Bengals vs. Buccaneers: Complete Week 13 Preview for Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers return home from a two-game road trip against teams with losing records, but they'll face much stiffer competition this week from the division-leading Cincinnati Bengals.
Sunday's game is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. from Raymond James Stadium and will be aired on CBS.
Tampa Bay carried a 10-0 halftime lead into the locker room last week against the Bears, but four turnovers and 21 unanswered points allowed buried the Bucs in the second half and sent them to a 2-9 record on the season.
The Bengals hold a slim lead atop the AFC North, a division in which all four teams have seven wins. This is in stark contrast to Tampa Bay's NFC South, which could very easily put a team with a losing record into the playoffs.
Despite their record, the Bucs are still technically alive in the race to win the NFC South. Quarterback Josh McCown knows his team hasn't played well but definitely sees the glass as being half-full, according to The Associated Press:
"Listen, it's crazy. I would say (no) team in our division expected to be where we're all sitting right now and it's unfortunate. But the reality of our division right now is that it is still up for grabs, and we're not in the favorable position but we're not out. You don't want it to come like this, with this kind of record. Hopefully we can continue to put ourselves in position to do that and it starts by beating Cincinnati.
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Will the Bucs stay in the hunt for a division title this week or inch closer to a top-three pick in next year's draft?
Here's everything you need to know heading into this week's game.
Week 12 Recap
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It wasn't another lost fourth-quarter lead, but the Bucs let another one slip away all the same last week, falling 21-13 on the road last week to the Chicago Bears.
Despite outgaining the Bears 367 to 204 in total offense, Tampa Bay's four turnovers led to 21 unanswered points and kept the team from putting together its first winning streak of the season.
Josh McCown threw for 341 yards but had two costly interceptions and lost a key fumble deep in Tampa Bay's own territory, helping Chicago build momentum and overcome a first half that was dominated by the Bucs in all phases.
Jay Cutler threw for just 130 yards but avoided the back-breaking mistakes he can be prone to make, simply taking advantage of the opportunities given to the Bears offense by Tampa Bay's miscues. Matt Forte needed 28 touches to barely eclipse 100 total yards, and Chicago's dynamic tandem of receivers—Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery—combined for just 54 yards on six catches.
In addition to the two interceptions he did throw, McCown had two more throws that should have been snagged by the Bears defense. Tampa Bay's offensive line didn't do him many favors, however, allowing five sacks and countless pressures, forcing him to throw off his back foot far too often.
Tampa Bay outplayed the Bears in most aspects of this game, but turnovers were once again the great equalizer.
News and Notes
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Looking for Lucky No. 7
Of all the winning streaks the Bucs have ever had against a particular NFL team, none has reached the mark of seven straight victories.
Per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, Tampa Bay could achieve that milestone with a home win this week over the Bengals:
"...the Bucs' run against the Bengals, which dates back to 1995 and has been going on so long that it has involved Warren Sapp and Gerald McCoy, is still very much alive. For at least five more days, that is. This streak is so long that Derrick Brooks played in the first game but not the sixth and Ronde Barber played in the sixth game but not the first. If the Bucs can sustain it beyond Sunday, they will have their first seven-game winning streak against any opponent in franchise history.
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Scott also points out the Bucs' .700 winning percentage against Cincinnati, which is tied for the team's best mark against another team. It's a tall task, but the Bucs have a shot to update the record books in multiple ways on Sunday.
Thanksgiving Perspective
This holiday week has many people reflecting on what they have to be thankful for. Bucs offensive tackle Anthony Collins is no different.
He has suffered the losses of many people close to him—namely former Bengals teammate Chris Henry—and it's in their memory that he reminds himself not to take things for granted, per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times:
"You always have a second chance here. I make sure I wake up every day and thank the Lord that I'm still here and doing it for them. Even with the losing streak we have, I always can go back to the mirror, look at that shirt (with Henry's picture, worn under his pads in practice and during games) and say this is why I do it.
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One of Tampa Bay's biggest free-agent signings this offseason, Collins has struggled to live up to expectations. But he's thankful for the opportunity to improve every week—something he's likely to work even harder for against his former team this week.
Familiar Faces
Speaking of Collins, he and fellow big-ticket free agent Michael Johnson will be lining up across the field from former teammates this week.
Collins and Johnson spent a combined 11 seasons in Cincinnati before both signed with the Bucs this past offseason. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis says both players did great things while in Cincinnati, but he's happy for them in their new home, according to Ira Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune:
"They were great guys for us and they were guys who grew up here and helped us and did a lot of great things here. We were happy for them and I think that's why the NFL system is so good — guys have an opportunity to test the market and see what happens. Both guys chose to move on and we would have loved to have had them back here. When they were with us, they busted their tails.
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Lewis was the head coach in Cincinnati for their entire careers, and it will be a bit strange for all parties involved to be standing on opposite sidelines this week.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Lavonte David | LB | Did Not Participate |
| Clinton McDonald | DT | Did Not Participate |
| Charles Sims | RB | Limited Participation |
| Major Wright | S | Limited Participation |
| Evan Dietrich-Smith | C | Did Not Participate |
| Austin Seferian-Jenkins | TE | Limited Participation |
| Brandon Myers | TE | Did Not Participate |
| Luke Stocker | TE | Did Not Participate |
| Da'Quan Bowers | DE | Limited Participation |
There are definitely some legitimate concerns for the Bucs on this week's report, starting with All-Pro linebacker David (hamstring), who was unable to practice on Wednesday after missing last week's game. Tampa Bay has been particularly cautious with hamstring injuries this season, so don't expect the team to rush David back before he's truly at 100 percent.
The next big issue for Tampa Bay is the lack of depth at tight end, as Seferian-Jenkins (back) was limited in Wednesday's practice and both Myers (calf) and Stocker (concussion) were unable to go at all. These injuries force the Bucs to execute a contingency plan, signing two tight ends earlier this week.
There are also concerns in the trenches on both sides of the ball, where Dietrich-Smith (illness) and McDonald (hamstring) were both unable to practice on Wednesday. Depth is an issue at both center and defensive tackle as well, so it's worth watching to see if either will be ready to go on Sunday.
Sims (ankle), Wright (shoulder) and Bowers (knee) were limited participants in Wednesday's practice, but the day off on Thursday should help them get the necessary rest to be ready this week.
*All injury statuses courtesy of Buccaneers.com, based on participation in Wednesday's practice (players were off on Thursday and did not practice).
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Bucs Front Seven vs. Bengals Rushing Attack
Behind the two-headed monster that is Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill, the Bengals boast the league's seventh-ranked ground game, averaging more than 125 yards per game on the ground.
Tampa Bay did a decent job of limiting Matt Forte last week but showed sloppy tackling against Washington's running backs the week prior. If the Bucs want any shot at a win this week, they'll have to bottle up the Bengals on the ground, limiting the big plays by getting runners to the ground on first contact.
Jacquies Smith vs. Marshall Newhouse
Starved for a dynamic pass-rusher off the edge, it looks like the Bucs have found a gem in Smith, who was a waiver-wire pickup earlier in the season. Despite limited action, he has notched four sacks so far this season, three of which have come over the past two weeks.
Smith will also face an advantageous matchup this week, as Newhouse will be replacing the injured Andre Smith as the Bengals' starting right tackle. It's admittedly a tall task for Newhouse and a potential weakness the Bucs must exploit.
Mike Evans vs. Bengals Secondary
Evans has been on an absolute tear lately, catching six of his eight touchdowns over the past four weeks and scoring in every game he's played except one since Week 4.
But this week, he'll face a Cincinnati defensive backfield that has surrendered the fewest passing touchdowns in the NFL, allowing just 11 scoring strikes through the air this season.
Evans got plenty of attention from the Bears secondary last week, leading to just three receptions for the top-10 pick, but he still found the end zone. The Bengals specialize in keeping opposing receivers out of the end zone, so this will be a battle of strengths to watch on Sunday.
Bucs X-Factor of the Week: QB Josh McCown
It's an easy pick, but it's the right one.
Tampa Bay did all the right things for most of the game last week, but it was all undone by costly mistakes at inopportune times from the leader under center. McCown lost a fumble, threw two interceptions and should have been picked off at least twice more, costing the Bucs a victory they should have sealed.
No matter what the Bucs do this week, none of it matters if McCown doesn't limit his mistakes and stop turning the ball over.
Prediction
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The best chances for the Bucs to string together a few wins have already passed on the schedule, and things get much tougher starting this week.
The Bengals lead one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, and despite some injuries and the up-and-down play of quarterback Andy Dalton, they simply have a level of talent and depth far beyond what Tampa Bay can claim.
It might not be as bad as the last time an AFC North team played at Raymond James Stadium—the Ravens' 48-17 beating of the Bucs earlier this year—but it'll take a flawless performance from the home team to even hang in this one.
Prediction: Bengals 34, Bucs 17
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