Two 4-7 teams face off in week thirteen as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel a short distance east to Jacksonville. One team, the Buccaneers looks as if they may be figuring somethings out while the Jaguars have lost three in a row and are plagued with injuries. Who will take home the win and the lead in the battle for Florida?
Coming Around
Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean have been coming on strong. They are finding a grove and better-understanding their role in this Tampa defense. Given their recent play, the Buccaneers may have found true starting-caliber corners to FINALLY start to fix the secondary. Davis has racked up 10 pass deflections in the last four games. Dean looks like a shutdown corner with 13 pass deflections in three games. I will assume the coaching staff will not make the mistake of keeping him out of a game again. I hope. They have five games to get better and prove themselves. This week against the Jaguars the task should be well in hand.
RoJo Show
This week there should be a heavy dose of Ronald Jones. The Jaguars are fourth in yards for running backs this year with 1,310 yards allowed and third in rushing touchdowns allowed at 10. Given the possibility of bad weather and a banged-up Jaguars defense, the Buccaneers should use this game to showcase Jones’s talents. I predict this week will be his first 100 yards plus game. He will also prosper in short-yardage situations in the passing game.
Keep Winston Upright
The offensive line will have their hands full this week. The key to this game may hinge on the success in the trenches. Josh Allen, a player some Buccaneers fans were clamoring for in the draft, combined with Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Campbell are a formidable matchup. Moving the pocket may alleviate some pressure and get Winston in some sort of rhythm. I would expect some short timing routes to start the game allowing the ball to get out before anyone can get to Winston.
Prediction
Byron Leftwich returns to Jacksonville and continues his winning streak against the team he once started for. Buccaneers 27- 21.
