Bucs at Browns: Most Impressive Players In Week 12

The Bucs leave Cleveland banged up after having what looked to be a victory turn into a brutal 23-17 overtime loss to the Browns. It was a game that had plenty of ups and downs on both sides of the ball. But despite the loss, Tampa Bay should still have some positives to take away from Week 12. Here is who impressed the most on Sunday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium. 

QB Tom Brady

It was an efficient afternoon for the legendary quarterback. Brady completed 67.4% of his attempts and had two touchdown passes on the day, with one to wide receiver Chris Godwin and another to versatile rookie Ko Kieft. He played turnover-free football, limiting his mistakes and bad passes to a minimum. He found most of his success in short throws and moved the ball down the field patiently. His day did get worse as it went on and his numbers are not MVP-level like they were last year, but he is doing enough to put the team in a position to win more games than not.

WR Chris Godwin

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: USA Today

Much of Brady’s efficiency was thanks to Godwin’s impressive day. While fellow wide receiver Mike Evans was quiet throughout the game, Godwin was not. Instead, he was the focal point of the Bucs’ aerial attack from the start, having the only touchdown for the team in the first half. He would finish the game by catching 12 of the 13 passes thrown his way for 110 yards and that touchdown. While his 9.2 yards per catch aren’t up to his old standards, Godwin shined with his ability to catch everything thrown his way.

FB/TE/ST Ko Kieft 

What can’t this rookie out of Minnesota do? He has carved out a role as a key special teams tackler, a de-facto fullback and a tight end option. The unheralded rookie scored the first touchdown of his career on Sunday, lining up as a fullback before breaking right to make the catch to give them a third-quarter lead:

CB Jamel Dean

Bucs CB Jamel Dean and Browns WR Amari Cooper – Photo by: USA Today

Before Amari Cooper’s long catch to seal the win for the Browns, he was held most of the day to very limited production. That is due to the play of Jamel Dean, who had an outstanding day in coverage on the Browns’ best weapon. He held Cooper to under 50 yards before that play by playing tight coverage and breaking up any passes thrown near him. It continues the string of solid games Dean has put together in his contract year, something that may have priced him out of Tampa Bay next year. 

OLB Anthony Nelson

Nelson had a nice game Sunday. Not only did he have two tackles for loss, but one of those included his third sack of the year. His play does not fill the void of Shaq Barrett, who is out for the year, but he has been a nice contributor. 

S Keanu Neal

What Neal failed to accomplish on wrapping up Brissett on Nelson’s sack, he ended up getting on the same drive with a teammate. He paired up with rookie Logan Hall on 3rd & 9 to sack Brissett, closing out the Browns’ drive and giving the Bucs the ball back to start the fourth quarter. Neal had a nice game overall, filling in various roles when safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was out of action. He finished with eight total tackles, the split sack and two quarterback hits. Head coach Todd Bowles likes to use his secondary in blitz packages, and it was Neal who shined in this role Sunday. 

Bucs Specialists

Kicker Ryan Succop and punter Jake Camarda each have a strong case to make the Pro Bowl as specialists, cases strengthened by their performance against the Browns. Succop converted his only field goal attempt, adding to his great season so far. For Camarda, he continues to show off his cannon in launching long punts, two of which went for 62 and 63 yards, while another pinned the Browns inside the 5-yard line late in the game. While many contenders struggle to build up their special teams units, these two are as reliable as they come as members of the Bucs. 

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