BUCS vs. TITANS

WHEN: Sunday, November 12, 2023 | WHERE: Raymond James Stadium | KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. ET | TV: CBS

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Andrew Catalon | ANALYSTS: Tiki Barber & Matt Ryan | SIDELINE: A.J. Ross

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: I Can’t Trust These Buccaneers

I don’t trust these 3-5 Bucs. Do you? Do you trust that the offense has finally turned a corner and can score 24 points or more – let alone 37! – on a regular basis? Do you trust that Todd Bowles defense isn’t in a soft zone death spiral? Oh, and not to mention both of the team’s starting cornerbacks, Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean, who combined to give up four touchdowns to a rookie quarterback last week, are banged up and might not play? Davis and Dean will be game-time decisions due to a concussion and a toe injury, respectively.

Titans QB Will Levis – Photo by: USA Today

Tennessee rookie quarterback Will Levis, who threw for four touchdowns in his NFL debut, a big win over Atlanta two weeks ago, has to be looking at fellow rookie QB C.J. Stroud carving up Tampa Bay’s predictable soft zone coverage and thinking to himself, “Hey, I can do that, too!” Oh, and Levis has had extra time to prepare for the Bucs defense because the Titans lost to the Steelers last Thursday night.

We could see the collapse of this defense coming if we look back with some objectivity at the 16-13 loss to Atlanta. The Falcons lost three red zone fumbles, including two inside the 2-yard line. That’s probably 17 more points that Atlanta could have – and should have – scored to win in a blowout, 33-13. Then the Bucs defense allowed three touchdowns and a field goal in a 24-18 loss at Buffalo. Maybe Stroud and the Texans lighting up the Bucs was something we should have seen coming.

I think the offense will keep it close, but Levis has a good day and the Titans unfortunately beat the Bucs at home. The home fans boo – and rightly so – as Tampa Bay falls to 1-4 at home and the Glazers pay full attention to it. A win doesn’t get Bowles off the hot seat, but a loss means he’ll be in a Raheem Morris-like free-fall and at 3-6 there isn’t much hope for a late-season turnaround – or Bowles keeping his job in 2024.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Titans 26, Bucs 23
REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 6-2

Matt Matera: Bucs Win It – But If Not, Then Start Tanking

After losing four games in a row the Bucs don’t inspire any hope or inspiration. The most uplifting thing the Bucs have provided this week was Baker Mayfield hitting the air drums with water bottles as Phil Collins’ ‘In The Air Tonight’ played during warmups on Friday’s practice. Let’s get to the point – this is a must-win game for the Bucs. If they don’t come away with a victory at home against the Titans, their season is essentially over. 

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today

The good news for the Bucs is that the offense is coming off of its best performance of the season even with Chris Godwin having a very quiet game and Mike Evans making a brief impact. Tampa Bay has to be able to slow down Tennessee’s defensive tackle Jefferey Simmons or else he’ll finish the game quickly. 

The Bucs’ run game wasn’t even great last week but we saw that even a glimpse or a semblance of success running the football opened up so many more options for them. I’d keep feeding Rachaad White, but not necessarily always running it. He’s proven to be the third weapon in the passing game, so keep riding him. Eventually Evans and Godwin have to make a big play.

It goes without saying that this has to be a bounce back game for the whole defense. You’d think playing against a rookie in his third career start would benefit the Bucs, but they’ve made rookies look like veteran All-Pros. Will anybody step up on the pass rush? You can blame them as much as you can blame Carlton Davis III and the rest of the secondary. 

A main priority will have to be stopping Derrick Henry on the ground, because that sets up everything else for the Titans. I like this matchup way more for Davis against DeAndre Hopkins, who he’s played well against before. Davis and the rest of the Bucs defense is a prideful group. They’ll come out flying this week.

The Bucs need to make Levis look like a rookie while continuing to build on what worked for their own offense. If not, just start tanking and turn the page to next season. 

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 28, Titans 21
MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 5-3

Bailey Adams: Bucs No Longer Have The Benefit Of Doubt With Me

I said in last week’s Pewter Predictions that the Texans game was the Bucs’ last chance with me in 2023. Now, that may have been a bit of an exaggeration, as I reserve the right to pick Tampa Bay in future games this season. The schedule is pretty light, after all. But Week 9 really was the last chance for this team to earn the benefit of the doubt with me.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

I don’t think I’ve been alone in assuming that eventually, the Bucs would come together and look like a competent football team. There’s a lot of talent on the roster and especially on the defense, there are a lot of guys who have been playing together in the same scheme for years. So at some point, the defense was going to fix its issues and the offense was going to finally click. Right?

I’m done expecting that to happen. It still can, but it’s no longer an expectation for me. I look at this game with the Titans on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium and see a toss-up. Earlier in the season, I would’ve given the Bucs the edge in a toss-up like this. Not anymore.

Tampa Bay has lost four straight games and has failed to protect its home stadium for much of this year. I don’t see that changing this week. Maybe the offense’s 37-point output was the turning point last week, but we haven’t seen any sort of consistency from that unit to be sure that’s the case.

On the other side, my faith in Todd Bowles’ defense is at an all-time low. This doesn’t look like the same unit that led the charge to the Super Bowl three years ago, even though it’s largely made up of the same core. The stubbornness of playing so much zone/off-coverage, the lack of interceptions in the secondary and the often-non-existent pass rush don’t inspire much belief in me that this defense will contain Will Levis — another rookie — after C.J. Stroud carved it up last week.

This is probably a game the Bucs should win and I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. I actually think they might win it. But I’m reluctantly being principled and sticking to my word here because I’ve been burnt too many times by picking them to turn it around. So until they prove they’ve turned a corner, I’m betting against them. Even at home.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Titans 27, Bucs 24
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 5-3

Josh Queipo: Bucs Win Over Rebuilding Titans

The Bucs face a team that is resetting mid-year. The Titans have correctly decided it is time to start their rebuild and have officially turned the quarterback reins over to Will Levis. Levis looked brilliant against Atlanta and surprisingly solid against a relentless Pittsburgh pass rush. But he is still a young quarterback making just his third start of the season.

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett and Falcons QB Desmond Ridder – Photo by: USA Today

And while most Bucs fans will point to last week’s “adventure” against fellow rookie C.J. Stroud and say the Titans offense is ready to cook, the Titans’ offensive line is really rough and the defense isn’t great outside of its interior pass rush.

The Bucs are built to stop what the Titans do best (run the ball), and Tampa Bay’s offense is facing a secondary that recently lost its best player.

To top it off, their run defense is not infallible. And the Bucs offense is starting to grow in all facets of the game. The players look more comfortable executing the calls and the offense should continue to be better than the 16 points per game they were averaging just a few weeks ago.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 26, Titans 16
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 5-3

Adam Slivon: Bucs Find A Way To Rebound At Home

This Sunday is one of the most crucial games for the Bucs this season. Reeling after four straight losses, this game is a chance for the team to stay alive and in the hunt in the NFC South. A fifth straight loss would be a crushing blow, especially as the 49ers loom as Tampa Bay’s next opponent. 

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo By: Cliff Welch P/R

Fortunately for the Bucs, they are facing a Titans team in flux. After deciding to bench Ryan Tannehill and give the reins to Will Levis, the defense will have a chance to get back on track facing another rookie quarterback making just his third NFL start. The Titans have a few big stars on the team in Derrick Henry, DeAndre Hopkins, and Jeffery Simmons, but otherwise, they lack a lot of depth with the most glaring weaknesses being their offensive line and secondary.

This will give the Bucs’ pass rush an opportunity to consistently apply pressure to Levis, as the Steelers did with ten quarterback hits last Thursday night. Carlton Davis III will be drawing a big assignment in the still-dangerous Hopkins, and Davis will have a larger-than-normal chip on his shoulder after giving up three touchdowns last week. 

For the offense, there is promise after scoring 37 points. Dave Canales spoke this week about things coming together, and for much of their last game, they were able to hang and go back and forth. It should not be as much of a heavyweight bout this week, but Baker Mayfield will have every chance to strike and connect with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Another big element will be building off some positive momentum in the run game, and that means Rachaad White getting the blocks and finding the lanes to keep the defense honest.

In many ways, this is their last chance to get up after being knocked down for the last month. Before the count hits “ten” on this season, I see the Bucs standing up and responding to the challenge at Raymond James Stadium with a convincing win against the Titans.

SLIVON’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 27, Titans 20
SLIVON’S SEASON RECORD: 6-2