Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Studs and duds vs. Rams in Week 4

Jameis Winston and a litany of other studs led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a big road win over the Rams in Week 4 and almost no duds ruined the moment.

After losing a game against the New York Giants in which they led by 18 points after the first half, Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans were left to wonder if the team, despite improvements on both sides of the ball, has what it took to win close games in the NFL.

However, after Sunday’s 55-40 win against the NFC-favorite Los Angeles Rams, the Buccaneers left no doubt that they can compete with the best in the league. Whenever the Rams scored and edged closer to tying the game, the Buccaneers offense did what was not done the week prior: score in order to ensure that they held the lead.

But what was notably different in Tampa Bay’s Week 4 performance was the ability of the Buccaneers defense to capitalize on the Rams’ mistakes and get turnovers, even if they weren’t able to stop them entirely.

Despite giving up a huge amount of yardage and 33 points, the team made up for it through strong defensive play, finishing with two sacks, three interceptions, a forced fumble and a touchdown: not bad for a defense that was ranked one of the worst in the league last year, especially with regard to creating turnovers.

Coming off of a big win in which they hung 55 points on the defending NFC champions, there are obviously going to be more standout players than those who disappointed. Nonetheless, let’s review the studs and duds for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after moving to 2-2 with a road win against the Rams.