One X-factor for each team in the NFL playoffs:

Buccaneers wide receiver Tyler Johnson

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Tyler Johnson

This is a fairly obvious one. With the loss of Chris Godwin to a torn ACL and Antonio Brown’s well-documented departure from the team, the offense all of a sudden went from arguably the most lethal aerial attack to Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski and a bunch of role players.

Obviously, we should see Scottie Miller make an impact as a deep threat and we just saw him take a reverse 43 yards to the house this past Sunday. But the guy who should be more heavily involved as an every-down receiver is second-year man Tyler Johnson.

Formerly a fifth-round pick out of Minnesota, where he racked up just under 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns over his last two seasons (to become the school’s record-holder in both categories), Johnson may lack a certain speed element, but he understands how to set up defenders as a route-runner.

He can find open space against the zone, has strong hands, and can win in contested catch situations. Johnson had 12 catches as a rookie with none bigger than a critical third-and-long in New Orleans last season to extend their playoff run.

We’ve seen his involvement in the offense grow throughout this season, catching 13 of his 18 targets since Godwin got hurt. He may not be the kind of guy who can consistently beat man-coverage on the boundary, but putting him in the slot allows him a free release to create open space.