Buccaneers: Analyzing potential changes in the point spread
By Brian DeFeo
Week Fourteen Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Bucs
Vegas Spread: Bucs (-3)
Next is a matchup of the two 9-7 teams in the NFC last season, the other being the Lions who squeaked into the playoffs. Matt Stafford and gang made the playoffs over Tampa because they beat the Saints in their one matchup while the Bucs split with them. Many people wrote off the Lions last season because they lost Calvin Johnson to retirement and their offense was shaky at best.
Though they are another NFL team that has question marks at the running back position the Lions still have a decent offense. Ameer Abdullah is their number one running back and Theo Riddick is still their third down pass catching back. The passing game, however, is always going to be formidable with Stafford at the helm.
They improved thier offensive line and Jarrad Davis will help their linebacker core but they don’t have the weapons to keep up with Tampa at Ray Jay. With DeSean Jackson, Mike Evans, O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate, etc…, who are they going to cover? It’s impossible to keep everyone down. The offense will be scary and they will just be too much for Detroit to handle.