Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Washington Redskins: Full Tampa Bay Game Preview

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look to improve to .500 on the season this week when they head back out on the road to face the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

The Bucs are 2-3 and coming off a 38-31 home victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars, their first home win since 2013. Washington comes into this Week 7 matchup at 2-4, having lost to the New York Jets on the road last week 34-20.

These two teams met at FedExField in Week 11 last year, with the Bucs dominating on both sides of the ball on their way to a 27-7 victory—one of just two wins they would earn the entire season.

Washington has plenty of concerns, from coaching and quarterback issues to a depleted secondary, while the Bucs have built a little momentum coming off a big home win and a bye week to get prepared for this road test.

Bucs fans, here's everything you need to know as your Pewter Pirates head to the nation's capital this week.

Viewing Info

Date: Sunday, October 25

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Location: FedExField, Landover, Maryland

TV: Fox

Week 5 Results and Recap

Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

In Week 5, the Bucs came away with their first home victory since Lovie Smith took over as head coach last season, winning a shootout against the in-state rival Jacksonville Jaguars at Raymond James Stadium, 38-31.

Doug Martin led the way for the Tampa Bay offense, racking up 158 total yards on 27 touches and scoring twice on the ground and once through the air. Charles Sims also had an impressive day—both in and out of the backfield—tallying 136 total yards on just 16 touches. The Bucs ran all over a Jaguars defense that came into the game ranked fourth in the league against the run.

On defense, the Bucs were led by a productive pass rush that sacked Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles a season-high six times, with recent former practice squad addition Howard Jones leading the way with two of them.

Jameis Winston managed the game well for Tampa Bay and avoided any costly turnovers, completing 13 of his 19 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown.

The return of Connor Barth as the team's kicker was a huge boost, as the veteran nailed all three of his field-goal attempts and all three of his extra points. Bobby Rainey also made a significant impact on special teams with a solid day in the return game.

The Jags lost despite a fantastic day from Bortles, who despite the six sacks completed 23 of his 33 throws for 303 yards, four touchdowns and just one interception. Allen Hurns led Jacksonville with five catches for 113 yards receiving, while Allen Robinson caught seven passes for 72 yards and a pair of scores.

News and Notes

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Bucs Top-Five Defense?

No, it's not a misprint. According to the numbers, the Bucs have a top-five defense in the NFL, based on yards allowed per game.

It may seem strange, but Smith said it's proof that his defense is doing some good things, though it still has room to improve, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times:

"

Your stats, your record, that's who you are. What else can you go by? But for us, it is a little bit bigger than that. We haven't played our best defense here. It's as simple as that. If you look at total yards and some of those things, how everybody else judges the league a little bit, you can feel good about some of the things we've done and we do.

"

The stat is indeed misleading, as the Bucs currently rank 31st in the league in points allowed per game, and the low yardage totals can be attributed partly to turnovers on offense, which have given opponents a short field to work with.

There are definitely some encouraging signs from the defense—four sacks in Week 2, six in Week 5—but to call them a legitimate top-five NFL defense at this point is just proof that stats don't tell the whole story.

Morale, Health on the Upswing

There's nothing better than a bye week for giving players some extra time to heal up, and there's no better feeling heading into that break like a big home win.

Smith said his team is happy about both of those factors as it looks forward to this week's game, via Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune:

"

It’s always an exciting time to get to the bye week and have a chance to heal up. When we come back, we should get a lot more of our players that we’ve counted on to be back on the football team. It’s always good to go into the bye on a win. Guys are feeling good about themselves.

"

There are still plenty of areas in which the Bucs need to improve, but there are positive signs to be found as well. With health and momentum on their side, they could be primed for another big win in Washington this week.

Don't Call Him "Muscle Hamster"

Ever since he was given the moniker during his time at Boise State, Doug Martin has been trying to shake the "Muscle Hamster" nickname like a Jacksonville Jaguars defender.

He made a new suggestion, via Andrew Astleford of ESPN.com.

"Dougernaut?" Martins said. "Yeah, that's the nickname I'm going with."

Martin is playing what is easily his best football since earning a Pro Bowl berth as a rookie back in 2012, and he's coming off back-to-back 100-yard performances. If he keeps up his current level of play, fans should call him whatever he wants.

Latest Injury News

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Player	Position	Injury
Johnthan Banks	CB	Knee
Bruce Carter	LB	Thigh
Chris Conte	S	Ankle
Reid Fragel	OT	Head
George Johnson	DE	Ribs
Logan Mankins	G	Groin
Gerald McCoy	DT	Shoulder
Tony McDaniel	DT	Groin
Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TE	Shoulder
Russell Shepard	WR	Hamstring
Evan Smith	C	Ankle
Luke Stocker	TE	Hip

*All injury information courtesy of Buccaneers.com

This week's injury list is a long one for Tampa Bay, but there's a key player who could return this week and make a huge impact.

Banks was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, signaling his potential return from a two-game hiatus. His absence has been painfully evident in the secondary, so Bucs fans will hope he's ready to return to the starting lineup this week.

Conte, Johnson and Stocker were full participants in Wednesday's practice as well, which bodes well for their availability this week.

Seferian-Jenkins still hasn't returned to practice in any capacity, so expect him to miss another week and for Brandon Myers to fill his shoes as the team's starting tight end. Mankins didn't practice Wednesday either, so the team could end up looking to Kevin Pamphile to start in his place at left guard again this week. Carter was also unable to practice Wednesday, which could limit Tampa Bay's depth at linebacker on Sunday.

The rest of the crew was as able to practice in some capacity on Wednesday, so the rest of this week's practices will be key in determining whether or not they'll be ready to go by game time.

Top Matchups

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Bucs receivers vs. Washington secondary

Mike Evans had a field day against Washington last year, racking up 209 yards on just seven catches, hauling in touchdowns from 36 and 56 yards in the second half to help the Bucs pull away for the victory.

This year, Washington's secondary is weak and injury-riddled, which should give Tampa Bay's receivers a chance for a big day. Washington will be more focused on shutting down Doug Martin anyway, so don't be surprised if Evans finally gets his breakout game of the 2015 season and Vincent Jackson and Louis Murphy put up big numbers, as well.

Bucs front seven vs. Washington QB Kirk Cousins

Washington's quarterback situation is an absolute mess, but the Bucs should be the beneficiaries of that dysfunction this week when they face a struggling Cousins.

Cousins has thrown multiple interceptions in four of his six starts so far this season and has been sacked at least once in every game. The Bucs proved last week they're improving when it comes to getting after the quarterback, and if they can pressure Cousins consistently this week, it could easily lead to multiple takeaways and another road victory.

Matchup X-Factors

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Bucs' X-Factor of the Week: CB Johnthan Banks

Tampa Bay's secondary was shredded by Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, thanks in large part to the absence of the team's best cover man. Banks has missed the last two games with a knee injury, and the likes of Mike Jenkins and Tim Jennings have been picked on accordingly.

Banks was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, which is a sign he's on track to return to the starting lineup this week.

A second-round pick out of Mississippi State in 2013, Banks has developed into the team's top corner, putting his size—6'2", 185 pounds—and length to good use against some of the league's bigger receivers. With Pierre Garcon to deal with this week, as well as the potential return of DeSean Jackson, Tampa Bay needs Banks back in a bad way this week.

Prediction: Bucs 30, Redskins 17

Brian Blanco/Associated Press

Washington is in disarray from the top down, while the Bucs are coming off a morale-boosting home win and a bye week to fully prepare for their opponents.

Tampa Bay's running game is building steam behind Doug Martin and Charles Sims, and Jameis Winston has proved he can take care of the football. Washington's secondary lacks depth and quality at the moment and should be exploited by Winston and a talented group of Tampa Bay pass-catchers.

Kirk Cousins has already thrown eight interceptions this season and will be facing a Tampa Bay pass rush that is starting to show some improvement. If the Bucs can rattle him early like they did Drew Brees in Week 2, it could lead to some poor decisions and multiple turnovers.

The Bucs blasted Washington on the road last year, 27-7, and this time around the visitors are a more talented group. Don't be shocked if the Bucs come away with another double-digit win this year.

Final Prediction: Bucs 30, Redskins 17