New York Giants vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Full Tampa Bay Game Preview

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seek their first winning streak of the season this week as they return home to face the New York Giants.

Last week's overtime road win against the Atlanta Falcons puts the Bucs at 3-4 on the year, just one game under .500 with a 2-1 record against NFC South opponents. The Giants currently sit at 4-4 and are coming off a heartbreaking 52-49 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Both Jameis Winston and Eli Manning have to be salivating over this week's matchups, as both teams have struggled mightily to defend the pass.

Tampa Bay will attempt to earn just its second home win under head coach Lovie Smith.

Here's everything Bucs fans need to know heading into this week's game.

Viewing Info

Date: Sunday, November 8

Time: 4:05 p.m ET.

Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

TV: Fox

Week 7 Results and Recap

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	Streak
Carolina Panthers	7	0	0	1.000	191	136	W7
Atlanta Falcons	6	2	0	.750	213	173	L1
New Orleans Saints	4	4	0	.500	213	234	W3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3	4	0	.429	163	199	W1

The Bucs came away with an emotional victory last week, going on the road and taking down the Atlanta Falcons in overtime, 23-20.

The team was led by an inspiring performance from rookie linebacker Kwon Alexander, who had a career day despite playing with a heavy heart following the death of his teenage brother just days before. The fourth-round pick out of LSU racked up 11 tackles and forced two turnovers, setting the tone for the entire team with his passionate effort.

On offense, the Bucs benefited from another turnover-free performance from quarterback Jameis Winston, who went a third consecutive game without giving the ball away. Winston threw for one score and ran for another, leading the offense to just enough points to earn the victory.

Tampa Bay won despite giving up nearly 500 yards of total offense to the Falcons, thanks in large part to four turnovers. Atlanta made costly mistakes in key moments, coughing up the ball on multiple occasions to thwart would-be scoring drives and lead to points for the Bucs.

For the second week in a row, the Bucs let a sizable lead disappear, giving up a 20-3 advantage in the second half and being forced to win in overtime. After Connor Barth's third field goal of the game gave them the lead in the extra period, Tampa Bay's defense came up with a big fourth-down stop to seal the win.

News and Notes

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Jameis is the Leader

With plenty of veterans already on the roster, Winston was expected to slowly work his way into a leadership role over his first few seasons in the NFL.

But after last week's emotional victory, it's clear Winston has already become the vocal leader of the team after just seven games. Veteran and offensive captain Logan Mankins has no problem admitting it, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times:

"

He’s making a lot of plays and he seems to be improving every week. That’s all we can ask for. It doesn’t matter if he’s a rookie or not. He’s going to be the leader and we’ll go with him and we love playing for him, we love blocking for him. He does some things that really excites us and gets us going.

"

The combination of Winston's improved play on the field and his fiery demeanor in the locker room is giving Tampa Bay exactly what it hoped for when it spent this year's No. 1 overall draft pick on him. It hasn't even been half a season, and he's already establishing himself as the rudder that drives the heart of the team.

Rare Combo in the Backfield

Tampa Bay currently has the NFL's fourth-ranked rushing attack, as the one-two punch of Doug Martin and Charles Sims is proving to be the perfect combination.

Martin gets most of the attention—and with good reason—but Winston says Sims deserves plenty of credit, per Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune:

"

Every time I talk about Doug I have to put Chuck in (the conversation), too because they help each other out. They’re always making plays and it’s great to have two different kind of guys in there.

Yeah, (Sims) is quiet around everybody. But when the lights come on and he steps out there between those white lines, he’s probably the loudest person out there play-wise.

"

Both Martin and Sims are on pace to eclipse 1,000 total yards this season, which would make them only the second pair of Bucs to accomplish that feat—Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott did it in 1999. If they can stay healthy, this tandem should continue to be the driving force behind a much-improved offensive attack for Tampa Bay, with a promising future ahead.

Dotson Returning from Injury?

Demar Dotson has yet to play a regular-season snap for the Bucs this year after suffering a knee injury in a preseason game.

The starting right tackle is hopeful he can return to the active roster this week, though he's been impressed with the offensive line's performance so far this year, per Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune:

"

I feel pretty good, I’m ready to go, but nobody has told me anything. I can’t wait to get back in there and let it all hang out.

They’re doing a phenomenal job. They’re playing great together, with a lot of tenacity, and that’s something we haven’t had around here in a long time.

"

Dotson has made 49 starts over his first five seasons in Tampa Bay and was widely regarded as the team's best lineman coming into this season. Whenever he's able to return, he'll be a welcome addition to a unit that's been playing surprisingly well in his absence.

Latest Injury News

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Player	Position	Injury
Jacquies Smith	DE	Ankle
Vincent Jackson	WR	Knee
Gerald McCoy	DT	Shoulder
William Gholston	DE	Knee
Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TE	Shoulder
Major Wright	S	Hamstring
Tony McDaniel	DT	Groin
Logan Mankins	G	Non-Injury Absence

Injury information courtesy of Buccaneers.com

Tampa Bay's defensive line is extremely banged-up, with half of Wednesday's injured list coming from just the front four.

McCoy, Gholston and McDaniel were all limited participants in Wednesday's practice, which bodes well for their chances of being available on Sunday. The news isn't so good for Smith, who was unable to practice on Wednesday. The team brought back Lawrence Sidbury to help fill in at defensive end this week, as the Bucs could be extremely thin at the position.

Making matters worse for the Bucs up front on defense, starting defensive tackle Clinton McDonald was placed on injured reserve this week, ending his 2015 season.

Seferian-Jenkins has been slowly working his way back over the last few weeks, but he was still limited in practice on Wednesday. Brandon Myers and Cameron Brate have played well in his absence, so don't expect the Bucs to rush him back until he's at full strength.

Jackson and Wright didn't participate in Wednesday's practice, a strong indication they could both be out this week. Thursday's practice will go a long way toward deciding if either of them will be healthy enough to go this week.

Top Matchups to Watch

Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

Giants WR Odell Beckham vs. Bucs secondary

One of the league's most explosive playmakers against one of the most porous pass defenses. What could possibly go wrong?

Probably plenty for Tampa Bay, a team that has given up over 300 yards through the air three weeks in a row. Beckham is coming off his best game of the year so far—eight catches for 130 yards and three touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints—and should have a field day against a struggling Bucs defensive backfield.

Giants DE Damontre Moore vs. Bucs OT Donovan Smith

If Winston is going to take advantage of a Giants secondary that was scorched last week, he'll need to have a clean pocket and time to work.

Smith has been slowly improving with each week, but handling quality pass-rushers is still the area of his game that needs the most work. Moore leads the Giants with three sacks so far this season and will push Smith this week to see just how much he's working to improve his skills as Winston's blindside protector.

Matchup X-Factors

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Bucs X-Factor of the Week: DE Howard Jones

At 6'4", 238 pounds, Jones is considerably lighter than the typical 4-3 defensive end. But what he lacks in bulk, he makes up for with explosiveness, and that's something the Bucs have desperately needed off the edge.

Since being promoted to the active roster prior to Week 5, Jones has made a big impact as a situational pass-rusher, notching three sacks and a forced fumble, as well as returning a fumble 43 yards for a touchdown in Week 6 against Washington.

With the status of starter Jacquies Smith still up in the air due to an ankle injury, Jones should see an increased snap count this week, which will give him even more opportunities to prove his worth. The Bucs simply must get after Eli Manning early and often if they want to have a chance this week, and Jones will be a key factor, especially if Smith can't go.

Prediction: Giants 38, Bucs 30

Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay's offense will have an opportunity to continue their recent success against a struggling Giants defense, but the same is true for New York. Tampa Bay has struggled to stop the pass—especially over the last three games—and Manning is coming off a dominant performance last week.

The Bucs got bailed out by a plethora of mistakes from the Falcons in Week 8, allowing them to come away with a victory despite allowing nearly 500 total yards, with almost 400 of those yards coming through the air.

I expect a shootout in this one, with both quarterbacks enjoying the respective weak secondaries. But the nod goes to the more experienced team, as Manning makes just a few more plays than Winston to give the Giants the edge.

Final Prediction: Giants 38, Bucs 30