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Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Seattle Seahawks: Inside the chess match

By Todd MacKay

TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 27: Quarterback Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet up with quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks in the center of the field following the Bucs' 14-5 win over the Seahawks at the conclusion of an NFL game on November 27, 2016 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 27: Quarterback Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet up with quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks in the center of the field following the Bucs' 14-5 win over the Seahawks at the conclusion of an NFL game on November 27, 2016 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /
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As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers get set to take on the Seattle Seahawks on the west coast tomorrow, here is a peek inside chess match.

If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want to have any hope of saving their season, they need find a way to win this Sunday.  The Buccaneers are once again on the road, traveling a shade over 3000 miles from Tampa to Seattle where they will battle a tough Seahawks team.  The Hawks are coming off back-to-back wins, and at 6-2 are still part of the NFC West division championship conversation.  Oh yeah, and they are defending CenturyLink Field, arguably the loudest, and most challenging barn in the NFL.

This isn’t going to be easy.

For the Bucs to have any chance of winning, they only have to do two things; slow down Seattle’s potent offense attack, and put up points against the Hawks defense when they have the ball.  Simple, right?

Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich hopes to lead the Bucs’ offense to lighting up the scoreboard, while Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator Todd Bowles will create the plan to try to limit the Seahawks offense.  If you’ve ever watched the NFL on TV before, you’ve likely hear the battle between coordinators referred to as a ‘Chess Match’.

Although perhaps overused at times, it’s a very strong analogy; coordinators are constantly moving players around to create favorable match ups for their team, while simultaneously trying to expose weaknesses in their opponent’s game plan.  Let’s take a closer look at some of the ‘chess pieces’ that the Buccaneers have are dealing with on both sides of the ball, starting with Bowles and the defense.

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