It’s GAME DAY at Glory Days Grill – Come watch football all season long!

Bucs game day is approaching, and it’s time for the PewterReport.com staff to offer up its weekly game predictions. Let us know what you think in the article comments section and add your prediction, too.

BUCCANEERS at RAMS

WHEN: Sunday, September 26, 2021 | WHERE: SoFi Stadium | KICKOFF: 4:25 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Joe Buck |ANALYST: Troy Aikman | SIDELINE: Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi

RADIO: 98 ROCK 97.9 FM | PLAY-BY-PLAY: Gene Deckerhoff | ANALYST: Dave Moore | SIDELINE: T.J. Rives

SPANISH RADIO: 96.1 FM | PLAY-BY-PLAY: Carlos Bohorquez | ANALYST: Martin Gramatica

Join Pewter Report’s Matt Matera on PewterReport.com’s Red Board to talk Bucs football for a
live game day chat, starting at noon. on Sunday all the way through to the final whistle.
Click the link below to access the Game Day Thread on the Red Board.

JOIN THE GAME DAY THREAD BY CLICKING HERE AND JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

– Game Days At Glory Days Grill –

Glory Days Grill is known for their JUMBO, fresh, never frozen chicken wings. You can choose from four different styles: boneless, buffalo, dry rubbed or fire grilled! Pair your favorite style chicken wing with one of their homemade sauces like tangy buffalo, stinging honey garlic, buff-a-que and MORE!

You can order in quantities of 8 or 12 wings and make it a basket with crispy, seasoned waffle fries for an additional charge. You can also order platters of the Glory Days Grill wings for your next office party, tailgate, pregame meal, etc. Get ready for Tampa Bay’s games at Los Angeles and at New England with a party platter of Glory Days Grill wings and cheer your team to a couple of delicious victories!

Glory Days Grill

Brandon | Brooksville | Carrollwood | Fort Myers | Lakeland | New Tampa | Odessa/Lutz
Palm Harbor | Riverview | Sarasota | St. Petersburg | Tallahassee | Tyrone | Wesley Chapel

Scott Reynolds: Bucs Win A Close One In L.A. To Extend Two Streaks

In my 2021 season predictions for the Bucs, I had forecast a loss for Tampa Bay in its Week 3 game at Los Angeles. Hey, the Bucs aren’t going to go a perfect 17-0 this season. I predicted a 13-4 record, which would be the most wins in any season in franchise history. Some of you scoffed at the fact that I had the Bucs losing four games! My how times have changed in Tampa Bay. And yes, I had the Bucs losing against the Rams in my initial prediction.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

But you know what? I can’t pick against this team. I can’t pick the Bucs to lose a game – until they lose a game. With Tom Brady at the helm, the Bucs have scored 30 points or more for an NFL record nine straight games. Tampa Bay has won 10 straight games dating back to last year. Can the Bucs lose this game? Sure. It’s their first road contest since the NFC Championship Game in Green Bay. Yet, the Bucs have won their last eight road games dating back to 45-20 win in Las Vegas last October.

The Rams are a formidable team with plenty of playmakers on both sides of the ball. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Bucs lost to a team that will be a strong contender in the NFC this year. You can read all about the match-ups to watch in my new SR’s Fab 5 column. And the rest of the Pewter Reporters will give their breakdowns right here. I’m picking the Bucs by a late Ryan Succop field goal to move Tampa Bay to 3-0.

Reynolds’ Score Prediction: Buccaneers 33, Rams 30
Reynolds’ Season Record: 2-0

Jon Ledyard: Can Bowles Solve McVay? I’ll Believe It When I See It

Through two years as Bucs defensive coordinator, no opposing offensive coach has dominated Todd Bowles like Sean McVay. Bowles won the first meeting between the two, 55-40, but was saved only by Jared Goff’s four turnovers. Goff’s two interceptions made last year’s meeting closer than it should have been too, but McVay’s Rams prevailed, 27-24. Over those two games, the Rams offense piled up 931 yards and 67 points despite six turnovers.

Bucs DC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

The biggest reason for L.A.’s success is their commitment to the passing game in the face of Bowles’ selling out to stop the run. McVay has opted for 121 passes to just 26 carries for running backs over those two meetings. The Rams simply aren’t interested in running the football against Tampa Bay. Until Bowles recognizes that and changes his approach, it’s hard to bet on him to be successful in this matchup.

I think the Bucs offense will still have some impressive moments, but I’m worried about the destructive play from the Bucs running backs, along with the drops and penalties from the unit as a whole. On the flip side, the Rams have just two turnovers and are the second-least penalized team in the NFL. Right now, Los Angeles is playing crisper, cleaner football. But I still have more faith in the Bucs long-term this season, even if they fall in Week 3.

Ledyard’s Score Prediction: Rams 26, Bucs 23
Ledyard’s Season Record: 2-0

Matt Matera: Bucs Show Why They’re The Defending Champs

The Bucs are getting their biggest test early on this season as they make their first road trip all the way to the west coast in Los Angeles. They’re missing a couple of key players, but they have a solid amount of depth to make sure there’s no drop off. The Bucs lead the league in points, averaging 39.5 per game, and they’ll need as much as they can get to hold off the Rams this week.

Not having Jason Pierre-Paul on defense is tough. However, the Bucs only have two sacks in two games, and the insertion of rookie Joe Tryon-Shoyinka might be just what Tampa Bay needs. With great quickness and hand placement, Tryon-Shoyinka may get to Matthew Stafford faster than anyone on the Bucs pass rush. I expect the defense to get a key turnover before the Rams do in order to come away with this one.

It’s encouraging to think that as electric as the Bucs’ offense has been, there’s still room to be better. We haven’t seen much of a ground game so far, but that’s alright with the way they throw the ball. Tom Brady will be methodical when breaking down the Rams’ zone-heavy defense, so look for a collective effort from the receivers. There may not be one that has a breakout game, but Scotty Miller and Tyler Johnson, who are expected to replace Antonio Brown, can make an impact with more opportunities. The Bucs are the defending champs for a reason, so until someone knocks them off, there won’t be many reasons to pick against them.

Matera’s Score Prediction: Buccaneers 34, Rams 31
Matera’s Season Record: 2-0

JC Allen: Close Game Comes Down To A FG

Sunday’s game will mark the third time in as many years these two teams have faced off, with the series split with both teams getting road wins. That trend should continue here on Sunday.  The two teams scored a combined 124 points between the two games and this game should be another 50+ point scoring game as well. Both offenses provide plenty of scoring power at receiver with question marks past their top corner.

The Bucs however, even without JPP, have a more potent attack on defense with their front seven. Getting pressure on Matt Stafford will be the key here. The Bucs will be counting on Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to inject a spark into a unit that has not been nearly as successful getting to the QB this year.

As the Bucs head to Los Angeles, it will mark Tom Brady’s first time playing in the “City of Angels” in his career. Brady has won in every stadium in the league but the newly built SoFi. He’ll build on that record this week and look to extend it next week in Foxboro. In the end, I think it will come come down to a late field goal with the Bucs getting the edge here.

Allen’s Score Prediction: Buccaneers 34, Rams 31
Allen’s Season Record: 2-0

Paul Atwal: Bucs Don’t Do Enough To Overcome Bad Schematic Matchup

The Rams defense schemes away deep passes. They have the players to do it, too. I wrote about Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich’s increased adaptability, but this will be the biggest test to their no-risk-it-no-biscuit philosophy yet. With Antonio Brown likely out, and the Rams’ commitment to playing nickel, I think the Buccaneers will operate primarily under center from 12 personnel. The question is where they go from there. Can they create explosive plays on the ground? Will they be patient in the pass game and take what’s available underneath, or will they force throws down the field?

Rams head coach Sean McVay – Photo by: USA Today

Sean McVay’s offense has had the answers against Todd Bowles. In my opinion, to slow down Matthew Stafford and co., Bowles needs to deviate from his single-high soft-zone coverages. Take away the deep throws by playing two safeties deep, and leverage that support to let your underneath players play tighter. Mix it up with Quarters, Cover 6, Cover 2 Zone, and 2-Man. Don’t schematically beg the Rams to throw the ball, and be selective with blitzes. If this game plan sounds familiar, it’s because that’s exactly what the Bucs did in Super Bowl 55 – but that was a significant deviation from what they did all year.

I’m not sure if Arians, Leftwich, and Bowles are willing to make those type of changes for Sunday. I was wrong when, during the Bucs’ mid-season slump in 2020, I thought this coaching staff would be unwilling to make the necessary adjustments to compete for a title. I was wrong when I thought the season was practically over at half-time in Week 15, when the Bucs were down 17-0 to the 4-9 Falcons. I was wrong when I thought the defense wouldn’t find ways to stop the Chiefs in Super Bowl 55. This Sunday, when I think Rams will take down the defending champs, I would love to be wrong again.

Atwal’s Score Prediction: Rams 34, Buccaneers 24
Atwal’s Season Record: 2-0

Kasey Hudson: Bucs Loaded Offense and Todd Bowles Pull Through

The Rams have been a tough opponent since Sean McVay took over in 2017. Add quarterback Matthew Stafford to the mix and the Rams become more dangerous thanks to a top ten passing attack. The Buccaneers defense will need to be solid. Tampa Bay’s defense has struggled to shut down the pass game, ranking 30th in yards allowed. Yet, Stafford is 0-3 when facing a Todd Bowles defense. Bowles knows when and where to apply pressure to minimize Stafford’s completion rate, so this will be a big game for Tampa Bay’s pass rushers.

Rams WR Cooper Kupp – Photo by: USA Today

Matthew Stafford joins Tom Brady in recording multiple 4,000-yard seasons, and both quarterbacks threw for over 5,000 yards in 2011. Moreover, out of 5 regular season meetings versus Tampa Bay, Stafford has won 3 of them.  It is expected for Stafford to have some big plays with wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, as well as tight end Tyler Higbee. But that still does not match-up to the many weapons Tom Brady has.

Now, this Sunday may look different if Antonio Brown is not cleared for the game, but Scotty Miller is ready for action. Not to mention that Tom Brady has been known to lean on Tyler Johnson in tough moments. Tampa Bay’s biggest obstacle ahead may be avoiding the second half lull. When looking at situational stats, Stafford’s game is strongest in the second and third quarters, while Brady is at his best in the first and fourth quarters.

As for the Rams defense, Jalen Ramsey is always a threat in the defensive backfield. Ramsey more than likely will match up against Mike Evans again, but then who can effectively cover Chris Godwin in the slot? As for Aaron Donald, he will be looking for his first big game against the Buccaneers, against a better offensive line than he faced last year. Tampa Bay has enough talent to beat the Rams if they play four quarters of good football. It’s going to be a shootout.

Hudson’s Score Prediction: Buccaneers 37, Rams 35
Hudson’s Season Record: 2-0