Buccaneers vs Seahawks: Five Game-Changing Players

Cecil Shorts

The Bucs have seen a lot of injuries this season, especially to their wide receivers. As a result, they’ve needed some background guys to step up as frequent targets. Cecil Shorts struggled to get going for weeks, but finally played a big part in last week’s win over the Chiefs. He caught five passes on seven targets for 62 yards. If he can stay involved this week, it would be a nice plus for the Tampa Bay offense.

The Seattle secondary will certainly have much of its focus on Mike Evans, which could leave some opportunities for the Bucs’ supporting cast. Adam Humphries, Russell Shepard and Cameron Brate will see their fair share of targets, but with Shorts flying under the radar, it might be wise of Tampa Bay to look his way on Sunday. With as much talent as the Seahawks have on defense, whoever covers Shorts will still be solid. But with Richard Sherman likely focused more on Evans, Shorts could see a lot of targets once again.

The Bucs need their supporting receivers to show up on Sunday. This game is not one that Evans can win on his own. Shorts, among others, will need to be at his best if Tampa Bay wants to head into December with a 6-5 record.