FAB 4. Bucs at Giants – 4 Match-ups To Watch

Each week you can find 4 Match-ups to Watch in the Fab 4 section of my SR’s Fab 5 columns. Here is an advanced look at Tampa Bay’s game at New York where the 5-2 Bucs will take on the Giants (1-6) on Monday Night Football. Tampa Bay is coming off back-to-back wins over Green Bay and Las Vegas and is looking to move to 6-2 after the midway point of the season.

Bucs ILB Devin White vs. Giants QB Daniel Jones

Jones has the rare distinction of not only being his team’s leading passer with 1,410 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions, but also the Giants’ leading rusher with 31 carries for 296 yards (9.5 avg.). Jones had a big, 80-yard run against the Eagles on Thursday Night Football that padded his rushing total, and he had four carries for 48 yards and two big touchdowns in last year’s 32-31, come-from-behind win over the Bucs in Tampa Bay. Jones also passed for 336 yards and two touchdowns that day in his first NFL start.

Bucs ILB Devin White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

White didn’t play in that game last year as he was recovering from a knee injury, but still felt the sting of that loss. This year, not only will White be playing the chess game with audibles and checks against Jones pre-snap, he will also be getting after him with blitzes and chasing after him on scrambles. White is coming off NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors following an 11-tackle, three-sack performance in Sunday’s win at Las Vegas, and will gladly led the hunt for Jones on Monday night.
Advantage: White

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III vs. Giants WR Darius Slayton

On a team devoid of offensive weapons due to the season-ending injury of Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley in Week 1, Slayton is New York’s leading receiver with 27 catches for 429 yards (15.9 avg.) and three touchdowns. With 4.39 speed and good size at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Slayton has proven to be a tough match-up for opponents this season and is one of the higher-rated players per PFF with a 75.1 overall grade.

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Davis has had a sensational start to his third season and has earned a 74.1 overall grade from PFF and a 71.4 coverage grade as the team’s leading interceptor with three. The 6-foot-1, 206-pounder has the size to match up with Slayton, but doesn’t have the long speed and will need to be physical with him at or near the line of scrimmage to prevent him from building speed on vertical routes. The interesting element to this match-up is that both Davis and Slayton were at Auburn together and went up against each other during practice for years. Davis has played better than Slayton has recently, so he has the edge.
Advantage: Davis

Bucs WR Mike Evans vs. Giants CB James Bradberry

Bradberry spent his first four years in Carolina dueling against Evans in the NFC South, and largely winning. In seven match-ups, Bradberry held Evans to just 31 receptions for 402 yards (12.9 avg.) and one touchdown. That breaks down to an average of four catches for 57.4 yards per game. After signing with the Giants, Bradberry has had a good season with an 80.5 overall PFF grade with an 80.3 coverage grade with 25 tackles for loss, 11 pass breakups and three interceptions. Look for the Giants to single cover Evans with Bradberry and use safety help over the top elsewhere to bracket tight end Rob Gronkowski down the middle or deep threat Scotty Miller on the outside.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Evans is not playing at 100 percent and is still hobbled by a sprained ankle. Even at full strength, Bradberry has proven to give Evans fits and perhaps be his kryptonite. The fact that Evans isn’t healthy gives Bradberry an edge in this match-up. Evans leads the Bucs with six touchdowns and has proven to be a great red zone weapon, but has just seven catches for 88 yards combined in the last three games. Don’t be surprised if Evans continues to struggle to get catches and yards, although he may win around the goal line for a rare touchdown against Bradberry.
Advantage: Bradberry

Bucs RBs vs. Giants MLB Blake Martinez

Martinez is the league’s second-leading tackler with 73 stops and has been very effective against the run, earning a 79.8 PFF overall grade, an 86.1 run defense grade and a 79.7 tackling grade. The Giants have the 14th-ranked total defense and the eighth-best run defense and Martinez, who had three straight years of 144 tackles or more in Green Bay before coming to New York, leads the way. Like Tampa Bay’s Devin White, Martinez is bettering going forward and attacking the line of scrimmage than he is in reverse, dropping into coverage. He already has two sacks on the year and five tackles for loss, which matches his total from a year ago in Green Bay.

Bucs RB Leonard Fournette – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Leonard Fournette’s return to the line-up has given the Bucs’ backfield a one-two punch again, as he and Ronald Jones II are runners capable of getting 100 yards on any given Sunday. Tampa Bay could struggle to run the ball against Martinez and the Giants’ interior defensive line. The Bucs have a between-the-tackles running game, so it might be tough sledding against Martinez and the middle of New York’s defense.
Advantage: Push