Chris Godwin is feeling like himself again and is thriving in the Bucs' offense

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Chris Godwin is back, even if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver who is a model of consistency never really left.

But almost three years after a serious knee injury that he believes he has finally put behind him, long-time pal Mike Evans is thriving like never before.

Entering Sunday's game, Godwin led the NFL in receptions (43), ranked third in receiving yards (511) and was tied for the lead in receptions with Evans, Ja'Marr Chase, George Kittle and Allen Lazard touchdown receptions (five).

The Bucs (4-2), coming off a 51-point win over New Orleans in which Godwin had 11 catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns, host the Baltimore Ravens (4-2) on Monday night.

Godwin's strong start followed an offseason in which he mourned the death of his father while preparing for a transition to receiver on the field, a role he filled early in his career.

The position change has also helped the Bucs' rejuvenated running game, which benefits from Godwin being an excellent blocker.

“I think what I've learned over the last four or five years, I feel really comfortable there. … It allows me to get involved in a different way instead of just catching the ball,” Godwin said.

Godwin, a third-round draft pick by the Bucs in 2017, is a four-time 1,000-yard receiver whose accomplishments are sometimes overshadowed by the remarkable consistency of Evans, the only receiver in NFL history to start his career with started ten consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

Godwin had nearly 100 catches in December 2021 when a serious knee injury ended his season with 98 catches for 1,103 yards.

And although he recovered well enough to catch 104 passes in 2022 and reach 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons, it took until this year for Godwin to feel like he was truly back.

“I mean, he helps in the running game just as much as he does in the passing game. … His (performance) speaks for itself,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said, reflecting on how Tampa Bay rushed for 277 of the franchise-record 594 yards the Bucs achieved in New Orleans.

On one of his two touchdowns against the Saints, Godwin took a short reception from Baker Mayfield, broke two tackles and turned it into a 55-yard scoring play.

Entering Sunday, Godwin led the NFL with 335 yards after catch, including 105 of the 125 receiving yards in New Orleans.

“He’s healthy, he’s competitive, he’s out there having fun. He runs, he catches, he blocks,” Bowles said. “You’ve seen the best that Chris Godwin has to offer right now.”

Baltimore, which has won four straight after an 0-2 start, has the NFL's top-ranked run defense. The Ravens rank 31st against the pass and will be tested by Evans and Godwin, who coach John Harbaugh said pose “tremendous matchup problems.”

“If you let (Evans) down, he’s a problem. And then you have (Godwin) on the court – if you single him out, he’s a problem,” Harbaugh said. “They’re both catch-and-run players; They’re both competitive catchers.”

With Mayfield also off to a strong start in first-year offensive coordinator Liam Coen's system, the Bucs have a top-10 offense and are averaging 29.7 points per game.

One of the keys was to include playmakers other than Godwin and Evans. Rookie Bucky Irving is the team's leading rusher, and second-year pro Sean Tucker figures to get more playing time against the Ravens after scoring twice and racking up 192 yards from scrimmage last week.

“It's one thing when a guy goes off because you're feeding the hot hand, right? But if we can distribute the ball, everyone will participate,” said Godwin.

“And then as the game progresses, you have so much more at your disposal than just the handful of plays that worked in the beginning,” the receiver added. “So when a team makes adjustments, you now have answers to them.”

Just don't expect the Bucs to ever forget that Godwin is one of the answers.

“Chris is a reliable guy,” said Mayfield, who marveled at the consistency of both Godwin and Evans, Tampa Bay's career player and leading scorer.

“It's about how smart he is, how he understands defenses and coverages, what we're trying to accomplish within our own concepts, and (he's) a guy that's all about winning,” Mayfield said. “He’s playing really well, feeling good (and) we need to keep him going.”