FAB 3. Rewind Week 7 – Fast Forward Week 8

Not having open locker room at One Buccaneer Place and restricted media access to players this year due to COVID-19 has forced me to do less feature segments on players and more analysis on the games. So I’m using the Fab 3 section – called Rewind – Fast Forward – to share some observations from the Bucs’ last game as well as my analysis in previewing the next one. Enjoy.

REWIND: Week 7 at Las Vegas

• Tampa Bay’s defense slipped from the No. 1 ranked, but is still elite, averaging 291.3 yards per game, and is still in the Top 10 (No. 8) when it comes to scoring defense, allowing just 20.3 points per game. The Bucs held the Raiders to under 100 yards rushing, something the defense has now done for a franchise-record 13 consecutive games, and is still ranked No. 1, allowing 66 points per game. Tampa Bay even has a Top 10-ranked (No. 9) pass defense, surrendering just 225.3 yards per game. New Bucs defensive tackle Steve McLendon made an immediate impact in his Tampa Bay debut with five tackles against Las Vegas on Sunday.

Bucs ILB Devin White – Photo by: USA Today

• Not only did Bucs inside linebacker Devin White win the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award for his 11-tackle performance against the Raiders, he had a career-high three sacks and a forced fumble, too. White is Tampa Bay’s leading tackler with 61 stops, which is six more than Lavonte David’s 55, and is on his way to record his first season with 100 or more tackles in the NFL. White is on pace for a career-high 139 tackles after recording 91 during his rookie campaign, and his four sacks is already a career high and ranks second on the team this year.

• A 45-20 win in Las Vegas evened Tampa Bay’s road record to 2-2 on the year, and the Bucs are still undefeated at home with a 3-0 record so far in 2020. A win on Monday night in New York would push the Bucs’ road record to 3-2, and it’s worth remembering that the team had a far better road record – 5-3 – than it did at home – 2-6 – in Bruce Arians’ first season in Tampa Bay a year ago. The Bucs have already produced a better home record in 2020 than the team had last season, and Arians’ stated goal is to go a perfect 8-0 at home and at least split the team’s road games with at 4-4.

FAST FORWARD: Week 8 at New York

Giants RB Saquon Barkley – Photo by: Getty Images

• After losing Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley for the year in Week 1, the Giants eventually signed former Falcons running back Devonta Freeman to be the starter, but the 28-year old has just 54 carries for 172 yards (3.2 avg.) and one touchdown this season, in addition to seven catches for 58 yards. Former Clemson running back Wayne Gallman and veteran Dion Lewis are also in New York’s running back stable, but have underwhelmed through seven games. Gallman has just 110 yards and a touchdown, while averaging 4.4 yards per carry, and Lewis has 54 yards and a touchdown and a 3.4-yard average. It’s no surprise that the Giants rank 27th in the league in rushing, averaging 98.1 yards per game.

• Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton is the only reliable playmaker quarterback Daniel Jones has at his disposal. Wide receivers Golden Tate and Sterling Shephard and tight end Evan Engram all have less than 225 yards receiving and no one has more than one receiving touchdown. Jones has only thrown five touchdown passes in seven games and has seven interceptions on the season.

• Tampa Bay sacked Jones five times last year in the Bucs’ 32-31 loss at Raymond James Stadium, and will look to get after him again on Monday Night Football. Rookie left tackle Andrew Thomas, the fourth overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, has been terrible so far, allowing a whopping 37 pressures in his seven starts, including 27 pressures, four QB hits and six sacks. He’ll face Jason Pierre-Paul, who is Tampa Bay’s leading sacker with 5.5 sacks, and occasionally Shaquil Barrett, who has three sacks on the year, and had three and a forced fumble in last year’s Bucs vs. Giants game.