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BUCCANEERS at CARDINALS

WHEN: Sunday, December 25, 2022 | WHERE: State Farm Stadium | KICKOFF: 8:20 p.m. ET | TV: NBC

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Mike Tirico | ANALYST: Cris Collinsworth | SIDELINE: Melissa Stark

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

Game day is approaching, and it’s time for the Pewter Report staff to make its weekly game predictions and offer up our game preview of this week’s matchup. Let us know what you think in the article comments section and add your prediction, too.

Scott Reynolds: A Bucs Win Makes For A Very Merry Christmas

The Bucs teased us last week with an impressive 17-3 halftime lead over the Bengals, only to have the Grinch show up in the third quarter and steal Tampa Bay’s holiday spirit. The Grinch, of course, was four turnovers and a turnover on downs that caused the Bucs to beat the Bucs once again. While spending Christmas Eve in a hotel room in Arizona away from their families is not ideal for Tampa Bay, at least this team has something to play for. A win over the Cardinals maintains at least a one-game lead in the division over Tampa Bay’s NFC South rivals. The 4-10 Cardinals have nothing to play for.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Perhaps the Bucs can build on what went right on offense in the first half last week. Tampa Bay used a ton of motion and play action fakes to put up their yearly points average in a single half. Tom Brady has thrown four interceptions and lost two fumbles in the last two games combined. He and his teammates will have to play error-free football against the Cardinals. Arizona has the league’s worst scoring defense, surrendering an average of 27 points per game. So there is an opportunity for the Bucs to light up the scoreboard like a Christmas tree.

On defense, the Bucs need to pressure Trace McSorley, a third-stringer who is getting his first start. Playing against inexperienced backup quarterbacks on the road hasn’t always gone well for the Tampa Bay (see losses at Carolina and San Francisco). But Tampa Bay’s defense played really well against an elite offense in Cincinnati last week, which is a good sign. The Bucs have more to play for on Christmas night, and I think they’ll stop a two-game losing skid and give Tampa Bay fans one last present for the day with a victory.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 23, Cardinals 17
REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 5-9

Matt Matera: Bucs Give Everyone A Gift With A Double-Digit Win

Joy is needed in Tampa with the Bucs’ recent losing ways, but it can be found with a good performance on Christmas. Many are asking Santa Claus for a Bucs win on their Christmas list, and it’s set up for them to deliver. With that said, the Bucs have other games where they failed to take advantage of similar situations, so really any outcome wouldn’t be shocking.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

We saw a lot of good last week in the first half for the Tampa Bay followed by plenty of awful in the second half. What we learned, and many of us knew, is that Tampa Bay looks pretty damn good when they run play action and take advantage on first and second down instead of settling for third-and-longs. When the Bucs were aggressive, Tom Brady was finding Mike Evans down the field and over the middle. They can do the same thing on Sunday with the Cardinals having some of their top corners hurt. And with Tristan Wirfs back, the Bucs can expect even better pass blocking for Brady, even with Donovan Smith out. 

There’s no way Tampa Bay can lose to third-string quarterback Trace McSorely, right? Tampa Bay needs to pressure him constantly, no matter how it’s generated or who gets it done. You can’t take Arizona’s skill players lightly, but I love the matchup for Carlton Davis III against DeAndre Hopkins. What also helps is that Arizona doesn’t generate a lot of big plays. They keep things underneath, which plays right into the Bucs hands. Some success they’ve found recently is blitzing right up the middle, so I’d love to see that continue. Add in more playing time for Mike Edwards and maybe a return for Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tampa Bay can keep Arizona to only a couple of scoring drives. Can Tampa Bay’s offense get to at least 20? I think they do just enough to see it through.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 20, Cardinals 10
MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 6-8

JC Allen: Even After Last Week, I Still Believe In Brady And The Bucs

Last week I went out on a limb and was the only Pewter Reporter to pick the Bucs over the Bengals. And for a half, I felt pretty good about it. But then, everything spiraled out of control for Tampa Bay over the final 30 minutes and I now sit here with the same predictions record as the Cardinals’ actual record. Even after being let down again, though, I haven’t lost hope in this Bucs team. I think they head out west to Arizona this weekend and come out of the holiday with a win – and a chance to clinch the division next week.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: USA Today

Offensively, Tampa Bay really needs to do more of what they did in the first half against the Bengals. More play-action and more motion helped them put up 17 points in the first two quarters, which matched their season average for points per game. But they came back out of the locker room with turnovers and poor play in the second half, getting away from what clicked early on. The Arizona defense is dead last in the league, allowing 26.6 points per game. Tampa Bay has had its issues putting points on the board, but I like their chances of exposing some of the Cardinals’ weaknesses come Sunday.

And as a defense, this has to be the game where the Bucs handle business against a young, inexperienced quarterback. Even though they’ve got some banged-up pass rushers, they’re going to need to get to Trace McSorley early and often, perhaps rattling him in his first career start. If Tampa Bay can do that, play smart on offense and limit the penalties and mental mistakes all around, Christmas will be that much better for this team – and its fans.

ALLEN’S GAME PREDICTION:  Bucs 24, Cardinals 13
ALLEN’S SEASON RECORD: 4-10

Bailey Adams: Would The Bucs Finally Playing Well Qualify As A Christmas Miracle?

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III – Photo by: USA Today

The ridiculous thing about the state of the NFC South right now is that the Bucs can actually lose this game, fall to 6-9 and still win the division by beating the Panthers and Falcons to close the season. But honestly, if they can’t beat Trace McSorley and the 4-10 Cardinals on Sunday, that would be three straight losses and I don’t think I’d like their chances of bouncing back from that to win the next two. I don’t even want to consider that as a possibility because a Tom Brady-led team being 6-9 might be an actual crime. It’s a good thing, then, that I like Tampa Bay in this game.

Saying this team should win a game these days almost feels pointless. With that being said, Todd Bowles’ group should win this game. The defense played well enough to win last week, and that was against a prolific Bengals offense. This week, that unit has a decided edge against a debuting quarterback in Trace McSorley — even with their persistent issues against rookie and backup quarterbacks. I think Tampa Bay’s defense locks in and plays another good game, leaving the rest up to Brady and the offense.

Offensively, Brady and Co. need to get back to what was working in the first half of last week’s game. More motion and more play-action — and more Mike Evans. Arizona’s defense is allowing 26.6 points per game this season, which is the worst mark in the NFL. It’s time for Tampa Bay to finally put some points on the board. The Bucs are the better team here and as Nick Leverett said in the locker room last Sunday, they need to start playing like a first-place team. What better time for them to do so than on Christmas?

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 27, Cardinals 17
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 8-6

Josh Queipo: Bucs Give A Glimmer Of Hope As They Try To Make A Playoff Run

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Talk about a Christmas gift for the Bucs. To be able to field a matchup against a reeling Cardinals team starting their third-string quarterback for the first time. On top of that, Arizona is facing a plethora of  injuries to their defensive secondary as well as their offensive line. Mix in the fact that despite the Bucs’ abysmal record (6-8) they are still somehow sitting atop of the NFC South division with their playoff hopes firmly within their own control, and it feels like this is a Christmas miracle playing out in real life for the team.

And make no mistake, this is a game Tampa Bay should win handily. Arizona’s air-raid offense has come to struggle at the NFL level. The Cardinals’ talent level just does not match up here. While the Bucs have injury concerns of their own (outside linebacker, offensive tackle), they pale in comparison to what the Cardinals are dealing with.

And for one of the few times this year I don’t see a clear advantage at the coaching level between Tampa Bay and its opponents. I honestly see this as the first convincing win of the year since what, Dallas?

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 27, Cardinals 13
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 9-5

Kasey Hudson: The Best Christmas Gift? Bucs Not Beating Bucs

Bucs QB Tom Brady and RT Tristan Wirfs – Photo by: USA Today

Can the Bucs give the gift of not beating themselves on Sunday? Between Kyler Murray being out and the potential return of Tristan Wirfs, I’d say the odds are in Tampa Bay’s favor to produce a win. The Cardinals’ third string quarterback is set to lead the team, but due to his experience and the results against the Broncos, I would not be surprised if Arizona leans into its run game.

The Cardinals have struggled in their last two games to pick up more than one touchdown. The only touchdown of each game was credited to James Connor. If the Bucs secondary can manage to contain DeAndre Hopkins and Hollywood Brown, forcing Arizona to be one dimensional and resort to Connor, they can finally control a game. Carlton Davis has played well this season and will hopefully build off last week’s performance against Ja’Marr Chase.

Tampa Bay has relied on the defense to set the tone most of the season and although the Cardinals have only won four games, this is not a game where the offense can rely on the defense to carry them. Tom Brady and company must find the end zone and equally distribute in the run and pass game. All we want for Christmas is to see if the Bucs can keep their foot on the gas for a change.

HUDSON’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 21, Cardinals 13
HUDSON’S SEASON RECORD: 8-6