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 JETS
WHEN: Sunday, January 2, 2022 | WHERE: Bank of America Stadium | KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. ET | TV: FOX
PLAY-BY-PLAY: Chris Myers |ANALYST: Daryl Johnston | SIDELINE: Jen Hale
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 ET 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 featuring cocktails to put you in the holiday spirit! Their Salted Caramel Pretzel is made with Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, Kahlua, cream, caramel and crushed pretzels.
The Gingerbread Martini is made with ABSOLUT Vanilla vodka, cream and ginger. Topped with whipped cream and a gingerbread man cookie.
The best for last is Ben’s Smoked Old Fashioned! Made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, bitters, cherry and orange peel garnish in a smoked glass.
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 Move To 12-4 With Win Over Jets
Reynolds’ Season Record: 10-5
Jon Ledyard: Even Depleted Bucs Should Handle Jets
Make no mistake, the Bucs are an extremely depleted roster. Three of the most important positions on the field are wide receiver, edge defender and cornerback, and the Bucs are extremely thin at all three spots. Chris Godwin is obviously out, and Mike Evans and Antonio Brown may not play. Brown was downgraded to ‘did not participate’ for Thursday’s practice. Defensively, edge rushers Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul seem unlikely to play. And cornerbacks Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean are on the COVID list. In addition, safety Antoine Winfield is a question mark and linebacker Lavonte David is out.
But the Jets are also wrecked. They’ll get their offensive line mostly back this week, but stud tackle Mekhi Becton remains on injured reserve. Their top three wide receivers all seem likely to miss Sunday’s game, leaving them with Braxton Berrios as their No. 1 option. Yeah, you read that right. The Bucs defense may be down six starters, but surrendering more than 10 points would still be disappointing. That’s how rough the Jets offense is.
And New York’s defense is even worse. Yes, Tom Brady may be working with scraps in Breshad Perriman, Tyler Johnson and Cyril Grayson on Sunday. But he still has a healthy offensive line and Rob Gronkowski. Against a depleted Jets defense, that should be enough. I don’t know if it will be pretty, but barring more COVID positives, the Bucs should win this game.
Ledyard’s Score Prediction: Buccaneers 31, Jets 10
Ledyard’s Season Record: 12-3
Matt Matera: Brady Dominates The Jets, A Tale As Old As Time
Let’s make no mistake about this. Even if the Bucs are missing multiple players because of injury and multiple players because of COVID, this is still a game they should win handily. Why? Because the Bucs have something on their side that the Jets have been lacking for many years now – talent.
If you look at the Jets, there’s maybe two or three guys you could point to as a building block on the roster. Elijah Moore looks to be a future stud at receiver when healthy. Offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker is having a good rookie season. Defensively, C.J. Mosley is a baller and Quinnen Williams is a bright spot. Outside of that, what do they have? New York hasn’t had a legit pass rusher since John Abraham. Now you’re facing Tom Brady, who has annihilated the Jets for two decades. Who’s stopping the Brady to Antonio Brown connection? The Jets don’t have the personnel to do it. Brown had 10 catches on 15 targets last week. Those numbers might double on Sunday if Brown plays.
The Bucs are missing very important defenders, but I’m excited to see the opportunities for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson and Cam Gill. If Moore doesn’t play for the Jets, Zach Wilson is going to have very limited options to throw to with Jamison Crowder potentially out. They have a promising rookie in running back Michael Carter, but we all know the Bucs are best at stopping the run. I’m definitely not calling Wilson a bust, but he has to take better care of the ball. I see Tampa Bay forcing a lot of turnovers and splash plays. Remember, they’ve gone two straight games without allowing a touchdown. Let’s face it, Kyle Trask could be starting on Sunday and the Bucs would win.
Matera’s Score Prediction: Buccaneers 45, Jets 15
Matera’s Season Record: 10-5
JC Allen: Bucs Bombard The Jets In Blowout Victory
Last season the Bucs were one of the healthiest teams in the league. This year, not so much. As they prepare to take on the New York Jets, the team has been decimated by injuries and COVID. Still, they should have enough firepower to get the job done on offense. If the defense can continue to play at the level they’ve been playing at, this game could be a blowout.
Tom Brady has owned the Jets over his career. With over 9,000 passing yards and 61 touchdowns, he boasts an impressive 30-8 all-time record vs New York. With the activation of Mike Evans, Brady may have three of his top four weapons available for the game. That would spell bad news for the Jets, who rank last in overall defense and 30th in pass defense. Tampa should have no trouble moving the ball through the air, as well as getting the run game going behind Ronald Jones and Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
The defense should be licking their chops as well. The Jets offensive line has given up 46 sacks this season. Combined with a rookie quarterback who can be erratic with the ball under pressure, it’s a recipe for turnovers. New York has let up a whopping 29.9 points per game, good for worst in the league. With sound execution, there’s no reason the Bucs shouldn’t score more than that and move to 12-4 on the season.
Allen’s Score Prediction: Buccaneers 34, Jets 10
Allen’s Season Record: 11-4
Paul Atwal: Bucs Dominate And Starters Get Some R-E-S-T REST! REST! REST!
Finally, Tom Brady returns to East Rutherford, New Jersey. I’m sure Jets fans have missed him dearly. With one team being the defending Super Bowl champions and the other being… well, the Jets, it’s not surprising that the betting markets would favor the Buccaneers by nearly two touchdowns. More intriguing than the outcome of the game will be the Bucs’ approach.
The offense was in schematic limbo without Mike Evans last week as the Bucs moved Antonio Brown into Evans’ position and put tight ends all over the place. There’s going to be a domino effect once Evans is back. Brown’s role will change, but we don’t know how. Will he return to the Z position – where he mostly played when the “Big Three” were all healthy – or will he move inside? Will the Bucs go back to their 11 personnel, spread, shotgun strategy, or will they continue operating under center with multiple tight ends like last week? This is the time for tweaking.
There’s minimal schematic mystery on the other side. I’ll be watching Jordan Whitehead, who has been playing out of his mind, and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who has another opportunity to make himself a permanent fixture in the starting lineup. But really, the whole unit has taken care of business. Yes, this will be the third game in a row that they play a bottom 10 offense. And yes, the entire schedule of opposing offenses has been on the softer side. Still though, to only concede 15 points over two weeks in 2021 is impressive. When the opposition is bad, you’re supposed to dominate. That should continue against the Jets.
Atwal’s Score Prediction: Buccaneers 30, Jets 9
Atwal’s Season Record: 12-3
Kasey Hudson: Bucs Blowout Jets In Week 17
Week 17 versus arguably one of the worst teams in the NFL. Should be a no-brainer. But if there is one thing this Bucs team has enjoyed doing, it’s keeping fans on their toes. But with the Jets ranking 30th in opponent yards per pass attempt and surrendering an average of 7.6 yards per throw, Tom Brady and the offense should put up over 30 points. Mike Evans cleared the COVID list earlier today and has been doing side work in practice. Antonio Brown is in position to have another 100-yard game. Breshad Perriman will be active and ready to face his former team. And Cyril Grayson can make a strong case to take on a larger role. Although Ronald Jones has the starting job at running back, Sunday’s game is an opportune time to see what Le’Veon Bell can contribute to the team.
COVID protocols removed Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting from the starting lineup – for now. Fortunately, Tampa Bay’s defense has dealt with a heavy rotation all season. The Bucs defense has come together in stout fashion. But New York is not to be underestimated. They can put decent points on the board, but this Tampa defense can make them pay for it in sacks and interceptions.
It’s another road game to get quality reps under certain players’ belts. Hopefully the Bucs get several key players back in time for the playoffs. But they need to know they can trust their backups to help win. Some guys are still need to redeem themselves after a failed performance against the Saints. Regardless of the adversity, Tampa Bay will be heading home 12-4.
Hudson’s Score Prediction: Buccaneers 38, Jets 13
Hudson’s Season Record: 11-4
Bucs Place One Player On COVID List
Final Injury Report: Bucs Could Be Short-Handed vs Jets
