4 players who must step up for Buccaneers in Week 4
By Josh Hill
Cody Mauch and Matt Feiler, OL
Last season was an utter disaster up front for the Bucs. Offensive line issues sank the team's chances, whether it was injuries or substandard play from the guys who filled in. It's a brand new year, but four weeks into the season things don't feel like they're much better on the offensive line.
Rookie Cody Mauch and veteran Matt Feiler were two of the lowest-graded players in Monday night's loss, according to PFF. Mauch received a 48.7 while Feiler posted a 41.0 grade.
Yuck.
Nothing seemed to go right, but a lot of the woes can be attributed to those two guys struggling as bad as they did. Mauch was drafted to be another anchor for the future, with the idea being he could play alongside Tristan Wirfs and fortify a strong offensive line. Feiler was brought in to add a veteran presence while also filling in a key spot at a position the Bucs needed to upgrade.
Through the first two weeks, both Mauch and Feiler have been fine, but things haven't been as outstanding as they should be. The biggest failure is happening in the run game, where the offensive line isn't really helping make things easier on a unit that is already struggling as it is.
Mauch and Feiler have their work cut out for them in Week 4 against an aggressive and extremely talented Saints defensive line. Not only do they need to help smooth things over for the run game, but they'll need to work to protect Baker Mayfield and avoid pressures the way we saw them do the first two weeks.