3 Up, 3 Down From Bucs Win vs. Lions

See who shined and who struggled in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 2 win over the Detroit Lions.

Sep 15, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum (27) celebrates after interception Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) on the Lions first offensive play of the game in the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers put the NFL on notice with a thrilling 20-16 win over the Detroit Lions in Motor City. Down several starters, the Bucs overcame adversity and even more injuries as they lost Pro Bowl nose tackle Vita Vea in the game to hang a dub in Motown. An amazing game plan by Todd Bowles and execution by the defense helped pave the way for the Buccaneer victory, holding a very explosive Lions offense to just 16 points and coming up with several key stops in critical situations.

This Bucs team had so many players putting amazing effort into their win. Quarterback Baker Mayfield put the team on his back and scrambled for a team-leading 34 yards and scored a rushing touchdown of his own. SirVicea Dennis was all over the field and made several crucial tackles at the end of the game. Jordan Whitehead led the team in tackles with 11 and was a heat-seeking missile, coming up with two tackles for a loss and teaming with Izien for a huge stop when the Lions were knocking on the door late in the fourth quarter. It's hard to narrow down who deserves to be listed as this week's "3 Up" players, but here are the ones who stood out to me along with the players and positions that struggled.

3 Up

CB Zyon McCollum

After clearing concussion protocol just in time to play in the Bucs' Week 2 matchup against the Lions, McCollum made his presence felt immediately. On Detroit's first offensive play of the game, McCollum jumped a route to pick off Lions quarterback Jared Goff. The Bucs turned the turnover into three points and an early lead. Later in the third quarter, McCollum came away with a near pick that was pulled out of his hands by receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. McCollum was solid in coverage and run support and finished the game with six tackles and four pass deflections, including a huge one on Jameson Williams when the Lions were trying to score in the fourth quarter.

WR Chris Godwin

Godwin picked up right where he left off from Week 1. He scored his second touchdown of the season on a 41-yard catch-and-run that was a beautifully designed play call by offensive coordinator Liam Coen. His first three receptions went for 17, 18 and 19 yards respectively and he had four grabs that went for first downs. Godwin finished the game with seven receptions for 117 yards and a score.

DB Christian Izien

Izien was faced with the tall task of replacing All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and stepped up to the challenge. A late pick took potential points off the board, but more so his coverage and run support was excellent on the day. Izien looked at home playing at safety where he played in college and with the game he played, he should have found a place in the rotation on defense in the secondary. Izien teamed with Whitehead to make the game-saving tackle on fourth down with the Lions inside the red zone. He finished with nine tackles, two pass breakups and an interception.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Survive Detroit Lions 20-16

3 Down

RG Cody Mauch

It was not Mauch's week as he struggled to handle the Lions' defensive tackles. He had an early false start and allowed a strip sack to a looping Aidan Hutchinson when the Bucs were at the two-yard line. He had his hands full with Lions Levi Onwuzurike and D.J. Reader and wasn't able to provide much push in the run game. He did have a nice pickup on Baker Mayfield's first down run in the fourth quarter that led to a touchdown.

RT Justin Skule

Boy, did the Bucs miss starting right tackle Luke Goedeke. After holding Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson in check last season with just four pressures in two games, he missed the Week 2 contest with a concussion. In his stead, Skule was thrust into the starting job and to say he struggled with Hutchinson would be putting it mildly. Skule was beaten badly for a 12-yard sack on the second drive and gave up another on the ensuing series. He then allowed another sack on third down in the third quarter and gave up his fourth sack of the game in the fourth quarter. Skule did have a solid rep on Mayfield's scramble for a first down on third down that set up the Bucs' go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter.

Bucs Run Game

The Bucs could not get anything established on the ground against the Lions. They finished with just 70 yards rushing, with most of it coming from quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield finished with 34 yards and made some scrambles, even putting linebacker Malcom Rodriguez on skates on his way to a designed quarterback run for a touchdown. As for the running back room, it was tough sledding. Rachaad White finished with just 18 yards on 10 carries, while Bucky Irving finished with seven runs for 22 yards.

READ MORE: Baker Mayfield Hits Chris Godwin For 41-yard TD vs. Lions

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