Happy Black Friday, everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. After a tough five weeks for the Bucs, I wish there were a Black Friday deal that guaranteed their playoff spot. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees, and the Bucs face a challenging battle in the last six weeks of the season. Here’s what both the Bucs and Cardinals need to do to secure a win in this Week 13 matchup.
BUCS WIN IF…
Bucs on Offense: Whether Baker Mayfield is under center or not, the goal is for the Bucs to make significant strides on offense by establishing a strong running game. However, that’s often easier said than done in the NFL.
Most defenses can effectively shut down one aspect of an offense—either the run or the pass. The real challenge is stopping both. Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon has the chops to make the Bucs one-dimensional.
Asking the Bucs to run on first and second down every drive, then consistently gain 3 to 6 yards on third down, isn’t an ideal scenario… especially if we’re relying on Teddy Bridgewater. We need to let him throw on first down to find early success. Moving the pocket and getting the ball out of Teddy’s hands quickly will be crucial. It would be great to see another touchdown reception from Tez Johnson, and surpassing 100 rushing yards as a team would put us in a strong position for a win.
Bucs on Defense: I’m uncertain what to expect from this Bucs defense. I hope Coach Bowles simplifies things a bit, allowing the players to react instinctively rather than overthinking. Let them fly around and make plays.
Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett can spread the ball around and push it downfield. We need to start by ensuring there are no blown coverages… let’s not give Brissett wide-open receivers for easy scores. Make him work for it. This should be a classic Bowles defense: shut down the deep ball and force the Cardinals to methodically move the ball down the field.
While I don’t expect a complete shutdown, it would be great to hold them to 24 points or fewer.
CARDINALS WIN IF…
Cardinals on Offense: This game has the potential to frustrate Bucs fans, especially if the Cardinals find success running the ball. However, the biggest concern will be the Cardinals’ passing game, which averages 258 yards per game.
The Cardinals should let Brissett air it out as much as possible to test this Bucs defense, which consistently ranks in the bottom half of the league in pass defense.
Keep an eye on Marvin Harrison Jr… he could have a big game.
Cardinals on Defense: The Cardinals have had some disappointing showings on defense this year, but they always have the potential to put together a nice showing. Calais Campbell is always a huge presence.
They are also hoping to get some pass rush help from returning Nolen Walter III and sack leader, Josh Sweat.
If they can shut down the Bucs early efforts to establish a running game, then they may be able to pin their ears back to end the game.
FINAL WORD
The Bucs need this game in a bad way. If they hope to win their division, they need to start putting some wins together now. Here’s to hoping they can find a way to close out a close one.
Prediction: Bucs 27, Cardinals 23
