Buccaneers at Chiefs: 3 things we learned

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday and defeated a Kansas City Chiefs team riding a five-game win streak.

Heading into their Week 11 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, nobody gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers much of a chance. The Chiefs were riding a five-game winning streak, and were playing at a home stadium that is one of the hardest for a road team to win in. Despite those odds, Jameis Winston and company went into Arrowhead Stadium and pulled out the win, while continuing their development as a franchise.

In a defensive game, the Buccaneers got four field goals from rookie kicker Robert Aguayo, whom the team traded up to draft in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Aguayo hit field goals for 31, 22, 41, and 36 yards, while connecting on his only extra point attempt. Winston threw for over 300  yards for the second straight week, albeit against a Chiefs secondary missing their best player.

When the final whistle blew, the Bucs left Kansas City with a 19-17 victory. The Chiefs barely beat the Carolina Panthers last week, and have looked extremely lackluster on offense in recent weeks. Lets take a look at three things we learned from Sunday’s action.

1. Jameis Winston is a franchise quarterback

Like him or not, Jameis Winston is one of the better quarterbacks in teh NFC. His development this season has been incredible, as he has avoided the sophomore jinx that has derailed numerous careers. He is a fearless leader, and has commanded the huddle ever since making his first start as a rookie in 2015.

For all the talk of him being an immature student-athlete at Florida State, Winston has been the consummate pro for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Over his last few games, the young signal-caller has carried the team on his back, and you can see his fiery demeanor on the sidelines. The Bucs made him the first overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft, and he has proven to be worth that selection, as he has the franchise trending upward.

2. The Kansas City Chiefs will be fine

Lets be real. The Kansas City Chiefs are a playoff team, and their efforts the past few weeks have been more about injuries, than a lack of talent. The team was missing Marcus Peters and Jeremy Maclin on Sunday against the Bucs, two huge forces on the defensive and offensive side of the ball. They did get Justin Houston back against Tampa Bay, and he is only going to get better as the season goes along.

The Chiefs came into the game with a 7-2 record, and had won their last five ball games. Tight end Travis Kelce is one of the best in the AFC, and Spencer Ware has proven he can carry the load. The team also found out that they may get star running back Jamaal Charles back before the end of the season, so this is a team that could be playing in January.

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3. Tampa Bay is close to being a playoff team

The Bucs struggled to begin the season, as new head coach Dirk Koetter was trying to find his identity in his first season in the position. However, over the past six weeks, the Bucs have won four games, including wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers. The memory of their bad loss to the Los Angeles Rams is gone, and this is a team that is definitely trending upwards as we head to the final quarter of the season.

Jameis Winston is playing solid football, and is doing it without much of a running game. Running back Doug Martin is easing back into action after missing time due to injury, and wide receiver Mike Evans is one of the best at his position in the league. The defense is a weak spot, but they have played inspired football as of late as well. They could be two or three players away from being a contender in the NFC South as early as next season.