Game Balls: Which Buccaneers Stood Out in Win Over Cowboys?
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 19-3 on Sunday Night Football to start the 2022 NFL Season.
This means we get to celebrate Victory Monday here at BucsGameday, and we're doing so by awarding some game balls to the most deserving of Buccaneer's contributors to their first win of the new season.
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David Harrison: My game ball is going to 'Love To See It Lenny' - running back, Leonard Fournette.
Going back to the short-lived, but loudly discussed overweight issue prior to training camp, we couldn't wait for Fournette to get on the field and show everyone their concerns were overblown.
In Week 1, he did just that to the tune of 127 yards on the ground in just 21 carries. And he added 10 yards receiving for good measure.
Love to see it.
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Caleb Skinner: My game is going to cornerback, Carlton Davis III.
Davis may not have had many "splash" plays, but it was his ability to shut down Dallas' main weapons on the outside in Noah Brown and CeeDee Lamb. According to Next Gen Stats, Davis allowed just two catches for 25 yards on 9 targets as the closest defender - while limiting Brown and Lamb to 0 catches on 5 targets.
Throughout the offseason, there were murmurs of Davis taking the next step to becoming one of the top cornerbacks in the league and he is off to a hot start helping lead this Bucs' secondary. He will have a much tougher matchup in Week 2 when he will face off with Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, and Jarvis Landry in New Orleans.
Collin Haalboom: I'm giving my game ball to Robert Hainsey.
In his first career start at center, Robert Hainsey had big shoes to fill. When Ryan Jensen went down with a knee injury early in training camp, Hainsey was suddenly thrust into a crucial role in Tom Brady's offense, with no previous experience. In his first start of the season, he didn't disappoint. In fact, he impressed.
Hainsey played all 62 snaps on offense and didn't commit a penalty or give up a sack. A lot of eyes were on Hainsey coming into this game, and not just because it was in primetime vs. the Dallas Cowboys. The Bucs were favored by less than a field goal in this contest, and that's because of the question marks facing their new-look interior offensive line. Robert Hainsey emphatically answered those questions in Week 1, by performing extremely well against a solid defensive front.
READ MORE: Micah Parsons Calls Out Leonard Fournette After Loss to Buccaneers
Jon Conahan: I will be giving my game ball to Leonard Fournette.
After an offseason where people seemed to be doubting him, Leonard Fournette showed up when the Buccaneers needed him most. I was impressed with a few other guys, but if Lenny can continue running the football as he did on Sunday, the Buccaneers are going to be nearly unbeatable when it matters most.
Fournette has been a good back in this league in his career, but there's no debate that we have more questions about him rather than Tom Brady, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin. That isn't a knock on Fournette, but more so how elite those guys have been. He was incredible on Sunday night and has a real opportunity to continue doing that throughout the season.
Dustin Lewis: I will be giving my game ball to Julio Jones
It would've been cliche to continue picking Leonard Fournette but that's who I probably would've gone with. However, one of the newest Buccaneers and veteran wide receiver, Julio Jones, made his debut with Tampa Bay on Sunday night. Jones pulled down three passes for 69 yards and two rushes for 17 yards.
The former Atlanta Falcon was already primed to play a big role in the Buccaneers' passing attack. That will grow even more now with Chris Godwin expected to miss a few games with a hamstring injury. It's been up and down for Jones over the last two years. He looked like his old self against the Cowboys.
Maddox Nebel: My game ball is going to LB Devin White
Since the staff took care of the offensive performers my game ball shines a light on the great start for Devin White. The impressive linebacker tallied seven total tackles including two sacks.
The Buccaneer defense shined against the Dallas Cowboys which should give them a large boost of confidence due to the Cowboy's offensive production last year.
Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the season.
