The Bucks are about halfway through their 2023 schedule and realize they’re heading in the wrong direction. Since entering the early bye week with a 3-1 record, they have lost four in a row and sit in third place in the NFC South with a 3-5 record. Todd Bowles’ declaration that Tampa Bay’s losses won’t “snowball” is seriously outdated and his team needs to stop the bleeding in Week 10. They host the Titans, who are 3-5.
Given how bad the NFC South teams are, the Bucs still have a chance to win their third straight division championship despite losing four straight. With nine games remaining, they are just 1.5 games behind the Saints, and they also have a Week 4 win against New Orleans within reach. And with the NFC overall being average, Tampa Bay is also just 1.5 games out of the playoffs.
So all is not lost for Bowles and the Bucs. There’s a good chance they can turn things around and get back into the NFC South or NFC Wild Card berth. That turnaround must start on Sunday. Otherwise, Tampa Bay would fall to 3-6 and face a 3-7 series with a trip to San Francisco coming up in Week 11.
lastly…
Bucs QB Jameis Winston – Photo by Mary Holt/PR
The last time the Bucs and Titans met was in Week 8 of the 2019 season, Tennessee won 27-23 at Nissan Stadium by forcing four turnovers from Jameis Winston. In fact, Tampa Bay took a 23-17 lead early in the third quarter on a touchdown pass from Winston to Mike Evans, but things fell apart after the Titans took a 27-23 lead. The Bucs’ final three drives of the game were a Winston fumble, a turnover on downs, and a Winston interception.
All of that said, Tampa Bay probably would have won the game if officials hadn’t blown the whistle earlier when Devin White fumbled the Titans’ fake field goal attempt with 3:47 left in the game. It should be. Andrew Adams recovered the fumble and returned the ball for what would have been the go-ahead touchdown, but the referees ruled the play null and void and ruled that Tennessee punter Brett Kern had made a contact down short of the first-down marker. I ruled.
“That’s a no for me, dude” – Devin, probably#Gobucks | #TBvsTEN pic.twitter.com/G87WG0I92Y
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 27, 2019
The final matchup, played at Raymond James Stadium, was one Buccaneer faithful will probably want to forget. In the game, the Titans won 42-14 as No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota dominated with four touchdowns, while the Bucks had no touchdowns. No. 1 pick Jameis Winston threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt on his way to a two-interception day.
The Titans lead the Bucks 10-2 in the series, but both teams are tied 2-2 in Tampa.
Bucks and Titans trends
The Bucks just lost their fourth game in a row and are clearly trending in the wrong direction. Not only did they suffer four consecutive losses; They did it in a stupid way.
Tampa Bay’s offense really came alive and lit up the scoreboard with 37 points, but the defense was flat-footed until Texans rookie quarterback CJ Stroud put together a record-breaking 470-yard, 5-touchdown performance. It was terrible. After the Bucks took a 37-33 lead with 46 seconds left, Houston marched right down the field and scored to win the game.
Bucks HC Todd Bowles – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Tampa Bay hasn’t won a game since Oct. 1, and while the offense finally started scoring last Sunday thanks to a two-touchdown day from Rashard White and Cade Otton, the defense had its worst performance of the season. You can see the situation. It is completely impossible to stop someone in the air. Now, Todd Bowles and his defense will be tasked with keeping another rookie quarterback, Tennessee’s Will Revis, from finding a way to hurt them like Stroud did in Week 9. .
The Titans are also at a bit of a crossroads, having lost three of their last four games after getting off to a decent 2-2 start with wins over the Chargers and Bengals. Levis will be making his third career start after throwing four touchdowns in his debut against the Falcons two weeks ago and struggling a bit more in last Thursday night’s loss to the Steelers.
Given the Jaguars’ rise in the AFC South, Tennessee doesn’t really have a path back to the top of the division. And with the AFC Wild Card picture featuring much better teams than the NFC Wild Card picture, Mike Vrabel and his team will likely miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season. So it makes sense that Vrabel would look to Levis, the team’s second-round pick in the 2023 draft, instead of veteran Ryan Tannehill going forward. The Titans are looking to the future, but there’s certainly a chance they could drop the Bucks to their fifth straight loss on Sunday.
Tampa Bay is 1-3 at home this season, and Tennessee is 0-4 on the road (0-5 on the road due to the loss in London). With that in mind, something has to give Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
Heading into Week 10, here are the Bucks and Titans standings.
Bucks offense: 22nd in scoring offense (19.8 PPG), 21st in total offense (302.5 yards per game), 15th in passing offense (224.3 yards per game), 30th in rushing offense (78.3 yards per game).
Titans attack: 24th in scoring offense (18.5 PPG), 23rd in total offense (302.0 yards per game), 26th in passing offense (187.5 yards per game), 12th in rushing offense (114.5 yards per game).
Bucks defense: 16th in scoring defense (20.9 points per game), 29th in total defense (372.3 yards per game), 31st in passing defense (279.4 yards per game), and 9th in rushing defense (92.9 yards per game). yard)
Titans defense: 11th in scoring defense (20.0 points per game), 20th in total defense (337.8 yards per game), 16th in passing defense (223.0 yards per game) and 19th in rushing defense (114.8 yards per game). yard)
As of Wednesday night, this game is listed as a pick-em with an over/under set of 38.5 points (By MyBookie.ag).
What will decide the Bucks vs. Titans matchup?
Bucks CB Carlton Davis III and Texans TE Dalton Schultz – Photo courtesy of USA Today
This is a big week for the Bucks defense. Bouncing back from their terrible performance in Houston would set the tone for the entire team to start turning things around. However, if the problem persists, things may get out of control. Tampa Bay needs more from his four-man rusher.Experienced players in the secondary – led by carlton davis – Must perform better in coverage, even if the scheme is not playing to its strengths. The unit needs to get back to forcing turnovers like it did earlier in the season.
And perhaps most importantly, tod bowles You have to get your defense in the right position to compete. Considering the secondary struggles in zone coverage, playing more man coverage could be a start. Adding more blitz to create pressure and help with the four-man rush could also help. A lot of this game will depend on the game plan Bowles has in place. He’s been on a bad footing in recent weeks, making the days leading up to Sunday’s game just as important as Sunday itself.
Offensively, Tampa Bay needs to step up based on Week 9. The situation was certainly not perfect, and there were times when the match dragged on. baker mayfield The rest of the group was silent, but 37 points is 37 points.it was helpful Ratchard White and Cade Otton Both found the end zone twice, but Dave Canales I’m trying to find a way to carry the ball and get good performances from the ball handlers. mike evans and chris godwin – the two best playmakers on offense – must be prioritized. If the offense continues to score and the defense bounces back, the Bucks may finally be able to end their losing streak.
Titans QB Will Levis – Photo courtesy of USA Today
The key for the Titans may be to take advantage of the game on the ground. Will Levi. Levi threw four touchdowns in his debut two weeks ago and has a cannonball in his arm, but he’s still a rookie and has some work to do.The fact that he is a three-time Pro Bowler and four-time 1,000-yard rusher. derrick henry – Similar to Electric Rookie Tije Spears – Being in the backfield should help him. But that only helps him if Henry and Spears are making things happen in the run game.
In Levi’s impressive debut against the Falcons, Henry ran for 101 yards on 22 carries (4.6 average) and Spears ran for 27 yards on three carries (9.0 average). But last week, the rookie quarterback from Kentucky struggled against the Steelers, holding Henry to less than 100 yards. If the backfield duo can find room against the stout Bucs run defense, it will open the door for Levis and his receivers (led by a five-time Pro Bowler and six-time 1,000-yard receiver). DeAndre Hopkins.
It would be a big help for Tennessee’s defense, as forcing more turnovers could hinder the progress of Tampa Bay’s still-developing offense. The Titans have only two interceptions and four fumble recoveries this year. Their six total points ranks last in the NFL.former back sean murphy bunting In addition to forcing two fumbles, he accounted for one interception and one fumble recovery, but the defense as a whole had few splash plays. Mike Vrabel’s team has a minus-3 turnover differential, which ranks 22nd in the NFL. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has a plus-8 differential, which is tied for second-best in the league.
Key players to watch
Bucks RB Rathard White – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Dave Canales leaning Ratchard WhiteHis skills as a pass catcher are very good. Having White in space allowed the Bucs to move the ball, and the second-year running back’s productivity soared. He had 99 total yards three weeks ago, but his last two games totaled 109 and 119 yards, respectively. If Tampa Bay can reinvigorate him against the Titans and feed him the ball at the same time. mike evans and chris godwinas long as you look at the scoreboard, it could spell good things.
Kariya Kanshi He missed most of training camp, the entire preseason and the first part of the regular season with a calf injury, and has continued to impress since returning. He has two sacks and 14 pressures (on 11 snaps) in just four games, and those 14 pressures are behind him. Joe Tryon Soyinka (15), vita vea (15) and Shaq Barrett (24) This year, he plays for the Tampa Bay Defense. Cuncey will get a chance Sunday to face an offensive line that has allowed 29 sacks and 121 pressures this season.
Titans QB Will Levis – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Attracts everyone’s attention Will Levis In Sunday’s game, he’s doing so against a defense that just allowed 470 yards and five touchdowns to another rookie quarterback last week in his career start. Every week will be important for the former Kentucky Wildcat, as whether Levis can establish himself as the Titans’ quarterback of the future will be a big question for Nashville for the rest of what looks like a lost season. Dew.have deandre hopkins (35 catches, 564 yards, 3 touchdowns this year) derrick henry (137 carries for 601 yards and four scores) should help.
jeffrey simmons is the anchor of the Titans’ defensive line and has been for the past few years.he’s going to be dangerous now robert heinsey, cody mauf and aaron stinney He has 4.5 sacks and 33 pressures this season, so that’s something to address. Simmons is fast and strong and has the potential to be a big problem for the Tampa Bay offense on Sunday.
Bucks vs. Titans match information
when: Sunday, November 12th
where: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
kick off: 1:00 PM ET
tv set: CBS – Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Tiki Barber & Matt Ryan (analysts), AJ Ross (reporter)
Bucks Radio: 98Rock – Gene Deckerhoff (play-by-play), Dave Moore (color), TJ Ribbs (reporter)
Spanish radio: 96.1 Caliente – Carlos Bojorquez (play by play), Martin Gramatica (analyst)
