It’s GAME DAY at Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux – Come watch Bucs football all season long!

BUCCANEERS vs RAMS

WHEN: Sunday, November 6, 2022 | WHERE: Raymond James Stadium | KICKOFF: 4:25 p.m. ET | TV: CBS

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Jim Nantz |ANALYST: Tony Romo | SIDELINE: Tracy Wolfson

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: What The Hell Am I Thinking By Picking The Bucs?

The Bucs are going to win on Sunday against the Rams. I have no idea why I think that, but I do. Maybe it’s that the Bucs are the more desperate three-win team. The Rams are fresh off winning Super Bowl LVI, so their hangover is still in effect. Tampa Bay has an increased sense of urgency after losing three in a row, and dropping to 3-6 would just about sink the Bucs’ ship. Plus there is the extra motivation to beat the Rams – a team that has won three straight games over Tampa Bay over the last two years, including a 30-27 playoff win last year at Raymond James Stadium.

Bucs LB Devin White and Rams QB Matthew Stafford – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Speaking of motivation, Bucs Pro Bowl linebacker Devin White is either going to take all the criticism he’s received this week and rise to the occasion with a great game or wilt under the pressure. I certainly hope it’s the former for his sake and his teammates’ sake. Tampa Bay’s defense will have to apply pressure on Matthew Stafford, who is playing behind an offensive line in shambles. Vita Vea and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka must step up and produce sacks with Shaq Barrett done for the year. Playing against a hobbled Cooper Kupp should help Tampa Bay’s secondary.

On offense, the Bucs have to score more points, especially touchdowns. Hey, that’s what Todd Bowles said – and I believe him. The big question upfront is can new left guard Nick Leverett survive against Aaron Donald? And can left tackle Donovan Smith get back to playing clean football for a whole game? These two teams are very different from last January as several stars in both Tampa Bay and Los Angeles have departed. It would be Buc luck for Tampa Bay to finally beat the Saints and the Rams in the same season … yet finish something like 7-10. Let’s hope it’s more wins that that, but the winning has to start this Sunday. Ryan Succop nails the game-winner this time.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 23, Rams 20
REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 3-5

Matt Matera: It’s Hard Trusting The Bucs In Any Game

Bucs WRs Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Julio Jones – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Where exactly are going to see change and improvement for the Bucs? Are they going to be more aggressive? Will they implement more play action? Will anybody outside of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin step up in the passing game? Can they run the ball efficiently? Well, Byron Leftwich admitted he doesn’t even count running plays, so I don’t see much changing this week.

Before the season, this would’ve been the most exciting matchup of the week. The last two Super Bowl champions who’ve had three great matchups over the last two seasons. Now it’s just to see which team is in worse shape after nine weeks. In all the previous matchups it’s come down to coaching. So even with a banged up roster, I expect Sean McVay to out-coach Todd Bowles and that will ultimately give the Rams the edge. I’d like to think all of the noise about Devin White would inspire him to play better, and hopefully that’ll be the case. But being without Antoine Winfield Jr. again is going to hurt defense a ton even with Carlton Davis returning.

You can say all you want that the Rams can’t run the ball and that Cooper Kupp will be limited with his ankle injury, but the Bucs also knew that they had to limit Travis Kelce against the Chiefs and they didn’t. Then the most egregious effort of them all was against the Panthers when everyone knew all the Panthers had one offense was D.J. Moore, and yet he still went off and scored a touchdown. Why will it be any different wiht the Bucs attempting to limit Kupp? They haven’t before, and until they communicate and execute better, there won’t be anything different.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Rams 28, Bucs 20

MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 3-5

JC Allen: Bucs EXECUTE Just Enough To Get Close Win

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

We’ve heard it the last few weeks over and over again, “We just need to do a better job at executing.” Well, the Bucs are coming off a mini-bye week that let them reset mentally and get healthy. That should hopefully pay off with better execution this week against the Rams. Both teams are hungry for wins after less than stellar starts to the season and this should be a battle between two clubs that were thought to be the cream of the crop in the NFC.

On offense the Bucs need to get their best playmakers to be more consistent. Tom Brady has been force feeding Chris Godwin and Mike Evans as of late but missed opportunities by the trio have been aplenty. Outside of them someone needs to step up as the third option. Whether it’s Julio Jones, Cade Otton or even Tyler Johnson if elevated, Brady can’t solely rely on Godwin and Evans. Play calling and sequencing need to be better, and we need to see more of Rachaad White on the field. Especially if the Bucs plan to try and get the running game going (ugh) again.

The defense will be getting some major reinforcements in the likes of Akiem Hicks, Sean Murphy-Bunting (didn’t expect to say that), and Carlton Davis. Antoine Winfield will miss another week but the trio returning should provide a boost. Losing Shaq Barrett for the year certainly helps but the Bucs are deep enough at the outside linebacker position, and the Rams week enough, they should still be able to get consistent pressure on Matthew Stafford. Perhaps the biggest matchup here though is Todd Bowles versus Sean McVay. The Bucs head coach hasn’t been able to figure him out in their last three meeteings. Could this be the time he does? I’m betting on it, with a very close Bucs win.

ALLEN’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 23, Rams 20
ALLEN’S SEASON RECORD: 2-6

Bailey Adams: I Have No Idea Why I Have Faith In The Bucs To Win This One, But I Do

Last week, I said there was no reason I should be picking the Bucs over the Ravens, so I didn’t. And Tampa Bay made me look wise. Now, the team has lost three straight and five of its last six games and the Rams are coming to town. This is a Rams team that the Bucs haven’t been able to beat in their last three meetings. Todd Bowles hasn’t seemed to solve Sean McVay. So, there’s really no reason I should be picking the Bucs to win on Sunday. Yet, I think I am.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

If Tampa Bay is going to figure things out and turn its season around, it has to start Sunday. Bowles’ team can’t expect to rebound and make the playoffs after starting 3-6 and losing four straight and six of seven. That makes this Sunday do-or-die. And it might be blind faith at this point because this coaching staff — especially on the offensive side of the ball — hasn’t proven that it deserves the benefit of the doubt, but the mini-bye came at a good time and now it’s time for the Tom Brady-led Bucs to look like the Tom Brady-led Bucs again.

If the Rams were firing on all cylinders, this would be a no-brainer: It would be Rams all day as far as predictions go. But Los Angeles is 3-4, having lost 31-14 last week to the 49ers. The defending Super Bowl champions are in their own sort of disarray, and maybe (maybe) the Bucs can take advantage of that. Brady needs a big game in the worst way, and the defense needs to handle — or at least contain — a hobbled Cooper Kupp. For whatever reason, I’m relying on Tampa Bay to do just enough to show signs that a turnaround is coming.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 24, Rams 21
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 3-5

Josh Queipo: Mini-Bye Leads To Minor Improvements

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs have all the ingredients for a championship season. They just need to chef to follow the recipe. The opportunities have been laid out ad nauseum. And while offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich maintains it’s not as easy as the media has made it out to be, but it just seems weird that they refuse to even try.

With some self-scouting on an extended week the Bucs make some minor improvements to their game-planning and game script. Against a Rams team that is dealing with injuries and roster holes, it is enough to show some improvements and escape week nine with a win.

The Bucs offense looks more like the juggernaut of 2020. Tom Brady and the offense brings Halloween back a week late to exorcise some demons in the team’s second narrative-changing week of the year (Saints). Tampa Bay improves to 4-5 on the year slaying the Rams’ playoff chances in the process at 3-5.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 27, Rams 24
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 4-4

Kasey Hudson: Bucs Provide Hope For Rest Of Season With A Win

The biggest positive for the Bucs this week is their progressive injury report. Whether they made the necessary improvements with the extended time off will be determined Sunday versus a struggling Rams team. The reigning Super Bowl
champions have also struggled to find the end zone and have had only one 30+ point performance this season.

Bucs QB Tom Brady and Rams DT Aaron Donald – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs defense has not looked impressive since Week 2 and have digressed in
their run defense abilities, but with the Rams run play percentage at 33.1, they
may have a chance to redeem themselves even with the expected return of Cam Akers. Matthew Stafford has not managed pressure well and his center, Brian Allen is banged up and his left guard is not very strong. If Tampa can rack up sacks they
can establish some control in this matchup.

Tom Brady on the other hand is the most sacked quarterback in the league right now
and has to try and steer clear of Aaron Donald attack the right side of his offensive line. If the Bucs can be slightly less one dimensional this is a great chance to prove there’s hope in Tampa bay’s season yet.

HUDSON’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 24, Rams 21 
HUDSON’S SEASON RECORD: 3-5