Intriguing Game– Week 14
Buffalo Bills at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bills: I want to dive in about something with them. Let’s look back at their last five games. A loss to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars set them back some in my opinion. Here’s how bad that was. They couldn’t even score against them! A week later, they blow out the New York Jets and all was right with them. Not necessarily because after that, they were embarrassed at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts. Next, they demolish the New Orleans Saints on Thanksgiving before returning home and falling short to the New England Patriots this past Monday night. Do you see the pattern here? They’ve been very inconsistent as of late. They certainly haven’t been the team they were last season and you could even say they haven’t been the team they looked to be after beating the Kansas City Chiefs back in October. Now, the Bills are in second place in a division that was gift-wrapped to them in the off-season. Remember, they were a game away from the Super Bowl last year. That’s what makes this performance from them so confusing. So, here’s what made me frustrated on Monday night. Buffalo knew New England would continue to run the football. Why not stuff the box and make adjustments? They failed to do that and the former defensive player in me cringed. Their offense is too one-dimensional for my liking. I keep saying it, they are too reliable on Josh Allen to bail them out every time. A consistent running game would do wonders for the Bills’ offense. On Sunday, they will travel to battle with a familiar face.
Buccaneers: They’re running away with the division as we all expected. At 9-3, this is one of their best starts in franchise history. I still remember when people were saying they wouldn’t do well and Tom Brady was better off with Bill Belichick or my personal favorite, Bill made him. A Super Bowl title and one of the top records in the NFC, the quarterback continues to still show why he’s one of the best even today. The offense has been successful because they’re allowing Tom to run things more. He’s running the same offense he was in Foxborough, to be honest. One thing I’ve still noticed is Rob Gronkowski makes things so much easier for the offense. Without him on the field, I’ve noticed Brady trying to force the football and when that happens, it results in a turnover. This Tampa Bay offense is scary with the power it possesses. Now, I’m concerned about their defense and I’ve been saying this all year long. Just the other on Monday Evening Quarterback and on “The Prime”, I said this defense would be the reason why they will not repeat. The secondary has not only been hampered by the injury bug, but it just hasn’t been as good as they were a year ago. In other words, this entire unit doesn’t scare me as it did around this time in 2020 going into the playoffs. That’s a concern for me. It doesn’t matter if they have the best quarterback ever to live. You still have to play defense. They return home on Sunday to host a confused Bills team.
Bills X-Factor: Tremaine Edmunds– The responsibility of a middle linebacker is to patrol the middle and make sure every defender is where they need to be. You also don’t see many guys with his height playing linebacker. The range Tremaine plays with amazes me because he knows where to be to make plays on the ball. To play linebacker, you must be instinctive along with reading and reacting. He’s all of that. Tampa needs to circle in on him at all times.
Buccaneers X-Factor: Leonard Fournette– Jonathan Taylor did it, the Patriots did it and so did Derrick Henry earlier in the year. Do you see the direction I’m headed in with this? Those I listed ran the football and the Bills could do nothing to stop it. As of late, Lenny has been coming along. He runs hard in between the tackles and appears to get stronger as the game goes on. He’s also improved as a receiver and in the check-down game. I have a feeling Tampa will get him going early.
Final Thoughts: This is a reunion of some sort. Throughout his career, Brady has owned the Buffalo Bills. He would usually carve them up back in his New England days. Josh Allen has never defeated Brady. It’s an important game for the Bills. A win would take some pressure off their shoulders. Buffalo can attack this Tampa Bay secondary with the speed of Diggs, the downfield threat of Sanders, and the craftiness of Cole Beasley. I can say the same about Tampa Bay attacking the Bills secondary. If Brady finds any soft spots, he’s attacking. Many have considered this a potential Super Bowl preview.
Prediction: Buccaneers 33, Bills 24
