The Pewter Plank
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Buccaneers: Week three winners and losers versus Vikings

By Michael Horan

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 17: Head coach Dirk Koetter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on from the sidelines during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on September 17, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 17: Head coach Dirk Koetter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on from the sidelines during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on September 17, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 24: DeSean Jackson of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers carries the ball in the first half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings on September 24, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 24: DeSean Jackson of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers carries the ball in the first half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings on September 24, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /

Winners

DeSean Jackson and the Buccaneers pass catchers

The Buccaneer offense struggled mightily against the Vikings, but it wasn’t the fault of the wide receivers and tight ends. Jameis Winston was erratic most of the day, and got bailed out by the clutch hands of Adam Humphries, DeSean Jackson, Cameron Brate and Mike Evans.

Humphries had himself one of the more impressive games of his entire career and was sure handed on several tough passes from Jameis Winston. He finished the game with six catches for 68, and the degree of difficulty on some of the catches was extremely high. Mike Evans faced off with cornerback Xavier Rhodes and came away with a 7 catch, 67 yard line, which is low for his standard, but impressive given the struggles of his quarterback.

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Last but not least, Cameron Brate made one of the gutsiest plays you’ll ever see when he caught a contested touchdown while down big on the scoreboard. In ugly games like this you want to see what guys are putting it all on the line, and Brate was one of those guys. The reliable Bucs tight-end took a brutal blow to the head but secured the pass and scored six for the 12th time of his career.

Gerald McCoy

The Buccaneer defense wasn’t able to get much pressure on quarterback Case Keenum, but Gerald McCoy played a solid game all the same. McCoy was his usual self shedding tackles and bursting into the backfield to force a change of direction into other defenders. He only finished with two tackles, but in a game where Tampa’s defense was run over, I thought McCoy came to play.

It wasn’t just McCoy’s play that got him on this list, though. What really impressed me was McCoy the person. Not only did he send a positive message personally by not allowing the presidents’ insane words to change his routine, McCoy played through what looked to be a painful leg injury. With the game out of hand early in the season McCoy had every reason in the world to hang it up and call it a day, but instead he stuck it out and stayed out there with his teammates. Though his leadership qualities have been questioned in the past, I thought today McCoy showed how good a teammate he is.

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