Winning beats numbers.

Bucs rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka has cooled down of late.

Everybody saw early in the season what Joe had seen through underwear football and training camp with Egbuka. He is a stud.

But right about the time the Bucs started suffering injuries to their wide receivers, Egbuka’s numbers began to stagnate. Joe believes that’s when Egbuka had to become a No. 1` receiver out of necessity and teams were focused on taking him out, that’s when he began to tail off.

That’s a tough ask for a rookie, no matter how talented he may be.

Joe asked Egbuka last week if Chris Godwin’s return to the field helped take defensive pressure off him. Joe learned very quickly Egbuka isn’t fond of putting himself above the team.

“It just goes team to team, honestly,” Egbuka said about how defenses focus on him. “So obviously, as a defensive coordinator, especially once we get guys like Mike Evans back on the field, it’s going to be tough to cover everybody.

“So, you know, I leave [how best defenses can cover him] that up to them, up to their game plan. And, you know, like I said, it changes each week based on what we’ve seen coverage and who’s healthy and whatnot.”

Joe was taken aback and followed up asking Egbuka if Godwin getting back on the field was a benefit to him because defenses had to account for Godwin, too. Egbuka knew what Joe was asking, but he was uncomfortable talking about himself over the Bucs.

“All we’re looking for is a win each and every time we step on the field,” Egbuka said. “So you know, whether the coverage is on me or not, or it’s more on Chris or … whatever the case may be, that’s going to open up [for] Bucky Irving.

“So just when you have so many weapons like that, you know, just makes it difficult for a D-coordinator.”

In other words, Egbuka said  it’s not about him, his targets or his numbers. It’s about how the Bucs can win.