Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Cleveland Browns: Complete Week 9 Preview for Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head back on the road with still just one win to their name, traveling to Cleveland to face the surprising Browns this week.
Sunday's game is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET and will be aired on Fox.
The Bucs are coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss at home to the struggling Minnesota Vikings, holding a late fourth-quarter lead only to give up a game-tying field goal as regulation time expired and a walk-off fumble return for a touchdown.
Despite being in last place in the AFC North, the Browns are 4-3 behind a strong defense and the play of Brian Hoyer, who has kept rookie first-rounder Johnny Manziel on the bench all season. The winless Oakland Raiders gave Cleveland all it could handle last week, but the Browns were victorious in the defensive struggle, 23-13.
Will the Bucs finally get their ground game in gear? Is there still hope for a 1-6 Tampa Bay team in a weak NFC South? What are the key matchups to watch for in this interconference matchup?
The answers to these questions and more are here in my full preview of this week's game.
Bucs Week 8 Recap
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Last week, the Bucs snatched defeat from the...well, you know.
Tampa Bay added yet another loss to its disappointing 2014 campaign, falling 19-13 in overtime on a walk-off fumble return for a touchdown.
The Bucs offense sputtered for three quarters before finding a rhythm and scoring on three straight possessions to take a 13-10 lead late in the fourth quarter. But a Blair Walsh field goal as regulation expired forced the extra period, and though the Bucs won the toss and received the kickoff, rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins—who caught the go-head touchdown just minutes earlier—was stripped by fellow rookie Anthony Barr, who scooped up his own handiwork and took it the distance for the win.
Tampa Bay managed just 225 yards of total offense, passing for a mere 27 yards in the first half and finishing the game with only 66 yards on the ground. The Bucs' third-down woes continued, as they converted just one of their 12 attempts for the second straight week.
The Tampa 2 defense did exactly what it's designed to do, bending but not breaking for most of the game and keeping rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from making many big plays down the field. But when the team needed a stop late, the defense couldn't keep the Vikings from getting in range for the game-tying field goal to force overtime.
The Bucs were as healthy as they've been all season, coming out of a bye week and facing another team who had struggled all season. It was a prime opportunity for a morale-boosting victory, and they just couldn't finish it off.
News and Notes
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Let's Make a Deal
Tampa Bay was involved in the only two trades executed on Tuesday, just before the NFL's trade deadline, sending safety Mark Barron to the St. Louis Rams and linebacker Jonathan Casillas to the New England Patriots.
According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Barron wasn't the biggest fan of Lovie Smith's Tampa 2 defense: "Yeah, it is passive. That's kind of the only thing I didn't like about it a lot of times. I had to sit back, and I couldn't really be as aggressive as I wanted to in that system. So yeah, I would most definitely say that."
Many Bucs fans weren't thrilled with the team trading away a seventh overall pick in 2012 for fourth- and sixth-round draft picks, but Barron had yet to live up to the high expectations that come with being a top-10 pick. Only time will tell who got the better end of the deal, but it's clear the Bucs' new regime would rather jettison the disappointing top picks of the previous staff in favor of picks they get to use on their own hand-picked talent.
Running-Game Reinforcements
Despite wanting to be known as a running team, the Bucs have struggled on the ground all season long. But help could be on the way with the return of rookie running back Charles Sims, who is likely to be activated soon from the injured reserve/designated to return list.
Per Ross Jones of FoxSports.com, the third-round pick from West Virginia could be just what the doctor ordered for Tampa Bay down the stretch: "At 6'1", 215 pounds, Sims is a big back who can create matchup problems. The question is how quickly he will be able to grasp the speed of the game and apply that game-breaking talent into production on the field."
Sims has missed the entire regular season so far after undergoing ankle surgery, but he's poised to give the Bucs the potential spark their sluggish offense needs at just the right time. Expect him to be worked into the mix slowly, though.
Hope Rising?
Despite their 1-6 record, the Bucs still remain relevant in the NFC South picture, thanks to a weak start to the season from the rest of the division.
Bucs head coach Lovie Smith is well-aware of how close his team still is to having a shot at the division, and he's not letting anyone forget about it, per Rick Stroud and Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times:
"We're still in that second quarter; there's a lot of time (in the season). Football doesn't really begin until November. You get yourself in position before that. And even though our record is what it is, (we're) two games out of first place (in the NFC South), as I see it. We're in position for that to happen.
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It's hard to believe a team that was a last-second touchdown away from being winless is still in the thick of the division race, but it's technically true for the moment. That said, the Bucs are running out of time to take advantage of their rivals' disappointing performances.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Doug Martin | RB | Did Not Participate |
| Anthony Collins | OT | Did Not Participate |
| Vincent Jackson | WR | Limited Participation |
| Michael Johnson | DE | Limited Participation |
| Evan Dietrich-Smith | C | Limited Participation |
| Brandon Magee | LB | Did Not Participate |
| Trindon Holliday | WR/KR | Limited Participation |
*All injury statuses courtesy of Buccaneers.com, based on participation in Thursday's practice.
Already struggling with pass protection, the Bucs could be without their starting left tackle this week as Collins (foot) has yet to practice. Oniel Cousins spent Thursday's practice as Collins' replacement with the first-team offense, sliding out from his normal guard spot. Cousins' play at guard during the preseason helped prompt the Bucs to trade for Logan Mankins, so Tampa Bay fans won't exactly be thrilled to see him protecting Mike Glennon's blind side.
Doug Martin left last week's game with an ankle injury and has yet to practice this week, making it unlikely he'll be active against Cleveland. All signs point to rookie Charles Sims being activated from the injured reserve/designated to return list, and he should share touches with Bobby Rainey this week in place of Martin.
Reserve linebacker and special teamer Magee (knee) was the only other Buccaneer to miss practice on Thursday. Holliday, who was signed last week to be the Bucs' new return specialist, popped up on the injury report Thursday with a hamstring issue.
Jackson (rib) has been on the injury report for weeks now, but he's yet to miss any game action. Expect the same from the offensive captain this week. Dietrich-Smith (knee) and Johnson (hand) should also be good to go on Sunday.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Gerald McCoy vs. Joel Bitonio
This game will feature a premier showdown in the trenches between arguably the league's best defensive tackle and one of the more pleasant surprises of the 2014 rookie class.
McCoy finally earned his big payday last week, inking a seven-year extension that makes him the highest paid player at his position in the NFL. The former third overall pick responded with the Bucs' only sack last week against the Vikings, and he remains the heart and soul of the Tampa Bay defense.
Bitonio—a second-rounder from Nevada—has moved inside to guard after playing tackle in college, and he's made the transition look effortless, playing at a Pro Bowl level nearly from Day 1.
Whichever team controls the line of scrimmage will control this game, and this matchup will have plenty to do with that.
Paul Kruger vs. Bucs offensive tackles
Tampa Bay has struggled to protect the passer all season long, and now it looks like the team could be without starting left tackle Anthony Collins this week. Even if he starts, Collins has been one of the bigger disappointments for the Bucs after signing a hefty free-agent deal this past offseason.
Kruger was a free-agent disappointment of his own last season, but the former Baltimore Raven racked up three sacks last week and will be licking his chops looking ahead to this matchup. Tampa Bay had better have a plan to help out with backs and tight ends chipping edge-rushers like Kruger if the Bucs want Mike Glennon to have enough time to throw.
Vincent Jackson/Mike Evans vs. Joe Haden
The Bucs have two reliable targets for their quarterback to throw to, but they need to remember how tall they are if they want to get the most out of them.
Cleveland boasts one of the NFL's best cover men in Haden, who will be matched up against either Evans or Jackson this week. Haden's ball skills allow him to play bigger than he is, but the former first-rounder is listed at just 5'11", while both Jackson and Evans measure in at 6'5".
Tampa Bay needs to take advantage of the size differential in this matchup, especially if and when the offense gets inside the red zone.
X-Factor of the Week: RB Bobby Rainey
Doug Martin spent Wednesday's practice on the sideline in a walking boot, and while rookie Charles Sims is expected back for this week's game, it's unlikely he'll be rushed into a heavy workload after coming off ankle surgery.
Rainey has easily been the most effective back for Tampa Bay so far this season, and he'll likely be counted on to be the featured back this week. He's a shifty runner who can have an impact in the passing game as well, and he'll have to help set the tone for the Bucs early on offense if they want to come away with a big road win.
Prediction
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Teams that can't win the line of scrimmage aren't going to be successful in the NFL. Tampa Bay's 1-6 record proves this, and the team will live and die by this concept again this week.
The Bucs have struggled to protect the passer or run the ball effectively on offense, and the Tampa 2 is predicated on pressure from the front four and takeaways from the back seven—neither of which is happening right now.
Tampa Bay is reeling, and a road trip to face a surprising Browns team in cold weather isn't exactly the recipe for the Bucs to right the ship this week. Last week was arguably the most winnable game on the remainder of the schedule, so a long season could get even longer in the Dawg Pound.
Prediction: Browns 23, Bucs 13
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