The Bucs need Jalen McMillan — or someone — as their No. 3 receiver

TAMPA — The Bucs desperately need a No. 3 receiver to develop quickly, a playmaker who can overcome man-to-man pressure and take the pressure off Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

For the past two weeks, the Z receiver — who typically lines up behind the line of scrimmage and is often sent on the move — has been the veteran Sterling Shepard. But in last Sunday's 51-27 win in New Orleans, Shepard took as many penalties (three) as balls (for 23 yards).

Third-round pick Jalen McMillan should be the player to give Baker Mayfield a legitimate deep threat and third option at the Z position. But McMillan missed games against the Eagles and Falcons because of a hamstring injury. He returned to the Saints game but had no catches.

In fact, Mayfield only targeted McMillan once on a pick route in the second quarter. The pass was thrown well, but McMillan was unable to catch it and the deflection from his shoulder pads resulted in an interception. Unsurprisingly, he was not targeted again.

The Ravens will have a good defensive plan for Evans (assuming he plays) and Godwin on Monday night.

McMillan had an underwhelming training camp and preseason, but managed just three catches for 59 yards and a touchdown in the regular season. Trey Palmer, who missed the last two games with a concussion, could be active on Monday.

Offensive coordinator Liam Coen said the emergence of a third receiver was “critical” this week.

“We need that Z position that we can trust to step in and execute,” Coen said. “I love 'Shep.'” A few of them (penalties) were a little questionable, but his energy, the way he is in the huddle, in the locker room, before the game, on the sideline… I love it, to be near him. But we still need a little more production from this position.

“We also have to trust that position to throw them the ball and stuff. You saw Ryan Miller step in and make a big catch in a critical situation where things weren't looking so hot, and he caught a shallow route down the sideline (39 yards or whatever it was). That’s a big play, so that’s a step-up player that we’re going to continue to need, especially this early in the season.”

The Bucs are second in the NFL with 29.7 points per game. What's notable is the fact that they did this with little production from a No. 3 tight end or receiver.

Remember Tom Brady's first season in Tampa Bay? The offense really took off after receiver Antonio Brown joined the team following an eight-game suspension. McMillan or someone else needs to step up.

Hopes and prayers

This statistic bears repeating because it is so unbelievable that it doesn't seem real: Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has a career record of 22-1 against the NFC. In 2022 he lost 24:20 to the Giants.

While it's true that NFC teams don't see Jackson as often, that doesn't explain the dominance. But the two-time MVP is a problem for every team.

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So how can you stop him?

“First you have to pray. You just have to pray,” Bucs co-defensive coordinator Larry Foote said. “You have to hope and wish. It's going to take a group effort, even the (safety measures). Everyone will have to be responsible for him.

“At the end of the day when he retires and decides to run, it will be a challenge. When attacked, it is a lightning attack. Then the prayers will be necessary. We have a good plan for him, but… we are sometimes at his mercy. We just have to do a good job. We can’t let him kill us.”

The addition of Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry to Baltimore's backfield has only made Jackson more dangerous. Jackson ranks seventh in the NFL in passing yards (1,529) and is tied for fifth with 10 touchdown passes.

“He’s developed into a great passer,” Foote said. “You understand why he won multiple MVPs. When he runs the ball, he has running back vision. That makes it difficult. It's slippery and everyone knows how fast it is. It will be a concerted effort to slow him down.”

Rookie of the Year?

Bucs defenseman Tykee Smith is earning votes for the NFL's All-Rookie team. But at this rate, he could also be in line for the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

The former Georgia star impacts games at every level. Against the Saints, he had an interception and forced a fumble that was returned by safety Antoine Winfield Jr. for a touchdown.

Bowles uses Smith at nickel, safety and even linebacker when necessary. Pro Football Focus ranks him eighth among rookies regardless of position (76.1) and second in run defense (83.6).

“He probably gets the most experienced treatment out of all the freshmen because he doesn’t make as many mistakes as everyone else,” Bowles said. “…He played an outstanding game. He covered well, he tackled well, he blitzed well, he played well in the zone, he knocked the ball out, he got an interception. (His) all-around game has been outstanding for him all year.

“We’re assuming he’s a cornerback because he’s also an edge setter. He plays safety for us, he plays backer, and that's what he did as a rookie coming in at that spot – “Izzy” (Christian Izien) did it last year. Tykee is probably a little ahead of him in the area he's in this time this year. For us he is a great football player.”

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