Buccaneers vs. Seahawks: 5 key matchups to watch closely
By Cory Kinnan
Seahawks’ DEs vs. Buccaneers’ OTs
In addition to getting pressure on Wilson, the pewter and red must keep the pocket clean for Jameis Winston. The Seattle secondary is not what it used to be; the Legion of Boom is long gone, and they are left with the 19th ranked pass defense according to Football Outsiders. If Winston can sit in the pocket, he should be able to pick apart this Seahawks’ defense.
No promises can be made, however, as the tackles for the pewter and red are subpar to say the least. Left and right tackles Donovan Smith and Demar Dotson are both playing at a highly replaceable level, and as a result, Winston has been sacked the 12th most of any quarterback in the league.
Smith and Dotson will have their hands full today, as they will take on the likes of Ziggy Ansah and Jadeveon Clowney. While the stat sheets do not show much of an impact from the two, they are always a threat to collapse the pocket of opposing quarterbacks. Getting Alex Cappa back to play next to Ryan Jensen and Ali Marpet will give the Bucs a boost and give Winston a lane to step up into, but the floodgates must be contained off the edge.