Tampa Bay Buccaneers Have These Questions to Answer on Sunday

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers take to the road and visit Buffalo for the first time on Sunday. Here are the questions about this team on the minds of many Buccaneer faithful:

1. Will Antonio Bryant be able to play effectively, if at all, against the Bills?

Bryant's surgically-repaired knee is flaring up. He missed practice on Thursday and his status is a concern for this team. Without him, the Bucs are at a strategic disadvantage.

2. How will Jeff Faine's absence affect the offensive line play?

Sean Mahan was re-signed this week and will start at center on Sunday. 

3. Can the running game continue the success it had against the Cowboys?

Derrick Ward says he already has a named picked out for himself, Cadillac Williams, and Earnest Graham. Perhaps he'd better wait until they put together three or four solid games consecutively.

4. Will Byron Leftwich have success against the Buffalo secondary?

The Buffalo defensive line put tremendous pressure on Tom Brady, who is a bit more elusive than Leftwich.

5. Will the Buccaneer secondary correct the problems that surfaced against Dallas?

The absence of Tanard Jackson was the underlying cause for the breakdown in the secondary. Sabby Piscatelli had a miserable afternoon and needs to recover on Sunday.

6. Can the Buccaneer defense stop the Bills from running?

The Bucs had success stopping Dallas for the most part. Can they do it again?

7. Will Cadillac continue his comeback?

The biggest positive last week was Cadillac's performance. He ran often and hard and gained major yardage in the first half. The Bucs had to move away from the running game in the second half when they started to fall behind.

8. Will Kellen Winslow play a bigger role?

Sure, he caught a touchdown pass, but at the end of the day, he didn't contribute the way you'd think the highest-paid tight end in the NFL might.

9. Will Michael Clayton's success continue?

Almost impressive as Cadillac was Michael Clayton's performance. He was the leading receiver and made impressive catches for most of the afternoon. If Bryant is out of action, can he function as the No. 1 receiver?

10. Will the special teams improve from their sub-standard performance?

The Bucs need to get Clifton Smith rolling and need to find out if Michael Nugent is a reliable field goal kicker. Take away the blocked kick and he was still 0-for-1. In close games, he'll be needed.

There you have it, Buccaneer fans. Ten questions. 

The answers?

They'll come around 7 p.m. Sunday.