Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Detroit Lions: Complete Week 14 Preview for Tampa Bay
Coming off yet another heartbreaking loss, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head out on the road this week to face the Detroit Lions.
Sunday's game is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET at Ford Field and will be aired on Fox.
Tampa Bay (2-10) has finally been eliminated from the NFC South race, relegating the team to the role of spoiler for yet another season and forcing many fans to turn their attention to next year's NFL draft. Detroit (8-4) is still very much in the thick of the NFC playoff race and coming off an impressive 31-17 home win over the division rival Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day.
Some might want the Bucs to pack it in and start thinking about next season, but that's not what's on the mind of quarterback Josh McCown, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times:
"Man, how good would we feel winning these games and playing well, and playing the type of football we've talked about all year. That's my goal. We've taken some lumps, and it's been hard. But I think it has made us stronger, and if we go out and finish this last quarter (of the season) well, see what happens and build on that.
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Will the Bucs spoil Detroit's playoff run with another late-season road upset, or will they inch another step closer to possibly owning the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft?
Here's everything you need to know heading into this week's game.
Bucs Week 13 Recap
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Another week, another new way to lose for the Bucs.
A catch-and-run by Louis Murphy looked to have set up a game-winning field-goal try, but thanks to an illegal yet purposeful challenge by Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis, officials were able to review the play and determine the Bucs had 12 men on the field on the previous play. This nullified the catch, took the Bucs out of field-goal range and ultimately ended in a 14-13 loss for Tampa Bay.
The Bucs lost despite forcing three Andy Dalton interceptions and holding the Bengals to just 288 yards of total offense. Tampa Bay failed to take full advantage of the turnovers, as quarterback Josh McCown was back to his early-season, erratic self. He completed just 15 of his 29 passes, partly due to poor protection up front.
Doug Martin had a brilliant first half, carrying the ball 12 times for 55 yards and a touchdown, but he gained just three yards on six second-half carries.
After an explosive month of November, Mike Evans was held in check by the Bengals secondary, catching just four passes for 49 yards and failing to find the end zone for the first time since Week 8.
This game marked the third straight week the Bucs got out to a 10-0 lead in the first half and the second straight week in which they failed to seal the victory.
News and Notes
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Take Two
There are plenty of similarities between this week's game and Tampa Bay's road victory against the Lions late in the 2013 season, as the Bucs will enter Ford Field to play spoiler once again.
But Lions head coach Jim Caldwell says his team is focused on the task at hand instead of what's happened in the past, per Chris McCoskey of The Detroit News: "In terms of this team, I can tell you that the focus is keen. I do think that these guys have a real keen focus on just getting the next one done and not looking at what happened previously or looking ahead too far. And I think that's helped us."
Not overlooking a weak opponent is much easier said than done, but it sounds like Caldwell has his team in the right state of mind to avoid a letdown.
McCoy: Suh Should Break the Bank
Earlier this season, Bucs defense tackle Gerald McCoy signed a lucrative contract extension that made him one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL. The Lions have a dominant force in the middle of their defense in Ndamukong Suh who is up for a new deal after this season, and McCoy hopes he gets everything that's coming to him, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press: "I hope he breaks the bank. He's an awesome player, an all-pro, Pro Bowl player. Was Rookie of the Year. Just a dominating force since he's been in the league. Everything that's coming to him, he deserves it."
Suh and McCoy were drafted back-to-back in the top five back in 2010, and both have been constantly compared to each other throughout their careers.
Who is better? It's hard to say, but in any event, both have earned the right to be among the league's most wealthy defensive linemen.
Identity Crisis
A veteran quarterback. A rebuilt offensive line. More weapons at the skill positions.
All of these things were supposed to lead to a productive Tampa Bay offense in 2013, but the unit has struggled all year long. Head coach Lovie Smith knows his team is trying to find its identity on offense, but he's certain the balance will come in time, according to Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune:
"And if we need to pass to win a football game, we want to be able to do that. We want to be committed to the running attack and be able to do that when we want to. We want to be balanced on the offensive side of the ball. We haven’t seen that the majority of the time this year, we realize that. But eventually, we’ll get it and you’ll be able to see what we do want to be.
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Aside from rookie standout Mike Evans, the Bucs have done nothing but disappoint on offense so far this year. Losing offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford before the regular season even began surely didn't help matters, and his replacement will be a key aspect of next year's offseason if the Bucs want to take the next step toward NFL relevance.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Lavonte David | LB | Limited Participant |
| Clinton McDonald | DT | Did Not Participate |
| Mason Foster | LB | Did Not Participate |
| Evan Dietrich-Smith | C | Full Participant |
| Major Wright | S | Full Participant |
| Austin Seferian-Jenkins | TE | Did Not Participate |
| Luke Stocker | TE | Full Participant |
| Brandon Myers | TE | Did Not Participate |
| Bobby Rainey | RB | Did Not Participate |
| Crezdon Butler | CB | Full Participant |
| Anthony Collins | OT | Did Not Participate |
*All injury statuses courtesy of Buccaneers.com, based on participation in Thursday's practice.
Key players continue to show up on this week's injury report for the Bucs. There are potential holes again at tight end this week, as well as all throughout the defense.
The biggest name still on the report is David (knee), who has missed the last two games. With no playoff run in sight, don't expect the Bucs to rush him back.
McDonald (hamstring) and Foster (Achilles) didn't participate in Thursday's practice. Foster's absence was not injury-related after he was a limited participant on Wednesday. He should probably still start this week, but the Bucs have been overly cautious with hamstring injuries all season, so don't be shocked if McDonald is inactive.
Getting Stocker back to full participation in practice is helpful (concussion), but the other two normally active tight ends still weren't able to participate at all on Thursday. It looks like this position will be lacking depth yet again this week, with Cameron Brate having to step in for plenty of snaps, as he did last week.
The Bucs could get a boost up front as Dietrich-Smith (illness) was a full participant in practice after missing last week's game. His replacement at center—guard Garrett Gilkey—played terribly in Dietrich-Smith's place.
Collins (elbow) popped up on the report after missing Thursday's practice, so his status will be one to keep an eye on. If he can't go on Sunday, guard Oniel Cousins could slide over and start at left tackle, as he's done before this season in Collins' stead.
Rainey (ankle) missed practice again on Thursday, but he had shed the walking boot he was wearing on Wednesday, according to Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune. Wright (shoulder) was able to practice fully on Thursday, so he should return to his starting spot in the secondary.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Lions Front Four vs. Bucs Offensive Line
This game pits Detroit's greatest strength against Tampa Bay's biggest weakness, and it's where the game is won and lost—in the trenches.
The Lions are led up front by one of the league's most dominant forces in the middle—Ndamukong Suh—and one of its most promising young pass-rushers—Ezekiel Ansah. Both of them combine to make life hard on opposing offenses in both the running and passing games.
It's no secret how badly the Bucs offensive linemen have played this season, and if they want their backs to be any kind of effective—or their quarterback to survive—they'll need to play their best game of the year, by far.
Lions Receivers vs. Bucs Secondary
Calvin Johnson is still one of the most fearsome pass-catchers in the NFL, and he's not Detroit's leading receiver.
That would be Golden Tate, who is having a career year in his first season with the Lions after signing as a free agent last offseason. He has been off the charts, and while Johnson has been nagged by injuries this year, he looked every bit the Megatron of old last week with 11 catches, 146 yards and a touchdown against the Bears.
Tampa Bay's pass defense has seen marked improvement over the latter portion of the season, but the secondary will have its hands full with these talented receivers and the league's ninth-ranked passing attack.
Bucs' Ground Game vs. Lions' Ground Game
Both of these teams struggle when it comes to running the football, though the Lions pass by choice more than need. The Bucs, on the other hand, haven't been able to muster a consistent rushing attack all season, dealing with a carousel of injuries and ineffective play from their backs and along the offensive line.
The Lions may be completely content to air it out all game long, but the Bucs are likely to at least try to establish the run this week, especially early on. But don't be surprised if it doesn't work and they're forced to take things to the air.
Bucs' X-Factor of the Week: DE Jacquies Smith
Tampa Bay spent a ton of money on Michael Johnson in free agency, but it's been Smith who has given the Bucs the pass-rushing spark they've desperately needed.
Smith has tallied four sacks and a forced fumble this year, showing great quickness and burst off the line of scrimmage and a nose for the quarterback. A great pass defense starts with getting pressure up front, which means Tampa Bay will need a big game from Smith to keep Matthew Stafford and his high-powered passing attack uncomfortable.
Prediction
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The Lions rank ninth in the NFL in passing yards per game, but Tampa Bay has only allowed an average of 183 yards per game over the last four weeks. This game will be a huge test for a Bucs defense that has been steadily improving each week.
Even if Tampa Bay can keep Detroit's offense in check, it is likely to struggle on offense against one of the best front seven units in the NFL. Expect the Lions to dominate the Bucs' weak offensive line, stifling the running game and keeping Josh McCown under duress for all four quarters.
The Bucs might keep this one close for a while, but Detroit is just too strong across the board to lose this game, especially at home.
Prediction: Lions 24, Bucs 13
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