Buccaneers takeaways: Jameis Winston crumbles in overtime

Kwon makes a statement

Before kickoff, The Pewter Plank wrote a post about players that needed to step up against the Browns. Kwon Alexander was one of those players.

Alexander not only stepped up, but he had his best game of the season. He racked up seven tackles and a pass defense. He crushed a handful of Browns receivers coming over the middle, making impact plays that Bucs fans have become accustomed to.

Sadly, Alexander may have suffered a torn ACL in the contest. He is the heart of the Buccaneers defense. The amount of emotion his teammates displayed when he went down was eye-opening.

The entire defense went right to his side; it was apparent how important he is not only as a talented player but a leader. He gets the calls into his headset, and when he is out, the defense will have a massive hole right in the middle.

Running game falters again

Buccaneers running backs have found tough sledding on the ground all year and Week 7 was no different. Winston led all Tampa Bay rushers with a touchdown and 55 yards on the ground.

Starting running back, Peyton Barber netted 30 yards on the ground on 11 attempts. The Browns swarmed Barber behind the line of scrimmage, forcing him to miss a tackle to make it back to the line of scrimmage.

The lone bright moment came when Ronald Jones dove into the end zone for his first NFL score. The rookie was quiet otherwise, gaining 13 yards on six carries.

It’s beginning to become apparent when the Bucs are going to run the ball. Typically, the Bucs will try an inside run on first down for a minimal game and let Winston throw for the first down on the next two plays.

Aside from the bland first down runs, the Bucs rarely get creative. They did on occasion on Sunday, and it led to a touchdown scamper for DeSean Jackson. Perhaps a trick play could open up the rushing attack more next week.