Continuing our game by game previews, week four comes around, and the Buccaneers have a date with the Super Bowl champions.
We have talked at length about the Buccaneers’ schedule. Specifically, how rough the opening five games are for our Bucs. Starting with the Falcons and ending with the Panthers, Dirk Koetter and the gang are going to be put to the test. If they can come through the first five games somewhere near the .500 mark, the Bucs will have the chance to make a serious run at a playoff return.
With that, we continue our game by game previews. So far we have taken a look at the opening game, week two in the desert, and the home opener vs. Los Angeles. Now, we move onto the final game of the first quarter of the year. Week four brings the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to town.
What are the Bucs to do?
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Well, the first test will come to the Bucs’ offensive line. The vaunted Denver pass rush is back for another year, and if it is anywhere as good as it was last year, Jameis Winston might be running for his life. Denver led the league with 52 sacks last year, averaging over three sacks per game. No matter what happens with a multi-year deal, Von Miller will be in uniform in Denver, and DeMarcus Ware will be there too.
If the Bucs want any chance to win this one, the offensive line is going to have to come up big.
On offense, Doug Martin will be a huge key. I am not saying that the Broncos’ defense is easy to run on, far from it. They allowed just over 83 yards per game on the ground last year. But, they are going to have to establish some sort of running attack in order to take the pressure off of Jameis. If Doug has no holes to run through, Miller and company are going to tee off.
To keep the Bucs in this one, there is a key individual to take note of. Mike Smith is going to be huge in this own. Why?
Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are still there. On the ground, C.J. Anderson is still there. On its face, there are some great dangers for the Bucs’ defense, which is true. But, there is one x-factor that could turn the whole game. That man’s name is Mark Sanchez. Gone are Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler. Sanchez is the likely starter.
And he can be rattled. Mike Smith can get under Sanchez’s skin by throwing him a lot of different looks, forcing him into turnovers. His TD:INT ratio improved only slightly when he left New York for Philadelphia. In NY he threw one more interception than touchdown, and in Philly, he threw three more touchdowns than interceptions.
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If the Bucs can force Sanchez into errors, they will be able to keep the game close. A close game can go either way as we all know, but Winston has had the propensity to make a big play in a big spot. He might just have an upset in him.