Buccaneers chances versus Chiefs improve with good news
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers have a tough game coming up tonight when they face off against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Their chances aren’t dead, though.
Acting like the Buccaneers have an easy game coming against the Chiefs is silly. Both teams have experienced their share of highs and lows through the first few weeks, but the NFL is a game that is generally based on the success of quarterbacks, and Patrick Mahomes is still Patrick Mahomes.
Even the new Buccaneer defense is going to have its hands full with Mahomes the quarterback, but it is fair to say that the job has become easier with the loss of Tyreek Hill.
Still, all the defensive talent on the planet can’t help you if you can’t score on offense. Tampa’s offense has struggled through the first few weeks. Injuries and poor play-calling have hamstrung what was once one of the best units in football last season. The good news is that injuries shouldn’t be a problem today.
Good news for the Bucs’ offense tonight: Not only does Mike Evans return from suspension, Julio Jones & Chris Godwin are both expected to return from injury, per sources. One more positive turn? I’m told tackle Donovan Smith is also back.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) October 2, 2022
Tampa Bay is reloaded for primetime.
That’s right; the Buccaneers shouldn’t be playing from behind in this game due to a lack of talent around Brady. That might leave some other questions about the play-calling if the team still fails to convert in the red zone or move the sticks, but that is a moot point for now.
The only thing that matters is that a tough game against one of the best teams in the NFL and a legitimate Super Bowl contender just became a bit more manageable for the Bucs.
Don’t go betting your house on anything yet, especially not after what we saw with a similar unit in Week 1 that failed to score at will, but definitely take heart that the drops and offensive inefficiency as a whole that has made some of these games hard to watch should be on the decline.
If the Bucs use analytics, there is no reason why they should not be favored in this game. We just need to see them use their heads before we assume this is the norm.
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