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Buccaneers: Bucs to watch against the Packers in week 13

By Sean Eck

GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 15: Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up prior to a game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on October 15, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 15: Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up prior to a game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on October 15, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 18: Center Joe Hawley of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prepares to snap the football during the NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 18, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Buccaneers 40-7. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 18: Center Joe Hawley of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prepares to snap the football during the NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 18, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Buccaneers 40-7. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Joe Hawley

Hawley is no stranger to the NFL landscape as he has 52 career starts.  This includes fifteen starts just last season before Ali Marpet being moved to center.

This season Hawley has only played in a single game, but his familiarity with Jameis Winston should help the transition.  Until this season Hawley had been Winston’s starting center for all but three of his career games.

If you’ve ever been to a Buccaneers game, you won’t immediately notice Hawley.  What you will see is a bearded individual running lap after lap around the stadium.

While Hawley had not been set to play, he continues this routine as if he was going to be in the game on every snap.  Mental preparedness is a huge thing for a center and having continuity in your pregame can go a long way towards having a solid performance in the game.

At the beginning of the season, there was a lot of talk about how deep the Buccaneers were at the interior line positions.  Unfortunately, the Bucs now have to find out if that was a statement of fact or if it was just speculation for the upcoming season.

We know from experience that Hawley has been able to hold his own and everyone in the Buccaneers organization is hoping for the best as he tries to reconnect his chemistry with Winston as well as the rest of the offensive line this week.

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