though, it was a similar grouping and another game where the defense was a big issue.