The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to bounce back off of their week three loss against Minnesota.
Tampa Bay is set to take on the 0-3 Giants in Raymond James Stadium at 4:05 ET on Sunday, October 1st. Jameis Winston and the Bucs are coming off of their first loss of the season as they come home to Tampa very wounded.
During their week three loss, the Bucs defense lost key pieces throughout the game, including LB LaVonte David, S T.J. Ward, DT Gerald McCoy and DE Noah Spence.
Now they’re facing a team who thus far in 2017, is dead last in rushing offense (out of teams who haven’t had a bye yet).
Keys to the Game:
Tampa Bay’s secondary hasn’t played as well as they would have liked this early in the year. The test gets even harder as they go up against the two-headed monster that is Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall, so you know Eli Manning and the Giants passing game will more-than-likely strive during the game. With that being said, Tampa Bay must stop the run. Orleans Darkwa, Paul Perkins and the Giants offensive line have had a terrible start to 2017, being blamed as one of the main reasons the team’s record is 0-3. The Bucs defensive line must win the battle of the trenches to stay in the game.
Team Insider Casey Phillips wraps up a busy day at One Buccaneer Place on today's edition of Bucs Beat. pic.twitter.com/uzKEMixrCI
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@TBBuccaneers) September 29, 2017
Jameis Winston showed some red flags in the Bucs 34-17 defeat in Minnesota. Not throwing the ball accurately throughout most of the game, resulting in three interceptions. Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson really open up the field for Winston and going into the third game of his third season he must begin to improve on that.
For the Bucs, the main focus should be on controlling the middle of the field on both sides of the ball. A cross route across the middle is deadly coming from the Giants offense given the break-away speed their offense contains.
It will be a lopsided game regardless of who wins, but Tampa Bay should bounce back and push the struggling New York team into a 4-game hole.
Prediction:
Tampa Bay wins 34-13
