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

Starting up front, is there a scarier tandem on paper than Eziekial Ansah and Jadeveon Clowney at the defensive end spot?  So far they haven’t found a way to get together on the stat sheet, but going up against a Buccaneers offense that has given up 28 sacks and 55 quarterback pressures might be just what the doctor ordered for the Hawks’ duo.

Both Clowney and Ansah possess elite burst off the line, relying more on the athleticism to create pressure.  Leftwich may use an extra running back or a tight end to help bolster his protection, but so far this season, he seems willing to let the tackles man-up, and work deep downfield routes.

Tedrick Thompson took over for Earl Thomas as the Seahawks free safety and filling those shoes isn’t an easy task.  So far in 2019, the third-year player has amassed 19 tackles and two interceptions while patrolling the deep third.  He’s going to be counted on to help-out Flowers and Griffin as the ‘over the top’ guy on all those deep routes by Evans and Godwin and given how potent the Buccaneers passing game can be, he’s got a tough assignment this week.

If you’re talking about the players on the Seahawks defense that you need to be aware of, middle linebacker Bobby Wagner is the star of the show.  Going into his eighth season, he’s been named to the Pro Bowl five times, four times an All-Pro, a last, but certainly not least, he’s a Superbowl Champion.

Wagner is big (6’0, 245lbs), fast (ran a 4.46 at his pro day) and smart.  He’s directing the Seattle defense and is responsible to make changes at the line of scrimmage.  He’s seen a lot of looks in this league, and you can bet he’s studied the Bucs non-stop since the completion of their game against Atlanta.  Leftwich needs to bring some new and different looks out against the Hawks because if he becomes predictable, Wagner will undoubtedly be in the right spot at the right time and he will arrive violently.

Those are some of the key ‘chess pieces’ that the Buccaneers are up against this Sunday in Seattle, and the winners of these battles will likely go a long way towards who comes out victorious in this match up.