Buccaneers 'fortunate' for Tez Johnson amid WR injury crisis
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can't catch a break when it comes to injuries on the offensive side of the ball against the San Francisco 49ers, already without Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield lost Emeka Egbuka in the third quarter.
But it didn't matter.
Why? Tez Johnson.
The rookie has stepped up in the last two weeks, with yards totals of 59 and then 45, with his game against the 49ers seeing him haul in his first NFL touchdown with a diving catch, before doing a backflip in the endzone.
And speaking about Tez, Buccaneers receivers coach Bryan McClendon was nothing but glowing about Johnson from the first time he saw him to now.
“The first thing that jumped off when you watch Tez coming out of college was his ability to create explosive plays,” McClendon said. “Defenses are way too good to go eight, nine, 10 plays in a row without you screwing up something on offense. So, you need guys that you're constantly looking for that can create those explosive plays on their own, and that was something that jumped off the tape about Tez.
"He impressed everybody through the interview process, and we're fired up to get him and even more fortunate right now to be able to have him.”
Tez set for another big role vs. Lions
With Godwin already out of the Week 7 clash, and Evans, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, stating that Evans has a real chance at playing, Tez might again see the field often.
Having taken his chance with both hands, Johnson is now developing chemistry with Mayfield, and we can add him to the long list of weapons that Baker can now dissect defenses with. He also gives Tampa Bay a deep threat option on every play, with his touchdown against the 49ers, a 45-yard bomb.
So, if Evans can't go, the Buccaneers will feel confident in the receivers they have to get the job done, and one will be Tez, who, after biding his time, has gotten his chance, and he's not wasting it.
And for a rookie, that is exactly what the coaching staff wants.
Effort and execution leading to early success for Bruins
The Bruins have looked like a different team under head coach Marco Sturm. The Bruins are off to a hot start with a 3-1 record. And it looks like the Bruins are executing on Marco Sturm’s plan of being difficult to play against. Through the first couple of games, it's obvious that this team is not a high-scoring offense that will dazzle with flashy goals. Instead, this team can win games by treating every game like it’s a game 7 in the playoffs. By playing a strong defensive game that wears down opponents, this team can win many one or two-goal games.
This approach fits what Cam Neely said about how the Bruins needed more 'piss and vinegar' when constructing the team this year. "I thought our guys did a really good job of putting a roster together that is going to give us that piss and vinegar, and it’s going to be hard to play against, and teams aren’t going to enjoy it,” That is the message that was sent to the players and has really resonated so far this season.
There is a noticeable difference in how this team is playing now when compared to the uninspired play at the end of last season. The effort has been there from start to finish in almost every game. Even in the loss against Tampa on October 13th, the Bruins did not give up. This was obvious in the effort shown by David Pastrnak when he had an incredible save in front of the Bruins’ empty net to preserve the team’s chances of tying the game. Pastrnak also threw a huge hit on Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov in the same shift as he was going for the empty net.
Another positive for the Bruins and Marco Sturm's system has been the effectiveness of the depth forwards. The Bruins are not just seeing offense from Pastrnak, who has been great to start the season with 5 points in the first four games. In fact, there are only three players on Boston’s roster without at least a point through the first four games.
This includes Mason Lohrei, Marat Khusnutdinov, and Hampus Lindholm, who have been injured since the first period of game 2 against the Chicago Blackhawks. Lindholm's injury also led to Haverill, Massachusetts native Jordan Harris stepping up and recording two points in his first two games this season. This next man up mentality really speaks volumes about how solid the team system has been so far.
Sturm has also not been afraid of using his depth to his advantage. Sturm has often deployed his fourth line against his opponent’s top lines and has been able to shut them down effectively. This creates better line matchups that favor the Bruins and allows them to play their top line, with Pastrnak, against other teams’ second and third lines. Having veterans like Sean Kuraly and Mark Kastelic, who are responsible defensively, allows them to match up against tougher offensive opponents and shut them down.
There is no doubt that the Bruins are buying into Sturm’s system, and it appears that the players that make up this roster are fitting in perfectly. Although still a very small sample size through just the first couple of games, if the team can maintain this effort for the season they may see a lot of success going forward.
