-
Jenna Laine, ESPN Workers Author
TAMPA, Fla. — Chris Godwin is having fun with arguably the best begin to any season in 12 months 8 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However for the Professional Bowl broad receiver, the current is the one factor that issues.
He may enable his thoughts to float from it — and he’ll typically try this within the quiet moments away from soccer — however then it might rob him of right now, and he wants right now.
He is recorded three touchdowns within the first three video games of the season — already beating final yr’s whole (two) from the common season and postseason mixed — and he is tied for third most within the NFL (teammate Mike Evans additionally has three). His 27 catches via the primary 4 video games are tied with Amon-Ra St. Brown for third most.
And but privately, he is navigating the best loss he is ever skilled — his father, Rod Christopher Godwin Sr., died of most cancers shortly after the Bucs’ season ended within the divisional spherical of the playoffs.
For Chris Godwin, he was his hero, the one who taught him about Frank Sinatra and screamed, “Half man, half monster, the Manster!” in any respect his video games.
“It has been a journey to say the least,” Godwin advised ESPN, talking publicly for the primary time about his father’s loss of life. “Prefer it was very, very robust early on. After which very bizarre like when the season began and actually processing like him not being there, whether or not it is earlier than the sport or simply having the ability to speak to him after the actual fact.”
For Godwin, that meant compartmentalizing as a way to transfer ahead. The intricacies of soccer and particularly his place — after his return to the slot — assist.
“I am targeted on so many issues, I am unable to simply be targeted on no matter grief that I’ve, and also you study that as a soccer participant, simply normally — a next-play mentality,” Godwin stated. “You may’t simply be specializing in a nasty play prior to now or play prior to now as a result of it’s a must to concentrate on this one.”
Subsequent up, Godwin and the Bucs (3-1) have an NFC South showdown when the Bucs (3-1) face the Atlanta Falcons (2-2) on the street Thursday (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video).
His inconceivable third-and-10 catch with 1:16 to go final yr towards the Falcons was important to the Bucs’ season. He zigzagged his means throughout the sector previous two defenders earlier than a 3rd lastly introduced him down on the Atlanta 15-yard line for a 32-yard acquire and arrange Cade Otton’s 11-yard landing to steal the 29-25 victory in Week 14.
On prime of that, the Falcons have surrendered 34 catches to fit receivers — fourth most within the league — and 17 first downs, sixth most.
“You have to be prepared for when the second calls,” cornerback Zyon McCollum stated. “And Chris is at all times prepared.”
GODWIN’S PLAY IN Atlanta was key, however main as much as that recreation, that second, he spent the week answering questions on his [lack of] manufacturing, having failed to supply a catch towards the Carolina Panthers the week earlier than.
“It type of catapulted us into that huge run that we had and gave us the boldness that we would have liked to take management of the division and make the playoff run,” McCollum stated. “Seeing Chris try this — I imply he at all times exhibits up in huge moments — which means somewhat extra and it is somewhat extra particular.”
That play was created from the slot — the place Godwin is his most snug and impactful, having performed there from 2019 via 2022, and the place he is returned full time this yr beneath new offensive coordinator Liam Coen. There, he is in a position to get open shortly and use his physicality as he navigates site visitors. He likes that it permits him to be extra artistic and make the most of his versatility.
Godwin’s been a third-down machine this season, accounting for half the Bucs’ third-down catches with 10 — fourth most within the NFL — and he is main all receivers with 188 yards after the catch.
“I do not assume I believed he was as sudden as he was in a number of the little subtleties of route working, his skill to double individuals up at occasions and create separation,” Coen stated. “I do not know if lots of people would say he is like an extremely quick man, however inside his position and in brief areas, he is aware of get open. He is aware of create area, he is aware of assault leverage.”
He noticed Godwin’s burst on a sail route alongside the appropriate sideline on the primary day of coaching camp, which had Evans able to proclaim, “He seems to be just like the Chris Godwin of 2019” — the place he had profession highs in yards (1,333), touchdowns (9) and first downs (63).
After which towards the Washington Commanders in Week 1, he caught display screen after display screen after display screen.
“I hadn’t seen a man catch the ball on the line of scrimmage basically and pierce the protection and folks probably not have the ability to sort out him,” Coen stated. “He is stronger than you’d assume. … He has had plenty of manufacturing to this point on some screens for us. … He is simply taking part in at a excessive degree proper now.”
Within the Bucs’ Week 2 victory on the Detroit Lions, Godwin accounted for 117 of Baker Mayfield’s 189 passing yards and solely passing landing. He is been Mayfield’s security valve and their improved chemistry has been notably noticeable when Mayfield has been beneath duress, particularly with out beginning proper sort out Luke Goedeke, who has missed three video games with a concussion.
“You speak about scramble drill, however it turns into second nature when you may have a wise soccer participant like Chris,” Mayfield stated. “If I will prolong a play, he’ll see the place I am going, he’ll make a man miss and work with me in direction of no matter sideline I am going in direction of. Chris is an unbelievable participant, and we’re very fortunate to have him. He makes these performs work.”
THE SEASON IS huge for Godwin on condition that it is a contract yr for him — and so they’ll possible must maneuver cash round to maintain him after re-signing Mayfield, Evans, Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tristan Wirfs within the offseason.
He spent the previous two years feeling like he performed nicely, however he stated, “I may inform one thing was somewhat bit lacking.”
He credit strengthening his quadriceps and gluteal muscle mass to help the knee and has been intentional along with his coaching to enhance explosion and yards after the catch, however he additionally acknowledged, “It is simply time.”
“Every of the final two seasons have felt completely different from the one earlier than,” Godwin stated. “The additional away you get from it, the higher off you find yourself feeling.”
If solely grief labored that means too. However it does not, and it is one thing he is needed to work via.
“You are feeling like there is no area round,” Godwin stated. “However as life goes on, it is like that grief does not simply disappear. The room type of will get greater and your life type of expands, however it’s nonetheless there. It by no means disappears — you simply determine stay life round it.
“There is a time for me to grieve and a time for me to be in that current second. After which once I’m on the sector, it is like I obtained a job to do as a result of my job is on the road. There is a bunch of individuals whose jobs rely on me and my teammates doing our jobs.”‘
Coaches, teammates and entrance workplace members discover Godwin’s strategy, and so they consider his steadiness and dependability set him aside.
“He is the identical individual day by day,” McCollum stated. “Whether or not he is speaking to media, whether or not he’s speaking to teammates, whether or not he’s speaking to household, you are going to get the identical Chris. Identical factor on the sector day by day. He has the identical routine about his enterprise. Once you do the identical time and again and again and again, greatness simply type of finds you.”
Basic supervisor Jason Licht referred to as him “Mr. Consistency” and a “phenomenal individual, an exceptional participant [and] an important instance to our total group,” whereas coach Todd Bowles stated he has “meant all the pieces to this franchise.”
The moments of pleasure Godwin is discovering proper now are appreciated and savored once they come, whether or not it’s in a celebratory leaping chest bump with Evans in the long run zone or devouring one in every of his spouse Mariah’s postgame treats, like espresso cake. It is also snuggling up with their rescue canine, Ghost and Ziggy, or touring to faraway locations like Italy and Switzerland, the place he will get to place one in every of his favourite hobbies to make use of: images.
After which he exhales and takes in no matter comes subsequent.
“Clearly life will proceed to go on,” Godwin stated. “The solar rises, solar units each single day. So for those who simply keep the place you are at, you find yourself lacking your life and never having the ability to develop from it, you could possibly have the ability to use these issues to both assist any individual else or to assist your self afterward. As a result of all of us expertise loss.”
The post Bucs WR Chris Godwin is off to arguably his best start appeared first on AI Earth.