Chris Godwin — Week 1: Four for Four, and Thirty on Third and Three
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 14
Godwin caught all four of his targets for forty yards and ran once for three. The thirty-yarder — third and three at the Tampa Bay thirty-two with three fifty-six left in the half, down 21–3 — was the longest play from scrimmage Tampa Bay had all day, and both of his third-down targets moved the chains. Only one throw came his way after halftime, in a 33–27 loss to the Bengals.
When Chris Godwin's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
The full episode, in writing
Third and three at the Tampa Bay 32, three 56 left in the second quarter, Buccaneers down 21 to three. Baker Mayfield threw short over the middle to Chris Godwin, and Godwin went 30 yards to the Cincinnati 38. That was worth +2.4 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and it was the longest gain Tampa Bay had from scrimmage all day. Three plays later Bucky Irving ran it in from the 10.
Four targets, four catches, 40 yards, no touchdowns, +2.9 on the targets. The first catch was third and four at the Cincinnati 26, 11 22 left in the first, five yards, first down, on the drive that ended in a field goal. The other two were shorter: four yards on first and 10 at the Tampa Bay 34 late in the first, and one yard on second and five from the 44 with 12 oh two left in the fourth, the only throw to him in the second half. He also carried once, around left end for three yards, first and 10 at the Cincinnati 32 early in the second quarter.
He was fourth on the team in targets — seven to Irving, six to Emeka Egbuka, five to Cade Otton, four to Godwin, three to Ted Hurst. His two third-down targets were both catches and both conversions; Tampa Bay converted five of 10 third downs, and Godwin had two of the five. Three of his four targets were before halftime, when the Buccaneers threw 19 times; after it they threw 13, and Egbuka was not thrown to at all, so the second-half passing game ran through Irving and Hurst instead.
Back in June the preview's read on Godwin was 73 percent availability, a season that ended after nine games, and an open door — a proven number one whose whole question was whether he would be on the field. Sunday he was, for the whole game, and caught everything thrown at him. That is one game and four targets, and it leaves the door where it was. Tampa Bay is home to the Browns on Sunday the twentieth. The number to watch is the target count.
_Data via nflverse._
When Chris Godwin's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
Keep going