The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have two talented receivers in Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka, but getting the football into their hands has become a challenge for an offense struggling to find consistency and a true identity.

Head coach Todd Bowles addressed the situation Wednesday when asked about Godwin's involvement, acknowledging that Tampa Bay needs to do a better job creating opportunities for its top playmakers.

"He's being used okay. You've always got to try to game plan around your best players, and we can get them open a little bit more, and we can do some things that way. They're [focusing their] coverages as well with him and 'Mek' (Emeka Egbuka) that way, but we've still got to get them open," Bowles said, according to the Buccaneers' October 21 press conference.

Through six games, Egbuka leads Tampa Bay with 49 targets, recording 28 receptions for 240 yards. Godwin has caught 23 passes for 216 yards on 29 targets, according to Pro-Football-Reference. Those numbers show Egbuka has been a regular part of the passing attack, but both receivers still have room to produce more numbers.

Defenses paying additional attention to Godwin and Egbuka isn't surprising. The bigger concern is Tampa Bay's inability to consistently counter those coverages, particularly with rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels running the offense while Baker Mayfield recovers from his thumb injury.

The Buccaneers have leaned on shorter passes, and offensive line struggles and an inability to pick up blitzes have made it hard to develop downfield plays. That combination puts additional pressure on the coaching staff to create separation through formations, motion, and route combinations rather than expecting receivers to win every matchup on their own.

Godwin's ability to work underneath and Egbuka's versatility give Tampa Bay different ways to attack a defense. Finding opportunities for both players doesn't necessarily mean forcing more targets their way, but it does mean designing an offense that makes opponents account for them throughout the game.

Bowles recognizes that defensive coverage is part of the problem. Tampa Bay now has to find answers, especially with an important NFC South matchup against Carolina approaching.