Penn State Football: Chris Godwin lighting up NFL secondaries

It took little time for Penn State football alumnus Chris Godwin to take off once he got a starting role. The Tampa Bay receiver has 3 TDs in four games.

Entering the 2018 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked to get second-year receiver Chris Godwin more involved with the offense. The problem is that the former Penn State football wide out was lost in the shuffle with pro bowl wide outs Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson along with three other solid receivers. Luckily for Godwin and the Bucs, head coach Dirk Koetter made sure to name Godwin, Evans, Jackson and Adam Humphries starters for the 2018 season.

How did Godwin reward them? So far, he’s tied for the team lead in touchdown catches with three along with Evans and Jackson. His jump-ball skills haven’t changed one bit, and he’s helped Tampa Bay become the No. 1 passing offense in the league with 363.2 yards per game. Now, those numbers may not stay the same all year, but this receiving group gives the Bucs multiple threats regardless of who is under center.

Ryan Fitzpatrick quarterbacked the Bucs for most of the four games, and he found a reliable, consistent, strong receiver in Godwin. He never burned defenses with his speed while at Penn State, but he always gave his quarterbacks a trustworthy pass catcher (Video Courtesy of Tucci).

After an offseason and preseason where he moved from second team to the top, he’ll no doubt top last year’s numbers. Godwin has caught 15-of-22 targets for 193 yards and three touchdowns. He’s on pace to record 718 yards and 12 touchdowns. I know it’s still early but his play has forced the Bucs to play him amongst one of the elite receiving groups in the NFL.

The return of Jameis Winston will obviously factor into how many times he sees the ball now. Fitzpatrick went to him often throughout the first three games. Winston is likely to keep heading that direction with Godwin’s level of success.