Buccaneers vs Panthers: Five game-changing players for Week 8

O.J. Howard

He still isn’t getting a whole lot of targets, but rookie tight end O.J. Howard is starting to arrive for the Buccaneers. The Alabama product had his biggest game of the year on Sunday against the Bills, catching all six of his targets for 98 yards and two touchdowns. He now has three touchdowns on the year. Both of his scores came at crucial times for Tampa Bay, helping the offense put together a strong second half.

The first few weeks of the season were somewhat quiet for Howard, but the Bucs were likely just easing him into the NFL. Especially with the consistency of Cameron Brate, Jameis Winston hasn’t had to rely on the rookie too much. But now that he is showing his reliability and coming into his own, he may get more passes thrown his way. If he continues to grow into a legitimate threat, the Buccaneer offense will be that much more dangerous. A big game on Sunday against Carolina would be big not only for him, but also the team as a whole. This team needs a win, and it might as well turn to a somewhat overlooked asset of the offense.

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It’s baffling that opposing defenses are somehow losing the 6-foot-6 Howard. His first touchdown of the year came on a 58-yard pass that saw him get wide open. On Sunday, his third of the year came on another play that saw him get wide open again. The nearest defender was literally 20 yards away. However he does it, Howard continues to get behind the defense. If he can do that some more on Sunday, the Tampa Bay offense will be in good shape.

Who do you think will change the outcome of Sunday’s game, Bucs fans? Let us know in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.