Emeka Egbuka Showing He Can Adjust
November 10th, 2025
Emeka Egbuka skips into the end zone yesterday for a touchdown.
It looked awfully easy for Bucs rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka early in the year. That’s because defenses were paranoid about Mike Evans and Bucky Irving.
Those guys didn’t last long as they both got injured and are still on the shelf. The Bucs are collecting all sorts of rabbit’s feet hoping Evans can return in December. Bucky? He’s still a mystery.
And along the way, when Chris Godwin returned from his torn-up ankle, he lasted just over a game with only 14 targets. His return, too, is cloaked in mystery and intrigue.
Initially, without those guys, defenses took Egbuka out. But like everything in the NFL, it’s a game of adjustments.
A week off at the bye did a hamstring good for Egbuka. Now healthy again, Egbuka looked like a No. 1 receiver yesterday. This Bucs team would be in sad shape without him.
After the game, Joe asked Egbuka how defenses have defended him differently with so many changes in the Bucs’ lineup.
“Varies from game to game,” Egbuka said. “Seeing some of the best corners like I saw today, [Christian] Gonzalez following me around.
“Double-coverage versus Detroit, a lot. Lot of shell and other sub[packages] versus the Saints. So it depends on their game plan.”
Mostly, Egbuka smoothly handled the adjustments. He’s on pace for 10 touchdowns. By comparison, only eight receivers in the NFL had 10 touchdowns last year.
Evans, as a rookie, had 12 touchdown catches.
Egbuka, who currently has 677 yards receiving, is on pace to finish with 1,203 yards receiving if he’s able to stay on the field.
For Bucs star receivers this season, that’s a dicey proposition at best.
November 10th, 2025 at 7:35 am
Looks like our best option is Tez at WR2, no idea if he can be that guy
November 10th, 2025 at 7:38 am
Todd Bowles shamed Tampa yesterday.
November 10th, 2025 at 7:39 am
Why do you write about anything else except the incompetence pf our coaching stuff?
November 10th, 2025 at 8:07 am
Pats smoothly adjusted their coverages on Egbuka in the 2nd half and basically took Emeka out of the equation , except for the garbage time 21 yard reception after the outcome was all but decided.
Egbuka cannot carry this team on offense. If you are under heavy pressure on most passing downs the normal remedies are draw plays and screen passes-how many of those types of plays did you see from the Bucs offense yesterday?
November 10th, 2025 at 8:11 am
The ball was being forced to him all game, and he got a third of the targets, but only caught half of them for 6 catches which is only 21% of the completions Mayfield had.
The rookie is good, but I don’t like force feeding him
November 10th, 2025 at 8:21 am
Gonna have to go hard after WR/TE in the draft and FA in the offseason.
DON’T even count on ME or CG to be a factor going forward.
Baker didn’t have ANYONE to throw to yesterday and the passing game was SHUTDOWN .
That is the game plan DC’s will be using for the rest of the season.
November 10th, 2025 at 8:24 am
If only we have a coach and OC that is competent enough to create plays that will make ways for Egbuka to be open. 🤦🏻♂️
November 10th, 2025 at 8:26 am
They double him every play. Unless someone ELSE pops up to counteract that, gonna be a long season for EE
November 10th, 2025 at 8:36 am
Thank God JL drafted him!!! Credit where credit is due. We ARE in first place despite the horrific injuries
November 10th, 2025 at 8:37 am
Bake was definitely force-feeding EE, Tez can make plays, surely. Payne Durham at 6’7″ can be a weapon in the red zone. Where is Culp? When Mike and Chris were out last year, Bake spread the ball around and we saw Culp and Miller make plays, do the coaches and Baker not trust them.