The Buccaneers will face off against the New York Giants in hopes of snapping their three-game losing streak. Here are five keys for Sunday’s matchup.
On the surface, it wouldn’t appear that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6) have an important game on Sunday. The New York Giants (2-7) are destined to land a top-five draft pick, and the Bucs are hot on their trail for another top-ten selection.
However, the Bucs need a win this week. Losers of three straight, the optimism has once again faded. Tampa Bay was a fun team early in the season. They couldn’t, and still can’t, stop a nosebleed, but the offense was lighting up the scoreboard like no other team in the conference.
The team has regressed to what many had predicted, but the Bucs are still alive, technically. They face the lowly Giants this week and a San Francisco 49ers team that lost to the Giants this past Monday.
If Tampa Bay can win their next two games, they can at least make December interesting. The playoffs are a pipe dream, but with the team’s future in doubt, winning would be a welcomed change of pace.
Plus, a loss this week could put the final straw for head coach Dirk Koetter. The hot seat is burning for the Buccaneers coach. He needs to get the team within reach of the postseason to keep his job.
If Koetter and Bucs plan on turning the season around with a win, here are five things that must happen on Sunday.