Coach Lovie Smith got his first home win in Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers won a game of swings, outlasting the Jacksonville Jaguars 38-31. Here is what we learned.
- Doug Martin was fantastic. The diminutive back dominated Sunday's contest cracking off gashing runs of 39, 20, 19, 14 and 13 yards on a 123-yard rushing day. He added 35 receiving yards and scored three total touchdowns. When Martin gets creases from his offensive line he displays burst, quick cuts and an ability to break tackles on the second level. It was refreshing to watch.
- With Martin carrying the load successfully, Jameis Winston didn't have to do much other than not throw the game away. The rookie can clearly gun it when protected, but still gets flustered under pressure. His feet also get lazy in traffic. Winston got lucky when a bonehead fumble was overturned. The rook is still a work in progress and needs the run game to be the focal point.
- The Jags' offense with Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, T.J. Yeldon and the return of Julius Thomas is going to be fun to watch. Bortles was slinging it when he wasn't getting crushed in the pocket. Bortles threw darts, compiling 303 passing yards and four touchdowns. He still makes his share of headshaking plays when pressured. I'd like to see the Jags move his launch point more to help overcome the sieve of an offensive line.
- In the battle of two poor offensive lines, it was clear that the Bucs had a better defensive front, sacking Bortles six times. The pressure was the difference in the game. The Jags couldn't get consistent push with their front four.
- T.J. Yeldon shows patience and wiggle, but he can't overcome the poor blocking in front of him -- 11 carries for 32 yards. It was Bortles-or-bust all game for the Jags' offense.
- The Bucs' defense is bad. The back end got consistently picked apart. Big special teams returns and a defensive score set up the win for Lovie Smith. However, the Bucs' brass can't be happy watching a defensive head coach have his unit torched week after week.
- It was a game of extreme runs as the Bucs scored 13-straight points at one portion of the first half. The Jags answered with a 17-point run. The Bucs then used an 18-point swing to take the lead for good.
