The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will walk into the Lions’ den Sunday afternoon with a chance to move on to the NFC Championship game.
The Lions are coming off their best season since 1993, when they went 10-6, winning the NFC Central.
These two teams met earlier this season in Tampa in week three, with the Lions winning 20-6. A lot has changed for both teams since that September afternoon.
Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs did not play in that game, and David Montgomery left the game early on with an injury.
Calijah Kancey and YaYa Diaby saw limited playing time and were struggling to figure out the pro game in week five.
The Lions finished the season 12-5 and won their first playoff game since a 38-6 win over Dallas in 1995.
There is no one picking the Buccaneers in this game. Tampa continues to be the most disrespected team left in the playoffs despite the presence of three future Hall of Famers on the roster.
Everybody loves coach Dan Campbell, Jared Goff, and the rest of this Lions team.
But all the pressure is on the Lions this game. The Buccaneers are playing with house money and having to lose since no one thought they would still be playing football in January.
So, what do the Buccaneers need to do to come out of Detroit with a win on Sunday?
Buccaneers Must Get the Passing Game Going Early
Get Mike Evans and Chris Godwin involved early. Dave Canales needs to start this game like they did against the Eagles and come out throwing the ball instead of trying to run it.
The Bucs have been horrible at running the ball all season, and it would be foolish for the Buccaneers to think they could succeed on the ground against the Lions.
But Dave Canales must mix in a run or two to keep the defense honest. But the Buccaneers have had great success with the screen pass, especially in the second half of the season.
Rachaad White, Chris Godwin, Trey Palmer, and Devin Tompkins have succeeded in the screen pass game. Sunday against the Lions should be no different.
Last week, the NFL got to see the 4.33 speed of Trey Palmer on display firsthand. Palmer showcased that blazing speed on a 56-yard touchdown catch, putting some great moves on two Eagle defenders on his way to the end zone.
Shut Down The Lions Run Game
Defensively, the Bucs will need to stop the Lions running game. The Lions offense is a top-ten offense in almost every offensive category. The Bucs will need to deploy a variety of blitzes to slow down the Detroit offense.
The Buccaneers held the Eagles to 42 yards in the wildcard round after allowing 201 yards on the ground in week three.
The defense must also put pressure on Lions Quarterback Jared Goff. Given the time, Goff can and will pick the defense apart. I expect many blitzes again this week from Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers defense.
KJ Britt talked about Jared Goff to the media this week. “Jared Goff is a really good quarterback. We’ve just got to make sure we get in our throwing windows, make sure we’re taking away what he’s really good at. He knows what he’s good at. We’re trying to make sure that we’ve got to limit him because he’s a really good quarterback – one of the best I’ve seen on film.”
Protect Baker Mayfield
The Buccaneers offensive line must keep Baker Mayfield upright. In that early October matchup, tackle Luke Goedeke kept Lions edge rusher Aiden Hutchinson in check with three tackles and zero sacks. It will take that kind of effort once again if the Bucs are to win in Detroit.
There was some disrespect leveled at Baker Mayfield this week from Lions defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson. He said the Buccaneers would be great if you gave them a good quarterback, insinuating that they would be a great team if they had a good quarterback.
The one weakness of this Lions team is the secondary. Look for Baker Mayfield to be fired up and exploit the Detroit secondary on Sunday afternoon.
The Lions are favored by six at home. They are coming down from an emotional high from last week’s game, beating Matthew Stafford in his return to Detroit 24-23.
I’m taking the Buccaneers this game. I had taken them when the whole world was against them, and I am one of the few taking the Buccaneers to win against the Lions.
It will be a close one, but I like the Bucs to win 24-21 to advance to the NFC Championship game against the 49ers next week.