6 winners (and 3 losers) from Buccaneers 37-20 win over Commanders

The vibes are immaculate for the Buccaneers after a blowout win to start the season.
More than a few Tampa Bay Buccaneers players stepped up in the team's 37-20 win over the Washington Commanders in Week 1.
More than a few Tampa Bay Buccaneers players stepped up in the team's 37-20 win over the Washington Commanders in Week 1. / Kevin Sabitus/GettyImages
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Winner: Chris Godwin

In just one game, Chris Godwin went from being on the side of a milk carton to finding the endzone faster than he did last season. Everything about his Sunday felt like a re-introduction into the Buccaneers offense, as we hadn't seen this version of Godwin in a long time.

This was one of the best parts of the game Liam Coen called, as he used Godwin in the Cooper Kupp role from his days of calling Sean McVay's offense, and the results were masterful. Godwin finished as Tampa Bay's leading receiver, posting 83 yards and scoring a touchdown.

It was a return to form for a guy who is one of the best receivers in football, and it seems he's on a mission to remind everyone of that in a contract season.

Winner: Jalen McMillan

MIke Evans and Chris Godwin looked like vintage versions of themselves on Sunday, and rookie Jalen McMillan fit right in alongside them. It was a bit of a slow start for him, as McMillan missed an easy touchdown pass on the Bucs first drive of the game, but that didn't stop him from eventually settling in and making an impact.

He reeled in a 32-yard touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield late in the game to help put the win away, and it's hopefully the first of many dimes we see him catch. McMillan has sort of been overlooked when talking about Evans and Godwin's impact on the offense, but he proved straight away that he's going to be a big part of a three-headed receiving monster.

Loser: Dave Canales

It took exactly one game for the Buccaneers to realize they won't miss Dave Canales on the sideline.

He played a major role in helping Tampa Bay find its footing in the post-Tom Brady, post-Byron Leftwich era, but it's no coincidence that the shortcomings Canales had not being present on Sunday resulted in the team scoring more points than it did when he was running the offense.

It wasn't just the final point total that stands out, it's how smoothly the offense ran that is the biggest difference between what we saw last year and what happened on Sunday. There was healthy distribution of the ball between Mike Evans and Chris Godwin -- each combining for 14 receptions and two touchdowns -- and the run game got gooing as well.

Tampa Bay finished with 112 yards on the ground and 289 yards through the air, but at no point were either parts of the offense in conflict with one another. That seemed to be the case at times last year, and Liam Coen took one game to figure out that running the offense through Evans and Godwin is a winning strategy.

It also doesn't help Canales that the Buccaneers offense thriving without him is in contrast with the Panthers getting blown out 47-10.

Winner: Baker Mayfield

Nobody had a better afternoon than Baker Mayfield, full stop.

For all that everyone else on offense did, Baker cooked up a performance that flies in the face of his doubters and installs serious confidence that he can be trusted to improve this season. That was the biggest lingering question after he signed a $100 million contract in March, and so far he's living up to the hype.

Baker finished Sunday 24-for-30 with 289 yards and four touchdowns, a statline that roasts the narrative that bringing him back didn't move the needle enough to make the Bucs favorites in the nFC South.

Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins threw two interceptions and fewer than 160 yards in a loss, Bryce Young completed only 13 passes and two to the wrong team, and Derek Carr had the blessing of playing the Panthers. Baker, by far, had not only the best Sunday of any NFC South quarterback but one of the best performances of the week.

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