The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to avoid a three game losing streak when they face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football.
After a 6-2 start, the Bucs have dropped their last two games and now hold a narrow one-game lead in the NFC South. Injuries have certainly taken their toll, but execution issues on offense and inability to guard against explosives have been huge issues as well. The Bucs have been inconsistent running the ball, and an inability to finish drives has left them on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Failure to get pressure with their base four has led to issues covering in the secondary, which has allowed teams to push the ball down the field.
These problems are fixable but the Bucs wont get an easy opponent to try and turn things around against. The Rams are one of the best team's in the NFL with a balanced offensive attack and an aggressive defense. If the Bucs want to avoid falling to 6-5 they'll need big games from their marquee players on Sunday night.
Offensive Player of the Game: LT Tristan Wirfs
If the Bucs are going to have any success on the offense, they’re going to need a big game from their All-Pro left tackle. Unfortunately for him, he’ll draw one of the more difficult matchups in the league when he battles outside linebacker Jared Verse. The second-year edge rusher is fourth in the NFL in pressures (49), third in hurries (36), and has three forced fumbles and three interceptions caused by pressures this season, per ProFootball Focus and NextGen Stats.
In what should be a fantastic matchup to watch, Wirfs must be on his A-game and keep Baker Mayfield upright, giving him time and space to throw in the pocket. However, he'll have his work cut out for him as Verse is equally disruptive in the run game and is tied for third in the league in run stops, per PFF. If Wirfs can negate Verse's all-around impact in the game, the Bucs have a chance at upsetting the Rams on the road.
Defensive Player of the Game: S Antoine Winfield Jr.
Big plays have killed the Buccaneers over the last few weeks, and the man who needs to step up in a huge way this week was responsible for at least one of them. Winfield Jr. needs to take ownership of the secondary and shut down the explosive plays that have hurt the team since they’ve come out of the bye week.
As the leader of the secondary, Winfield Jr. sets the tone, and he'll need to do it early. The Bucs will need the big playmaker they signed to a multi-year extension to show up in a big way. The Rams like to push the ball down the field with both of their receiving threats. Winfield Jr. can't be in two places at once, but must make big plays when they come his way for the Bucs to have a chance at beating the Rams in Los Angeles.
Score Prediction: Rams 31 Bucs 27
I don’t think this is a game where you can count the Bucs out; however, I do think it’s going to take a lot for them to come away with the upset in Los Angeles.
The Rams have one of the league's best offenses, and their pass rush has caused nightmares for opposing quarterbacks. Their offense has one of the highest big-play tandems in the league, with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams both accounting for 11 explosive plays each. Los Angeles’ defense has the league’s highest pressure rate attacking the quarterback on 41.3% of their dropbacks, and their relentlessness has led to the NFL’s third-best pass rush win rate, generating pressure 45.2% of the time.
Eliminating big plays and protecting the edge against Byron Young and Jared Verse will be paramount to the Bucs' ability to find success on Sunday night. Efficiency will be the name of the game. Execution on third downs and in the red zone needs to be sharp. The defense must stay disciplined to avoid allowing windows for big plays while still applying pressure, and their struggles on special teams need to become a thing of the past. If the Bucs can do all that, I like their chances. However, I think they come up just short against the Rams.