The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a chance to do something on Sunday that they haven’t done in nearly two decades - start a season off 3-0. That’s right, the last time the Bucs started a season 3-0 was back in 2005 on the legs of Cadillac Williams and his historic start. Not in the rest of Gruden’s era, not in the Tom Brady era, but in the second year of the Baker Mayfield era can they accomplish this. Standing in their way is Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos which you may say to yourself isn’t that tough of a task - but you’d be wrong.
The Bucs are in a precarious position - after the Broncos they have to play the Eagles, Falcons twice, Saints, Ravens, Chiefs, and 49ers. That makes this Broncos game the quintessential “trap game” and can be that game on the schedule that there’s no reason they should lose, but they do anyway.
Here’s the thing for the Bucs - they are likely going to be without Luke Goedeke for the second straight week on offense then they won’t have Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, or Antoine Winfield Jr. on defense. This team needs to rally together like they did against Detroit - and there’s a few ways to get things started off quickly.
Offensively, the Bucs have to get the run game on track. Rachaad White, who is dealing with a groin injury, and Bucky Irving are both coming off bad performances. Rachaad had ten carries for eighteen yards while Irving had seven carries for 22 yards - not good. However, the Broncos’ defense has allowed nearly 300 rushing yards in just two weeks. Their linebackers are shaky at best and if this Bucs offensive line can clear enough space for the running backs to get past that initial level, Irving and White can make these linebackers look silly in space.
Chris Godwin has been an absolute machine through the first two weeks and you should expect that to continue against Denver as Patrick Surtain will likely shadow Mike Evans most of the day, but the key for the Bucs in this one is to continue to pound the rock. It may get boring, it may slow the game down, but eventually one of these guys is going to break one off for an explosive play or two and really break the backs of that Denver defense.
Denver is an impressive 11th in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing just 19.5 points per game and allowing the fourth fewest passing yards per game at 134. The way to beat Denver is on the ground and the Bucs have the backs to do it, it’s just a matter of whether or not the offensive line can clear a path.
Defensively for the Buccaneers, the attack plan is simple: get Bo Nix on the ground right from the jump. If there was ever a game where Yaya Diaby could impose his will and get on the stat sheet with a sack or two, it’s this one. Diaby talked about facing double teams and being game planned against by the Lions. This week, I would expect Todd Bowles to line him up on the left side so that he can go after backup tackle Frank Crum with their captain Mike McGlinchey being out with an MCL sprain.
Diaby had some impact plays against Detroit, even though he didn’t record a sack, but it’s time for him to finally be that player that was hyped all off-season. If he’s the player the Bucs are going to hang their hat on and expect him to be the next Shaq Barrett or Jason Pierre-Paul, these are the types of games he has to take over.
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka has had an impressive start to the season and I would expect that to continue against the Broncos, especially when it’s his opportunity to line up against Crum. Then we know Bowles will bring some creative blitzes to get SirVocea Dennis, Lavonte David, and some of the defensive backs in the mix of players that can get after Nix.
Nix is still looking for his first career touchdown pass and he’ll have a tough time with that again this week. Zyon McCollum was one of the best corners in the league in week two in yards allowed per snap and quarterback rating when targeted. Jared Goff threw towards him five times last week and he allowed just one catch for five yards, had four passes defensed, and an interception to open the game. On the other side is Jamel Dean who has played well to start the season, then the duo of Christian Izien and Jordan Whitehead on the back end will make for a long day for Nix. Nix already has four interceptions on the season and the Bucs will look to add to that tally.
Whitehead has been a godsend for the Buccaneers, leading the team in tackles each of the first two games and flying all over the field to make plays. Whitehead had a shot at an interception last week that slipped through his arms and he’ll be looking to make up for that this week to get the Bucs’ defense going with a takeaway.
The Broncos will have to rely heavily on Nix in this one. Not only has their rushing attack been nearly non-existent but the Bucs are still a stout rushing defense. The stats may not show it - Jayden Daniels’ 88-yards in week one skews things a bit - but even without Vea, Greg Gaines has been extremely reliable in the middle of that defensive line and the Bucs won’t have much of an issue turning this into a one dimensional game.
The Broncos lead the all-time series 7-3 with the Bucs having won the last meeting in 2020. Prior to that, the Broncos had won four in a row from 2004 through 2016. The Bucs have just one win against Denver in Tampa, winning 13-10 back in 1999.
The Bucs are 6.5-point home favorites with a 40.5 point over/under on Sunday as they look to move to 3-0 while the Broncos - and Sean Payton - look to get the upset and get in the win column.
The Bucs and Broncos kick off on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium at 1:00 p.m. ET with the game broadcast on FOX. Tim Brando and Matt Millen will be on the call.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a chance to do something on Sunday that they haven’t done in nearly two decades - start a season off 3-0. That’s right, the last time the Bucs started a season 3-0 was back in 2005 on the legs of Cadillac Williams and his historic start. Not in the rest of Gruden’s era, not in the Tom Brady era, but in the second year of the Baker Mayfield era can they accomplish this. Standing in their way is Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos which you may say to yourself isn’t that tough of a task - but you’d be wrong.
The Bucs are in a precarious position - after the Broncos they have to play the Eagles, Falcons twice, Saints, Ravens, Chiefs, and 49ers. That makes this Broncos game the quintessential “trap game” and can be that game on the schedule that there’s no reason they should lose, but they do anyway.
Here’s the thing for the Bucs - they are likely going to be without Luke Goedeke for the second straight week on offense then they won’t have Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, or Antoine Winfield Jr. on defense. This team needs to rally together like they did against Detroit - and there’s a few ways to get things started off quickly.
Offensively, the Bucs have to get the run game on track. Rachaad White, who is dealing with a groin injury, and Bucky Irving are both coming off bad performances. Rachaad had ten carries for eighteen yards while Irving had seven carries for 22 yards - not good. However, the Broncos’ defense has allowed nearly 300 rushing yards in just two weeks. Their linebackers are shaky at best and if this Bucs offensive line can clear enough space for the running backs to get past that initial level, Irving and White can make these linebackers look silly in space.
Chris Godwin has been an absolute machine through the first two weeks and you should expect that to continue against Denver as Patrick Surtain will likely shadow Mike Evans most of the day, but the key for the Bucs in this one is to continue to pound the rock. It may get boring, it may slow the game down, but eventually one of these guys is going to break one off for an explosive play or two and really break the backs of that Denver defense.
Denver is an impressive 11th in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing just 19.5 points per game and allowing the fourth fewest passing yards per game at 134. The way to beat Denver is on the ground and the Bucs have the backs to do it, it’s just a matter of whether or not the offensive line can clear a path.
Defensively for the Buccaneers, the attack plan is simple: get Bo Nix on the ground right from the jump. If there was ever a game where Yaya Diaby could impose his will and get on the stat sheet with a sack or two, it’s this one. Diaby talked about facing double teams and being game planned against by the Lions. This week, I would expect Todd Bowles to line him up on the left side so that he can go after backup tackle Frank Crum with their captain Mike McGlinchey being out with an MCL sprain.
Diaby had some impact plays against Detroit, even though he didn’t record a sack, but it’s time for him to finally be that player that was hyped all off-season. If he’s the player the Bucs are going to hang their hat on and expect him to be the next Shaq Barrett or Jason Pierre-Paul, these are the types of games he has to take over.
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka has had an impressive start to the season and I would expect that to continue against the Broncos, especially when it’s his opportunity to line up against Crum. Then we know Bowles will bring some creative blitzes to get SirVocea Dennis, Lavonte David, and some of the defensive backs in the mix of players that can get after Nix.
Nix is still looking for his first career touchdown pass and he’ll have a tough time with that again this week. Zyon McCollum was one of the best corners in the league in week two in yards allowed per snap and quarterback rating when targeted. Jared Goff threw towards him five times last week and he allowed just one catch for five yards, had four passes defensed, and an interception to open the game. On the other side is Jamel Dean who has played well to start the season, then the duo of Christian Izien and Jordan Whitehead on the back end will make for a long day for Nix. Nix already has four interceptions on the season and the Bucs will look to add to that tally.
Whitehead has been a godsend for the Buccaneers, leading the team in tackles each of the first two games and flying all over the field to make plays. Whitehead had a shot at an interception last week that slipped through his arms and he’ll be looking to make up for that this week to get the Bucs’ defense going with a takeaway.
The Broncos will have to rely heavily on Nix in this one. Not only has their rushing attack been nearly non-existent but the Bucs are still a stout rushing defense. The stats may not show it - Jayden Daniels’ 88-yards in week one skews things a bit - but even without Vea, Greg Gaines has been extremely reliable in the middle of that defensive line and the Bucs won’t have much of an issue turning this into a one dimensional game.
The Broncos lead the all-time series 7-3 with the Bucs having won the last meeting in 2020. Prior to that, the Broncos had won four in a row from 2004 through 2016. The Bucs have just one win against Denver in Tampa, winning 13-10 back in 1999.
The Bucs are 6.5-point home favorites with a 40.5 point over/under on Sunday as they look to move to 3-0 while the Broncos - and Sean Payton - look to get the upset and get in the win column.
The Bucs and Broncos kick off on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium at 1:00 p.m. ET with the game broadcast on FOX. Tim Brando and Matt Millen will be on the call.
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