Buccaneers Stock Report Following Victory Over Colts
It wasn't pretty, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers created enough momentum in the second half to come back and defeat the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 38-31 on Sunday.
Although the process wasn't what the Buccaneers wanted, the result is all that matters. And in fairness, several players and units put together impressive performances that helped lead to the victory, although some players and units also took a step back.
WIth that said, we bring you the weekly AllBucs stock report.
Stock Up
Leonard Fournette: When you score four touchdowns in one game, your stock skyrockets. It's as simple as that.
After a three-game stretch of 108 rushing yards and zero touchdowns combined, Fournette was the reason the Bucs won on Sunday, no doubt about it. He finished with 131 yards from scrimmage on 24 touches, averaging nearly 5.5 yards per play, scoring three times on the ground and once through the air.
Pierre Desir: Desir sealed the game with an interception on the final play, a Hail Mary pass from Carson Wentz to rising star receiver Michael Pittman Jr. It was a sweet moment for a cornerback that Tampa Bay signed off the street when the 2021 season began.
An even sweeter aspect of Desir's game-winning pick: It came against his former team, as Desir spent three seasons with the Colts from 2017-19 and emerged as a full-time starter during that time.
Now, Desir is filling a valuable depth role in Tampa Bay's secondary and has stepped up numerous times while the unit has dealt with injuries, including Jamel Dean's shoulder ailment on Sunday. In his role, Desir has tallied 18 tackles, two interceptions and three defended passes.
Rob Gronkowski: Gronkowski appears to have full recovered from his multi-week ribs/back injury as he's combined for 13 receptions for 194 yards since his Week 11 return to the lineup. Leading Tampa Bay in yardage and tied with Fournette for the lead in receptions on Sunday, Gronkowski's stock is approaching its early-season status. Now, he just needs to score some touchdowns.
Turnover defense: The Colts entered Week 12 with the best turnover differential in the NFL, thanks to a disruptive defense and an offense that avoided mistakes in the first half of the season. That wasn't the case as much on Sunday: Sure, Tampa Bay committed two turnovers offensively, but the Bucs' defense created five: Three fumbles and two interceptions off of Wentz. The Buccaneers' offense turned four of those turnovers into a total of 24 points, 17 of which in the second half while putting together a comeback.
Stock Down
Nick Leverett and the Buccaneers' OL depth: Down Ali Marpet due to an abdomen injury, the Buccaneers turned to Aaron Stinnie at left guard. That move lasted all of ten snaps before Stinnie injured his knee which required an MRI this week, which resulted in Nick Leverett, a second-year pro, filling in among the starting five on the offensive line. The results weren't pretty, as Leverett gave up a sack and four quarterback pressures throughout the game, per Pro Football Focus.
Not only are the Bucs now down two starting-caliber linemen (Stinnie has proven as much dating back to last postseason), their next option was clearly overwhelmed in his first game action. If neither Marpet nor Stinnie can go this week, the hope is Leverett bounes back strong, otherwise, Tampa Bay could resort to rookie center Robert Hainsey at guard.
Third down offense: Tampa Bay got into a deficit early in this game as it struggled to move the ball. The Bucs opened up 0-of-4 on third down and didn't score its first points of the game until the beginning of the second quarter, only to follow that drive with a Tom Brady interception. At halftime, the Buccaneers were down ten points.
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