Jaguars vs. Buccaneers: What's the Game Plan for Jacksonville?

After suffering back-to-back losses, the Jacksonville Jaguars will look to rebound against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams are in need of a win at 1-3, and Sunday's game in Tampa could set the tone for both team's seasons.

The Jaguars are 1-3, thanks to unforced errors and an inconsistent offense, and the Bucs are in a similar predicament. However, while Tampa is dealing with quarterback Jameis Winston's roller-coaster play, the Jaguars are putting up yards but not scoring points.

The defense has held its own for the most part, but the offensive struggles have lost the Jaguars at least one game already, and that simply can't happen when head coach Gus Bradley and general manager Dave Caldwell are looking for results.

Offensive Game Plan

The Buccaneers defense is a bit of a conundrum. As evidenced in the table below, the Buccaneers impress in some ways but are nearly last in the NFL in two defensive categories:

	Points per Game	Yards Allowed per Game	Pass Yards per Game	Rushing Yards per Game
Stat	29.2	322.2	185.5	136.8
NFL Rank	30th	9th	2nd	30th

Tampa Bay's defense doesn't have star players, but it's well-coached and will be hard to break down early. The secondary has been on top of its game lately, and that may force the Jaguars to throw less with QB Blake Bortles.

Luckily, Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon has continued to perform well and will be looking to attack the Buccaneers' 30th-ranked rush defense. He finally broke the 100-yard barrier last week, and he may see plenty of carries going forth because of the Bucs' pass defense.

Balance has been a key part of every Jaguars game plan, but in this situation, it may be best to fully adapt a run-first offense. Letting Yeldon and the varying healthy backups carry the ball early will set up Bortles throughout the game and wear down the defense sooner rather than later. Mike Kaye of First Coast News provided a breakdown of Yeldon's run stats:

Whether it's through the run or the pass, the Jaguars need to be direct in their offensive strategy and need to finally claim an identity. They've got the talent, but they have to pick a direction that will play to their strengths and get them in the end zone.

Defensive Game Plan

If the Jaguars end up having a breakthrough in the pass rush this season, it could start this weekend in Tampa. The Bucs have allowed nine sacks through the first four games, which isn't terrible, but the Jaguars could have a big day.

Brian Blanco/Associated Press

It's even more of a possibility considering how vital the pass rush will be in this game. Winston has already thrown seven interceptions. Making him uncomfortable will go a long way toward winning the turnover battle.

While the Jaguars have a lot to gain by pressuring Winston, they have a lot to lose if they don't respect Tampa Bay RB Doug Martin. Martin isn't the star he was a few years ago, but he's still a very dangerous and tough RB to defend against.

WR Vincent Jackson will be Winston's top target. Therefore, corners Davon House and Aaron Colvin will need to shut him down. Tampa Bay will be without tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins for a while longer, which makes the secondary and linebackers' coverage responsibilities much easier.

The defensive plan's core should be to cause havoc for Winston, but if the Jaguars don't show the proper respect for the entire offense, the Buccaneers will make them pay.

Final Prediction: Jaguars 21, Buccaneers 17

The Jaguars have to score 20-plus points to win this game, which may not seem like a tall order against the Buccaneers, but the Jaguars haven't found consistency or enough explosiveness to win games.

The defense has been playing well enough to win games, but it now relies on offensive execution. If Jaguars can't find the end zone three or more times this Sunday, which they haven't yet this year, it will be extremely hard for Jacksonville to win.

This is a major game for the Bradley era. If the Jaguars lose to a vulnerable Colts team and a struggling Bucs squad in back-to-back weeks, serious questions will arise for the staff and front office.

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All stats provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.

Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter @evanreier.