Chris Godwin Gave Bucs Confidence Late In The Season
June 7th, 2026
Still has it.
When people ask KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles of Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht about the Bucs’ passing game, specifically in the wake of Mike Evans leaving, part of the reason the Bucs are confident they shall overcome is that Chris Godwin made plays late last season that suggest Godwin will be ready to rock and roll come September.
Bucs types point to how well Godwin played late in the season when he too came back from injuries. Specifically, his rebuilt ankle.
So last night Joe was studying what NextGen Stats calls “Incredible YAC.” Not yards after contact but yards after catch.
It’s a bunch of stat-geeky gobbledygook that basically measures the most YAC a receiver has on a play where maybe he shouldn’t have even made the catch, forget about extending the play and gaining extra yards.
Per NextGen Stats, Godwin had the 10th-biggest/unexpected YAC play of the season and it came against the tanking Dolphins in the second-last game of the year. Per NextGen Stats, Godwin should have only gained maybe 11 yards. He ended up with 59.
Godwin also caught a five-yard touchdown pass in that game with a Dolphins receiver all over Godwin like stink on shat.
So when Bucs types confidently say the old Godwin is back, it’s that game late in the season at Miami and those plays that give them the confidence Godwin will be fine this fall.