The 4-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers face a tough test, as the also 4-2 Baltimore Ravens come to town for a Monday Night Football matchup. Coming off a 13-4 season, highlighted with an MVP Award-winning performance by their quarterback Lamar Jackson, these Ravens have championship aspirations as they cut through the middle of their 2024 schedule.
What do the Bucs need to do against such a tough opponent? Let’s walk through some of the problems the Ravens bring for the Bucs and what internal questions they may need to answer during their prime time clash.
Can The Defense Withstand Baltimore’s Rushing Attack?
Not only do the Ravens have one of the greatest rushing quarterbacks the game has ever seen, the addition of Derrick Henry adds an element to their game that no other player can emulate. Their rushing attack has looked stellar so far and they have busted multiple long rushing touchdowns in key moments.
Tampa Bay’s duo of Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea won’t only have heavy responsibilities within the interior of the line, but the entirety of this Bucs’ defensive line is going to have to contribute to stop Baltimore from doing what they want on the ground. Yaya Diaby and Logan Hall will have to be smart in filling their gaps and staying true to the game plan in order to keep the long runs under wraps.
These Bucs’ linebackers also face huge challenges going into this match up. Lavonte David and K.J. Britt must be alert in the running game but they’ll also have major responsibilities in coverage, with two very talented and active Baltimore tight ends. Britt’s struggles in coverage so far will be tested, it’s up to coach Todd Bowles to put him in a position to succeed.
Is This Tampa Bay Rushing Attack A Fluke?
This Buccaneer rushing attack has seen vast improvement throughout 2024. With a good outing in Atlanta, followed by an even better performance in New Orleans, the running back room is headed in the right direction.
Last week, missing starting RB Rachaad White opened up opportunities for both rookie Bucky Irving and second-year RB Sean Tucker. They absolutely exploded onto the scene, with Tucker nearly eclipsing 200 total yards and totaling two touchdowns on the day.
Entering Monday Night’s match up, offensive coordinator Liam Coen spoke about game planning for a three-headed monster approach. Where all three of Tampa Bay’s top rushers will get their own drive early and the hot-hand will be determined from that.
It’s a different approach than most would take, but nobody will be talking about how the Bucs’ had another big rushing game, as long as they’re able to get it done. It will take another team effort, with major contributions from the offensive line and receiving corps needed in order to push themselves ahead.
There’s really no prediction as to who will be the lead back, but it’s no secret that Bucky Irving has rushed the ball with consistent success since week one.
Who Will Prevail As Baker Mayfield’s Third Receiving Option?
Bucs’ QB Baker Mayfield walked into a situation with two all-time great receivers at his disposal after his free agent signing in 2023. Receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are once again showing why they’ve consistently been atop leaderboards throughout their eight seasons together.
In his second season as a Buccaneer, Mayfield leads the NFL in passing touchdowns with fifteen. Led by Godwin and Evans, who each have five, it’s truly become unclear as to who the Bucs’ true third receiving option will be.
With Mike Evans dealing with a hamstring injury, his status for Monday’s game is uncertain. Even if he does suit up, it should be expected to see a reduced amount of minutes from the veteran WR. With that, opportunity arises for other receivers on this Tampa Bay roster.
Veteran receiver Sterling Shepard has jumped out to an early connection with Mayfield, dating back to their days at the University of Oklahoma. Tallying a touchdown catch and bringing a spark this team needs, Shepard is sure to get snaps and targets in Monday Night’s game.
Rookie Jalen McMillan has showed he has good receiving ability in his first year. But for the Bucs to put him on the field for the 80-90% they would like to, he has to show energy and will as a run blocker. McMillan should see a bump up in snaps as he progresses back through injury, but the Evans injury may drive up his targets as well.
Second-year WR Trey Palmer is the fastest Tampa Bay Buccaneer and brings an element no other receiver on this roster does. The type of over-the-top speed Palmer possesses isn’t a quality that’s taken lightly in the NFL and OC Liam Coen understands that.
Palmer had his miscues with QB Baker Mayfield in his rookie 2023 campaign, but he also showed flashes of greatness. He would occasionally drop passes that should be caught and slowed the team down on multiple occasions last season. So far, he hasn’t seen the amount of offensive snaps he did as a rookie, but with the lingering Evans injury, we could see plays that involve Palmer’s speed.
Bucs (4-2) vs Ravens (4-2) Game Information
When: Monday, October 21st 2024
Where: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, FL)
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 - Joe Buck (Play-by-Play), Troy Aikman (Color Commentary), Laura Rutledge (Sideline)
ESPN 2 ManningCast - Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Bill Belichick, Guests TBA
Bucs Radio: 98Rock – Gene Deckerhoff (Play by Play), Dave Moore (Color), T.J. Rives (Reporter)
Spanish Radio: 96.1 Caliente – Carlos Bohorquez (Play by Play), Martín Gramática (Analyst), Santiago Gramatica (Sideline Reporter)
The 4-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers face a tough test, as the also 4-2 Baltimore Ravens come to town for a Monday Night Football matchup. Coming off a 13-4 season, highlighted with an MVP Award-winning performance by their quarterback Lamar Jackson, these Ravens have championship aspirations as they cut through the middle of their 2024 schedule.
What do the Bucs need to do against such a tough opponent? Let’s walk through some of the problems the Ravens bring for the Bucs and what internal questions they may need to answer during their prime time clash.
Can The Defense Withstand Baltimore’s Rushing Attack?
Not only do the Ravens have one of the greatest rushing quarterbacks the game has ever seen, the addition of Derrick Henry adds an element to their game that no other player can emulate. Their rushing attack has looked stellar so far and they have busted multiple long rushing touchdowns in key moments.
Tampa Bay’s duo of Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea won’t only have heavy responsibilities within the interior of the line, but the entirety of this Bucs’ defensive line is going to have to contribute to stop Baltimore from doing what they want on the ground. Yaya Diaby and Logan Hall will have to be smart in filling their gaps and staying true to the game plan in order to keep the long runs under wraps.
These Bucs’ linebackers also face huge challenges going into this match up. Lavonte David and K.J. Britt must be alert in the running game but they’ll also have major responsibilities in coverage, with two very talented and active Baltimore tight ends. Britt’s struggles in coverage so far will be tested, it’s up to coach Todd Bowles to put him in a position to succeed.
Is This Tampa Bay Rushing Attack A Fluke?
This Buccaneer rushing attack has seen vast improvement throughout 2024. With a good outing in Atlanta, followed by an even better performance in New Orleans, the running back room is headed in the right direction.
Last week, missing starting RB Rachaad White opened up opportunities for both rookie Bucky Irving and second-year RB Sean Tucker. They absolutely exploded onto the scene, with Tucker nearly eclipsing 200 total yards and totaling two touchdowns on the day.
Entering Monday Night’s match up, offensive coordinator Liam Coen spoke about game planning for a three-headed monster approach. Where all three of Tampa Bay’s top rushers will get their own drive early and the hot-hand will be determined from that.
It’s a different approach than most would take, but nobody will be talking about how the Bucs’ had another big rushing game, as long as they’re able to get it done. It will take another team effort, with major contributions from the offensive line and receiving corps needed in order to push themselves ahead.
There’s really no prediction as to who will be the lead back, but it’s no secret that Bucky Irving has rushed the ball with consistent success since week one.
Who Will Prevail As Baker Mayfield’s Third Receiving Option?
Bucs’ QB Baker Mayfield walked into a situation with two all-time great receivers at his disposal after his free agent signing in 2023. Receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are once again showing why they’ve consistently been atop leaderboards throughout their eight seasons together.
In his second season as a Buccaneer, Mayfield leads the NFL in passing touchdowns with fifteen. Led by Godwin and Evans, who each have five, it’s truly become unclear as to who the Bucs’ true third receiving option will be.
With Mike Evans dealing with a hamstring injury, his status for Monday’s game is uncertain. Even if he does suit up, it should be expected to see a reduced amount of minutes from the veteran WR. With that, opportunity arises for other receivers on this Tampa Bay roster.
Veteran receiver Sterling Shepard has jumped out to an early connection with Mayfield, dating back to their days at the University of Oklahoma. Tallying a touchdown catch and bringing a spark this team needs, Shepard is sure to get snaps and targets in Monday Night’s game.
Rookie Jalen McMillan has showed he has good receiving ability in his first year. But for the Bucs to put him on the field for the 80-90% they would like to, he has to show energy and will as a run blocker. McMillan should see a bump up in snaps as he progresses back through injury, but the Evans injury may drive up his targets as well.
Second-year WR Trey Palmer is the fastest Tampa Bay Buccaneer and brings an element no other receiver on this roster does. The type of over-the-top speed Palmer possesses isn’t a quality that’s taken lightly in the NFL and OC Liam Coen understands that.
Palmer had his miscues with QB Baker Mayfield in his rookie 2023 campaign, but he also showed flashes of greatness. He would occasionally drop passes that should be caught and slowed the team down on multiple occasions last season. So far, he hasn’t seen the amount of offensive snaps he did as a rookie, but with the lingering Evans injury, we could see plays that involve Palmer’s speed.
Bucs (4-2) vs Ravens (4-2) Game Information
When: Monday, October 21st 2024
Where: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, FL)
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 - Joe Buck (Play-by-Play), Troy Aikman (Color Commentary), Laura Rutledge (Sideline)
ESPN 2 ManningCast - Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Bill Belichick, Guests TBA
Bucs Radio: 98Rock – Gene Deckerhoff (Play by Play), Dave Moore (Color), T.J. Rives (Reporter)
Spanish Radio: 96.1 Caliente – Carlos Bohorquez (Play by Play), Martín Gramática (Analyst), Santiago Gramatica (Sideline Reporter)
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