Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Indianapolis Colts: What's the Game Plan for Tampa Bay?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will try for their third straight win as they take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, a team also looking to increase their winning streak to three.

The Bucs seem to be hitting their stride at just the right time, putting together their most complete game of the season last week in a 45-17 road win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Colts are coming off back-to-back nail-biting victories with veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck getting the job done in place of an injured Andrew Luck.

Both teams also sit at 5-5 on the season, but their playoff chances look quite different thanks to the landscape of their respective divisions. The Bucs are in third place in the NFC South and just a game back of a wild-card spot, while the Colts currently sit atop the AFC South despite having no more than a .500 record.

Let’s take a look at what Tampa Bay needs to do on both sides of the ball to continue their playoff push with another win this week.

Offensive Game Plan

Most NFL teams want to achieve balance on offense, and that’s exactly what the Bucs have done as they head into their playoff push. They set a new franchise record for rushing yards in a game last week, while rookie quarterback Jameis Winston tossed five touchdowns to five different receivers.

They should be able to continue that trend this week, as they face a Colts defense that ranks in the bottom third of the NFL against both the run and pass. Head coach Chuck Pagano’s crew ranks 29th in the league in pass defense, allowing 278 yards per game through the air. Things aren’t much better on the ground for the Colts, as they’re currently allowing 113 yards per game, good enough for 23rd in the NFL.

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Winston’s ability to spread the ball around should serve him well this week, as his top receiving threat will likely be locked up in a heated battle with one of the league’s better corners.

With Vontae Davis likely to shadow Mike Evans for a good bit of the afternoon, expect Winston to be more than willing to take what the defense gives him, looking for Vincent Jackson, Adam Humphries and Cameron Brate down the field. Winston will also likely take advantage of his capable receivers out of the backfield, as both Doug Martin and Charles Sims have proved themselves plenty effective in that area.

Normally, opposing defenses relish the opportunity to face a rookie quarterback, but Winston has looked like anything but over the last two months. The No. 1 overall pick has gone without a turnover in five of his last six games, avoiding many of the mental errors typically expected of a first-year signal-caller.

Winston’s success has been due in large part to Martin and Sims, who have spearheaded the league’s second-ranked rushing attack. The offensive line has also overachieved all season long, despite breaking in four new starters.

Tampa Bay needs to play the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” card this week. If the Bucs maintain their balance on offense and can get the job done up front, Winston should be able to lead them to yet another road win.

Defensive Game Plan

After struggling earlier in the season, Tampa Bay’s defense has put together its best two-game stretch of the year over their last two games.

Head coach Lovie Smith’s system is predicated on getting consistent pressure with the front four and forcing takeaways, and the Bucs are starting to turn the corner in both of those areas. The defensive line generated all three of the team’s sacks last week, while the defense as a whole forced three turnovers, returning one for a touchdown.

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Tampa Bay’s defensive line should be the driving force behind the entire unit’s success this week, as it will face a struggling Colts offensive line that will be missing its best player in left tackle Anthony Castonzo.

While they’ve only given up a modest 20 sacks so far this season, the Colts have allowed their quarterbacks to be hit 75 times through their first 10 games, tying them with the Cleveland Browns for the most in the NFL, as pointed out by Eric Horchy of PewterReport.com.

Veteran quarterbacks aren’t easily rattled, which is why Hasselbeck has still managed to lead the Colts to victory in each of the past two games. But without Castonzo in the lineup, things could get even more messy than usual in the pocket, which could lead to a long afternoon when it comes to both pass protection and winning the line of scrimmage in the ground game.

Not only is Jacquies Smith Tampa Bay’s most effective pass-rusher, but he also makes Gerald McCoy better by taking attention away from him and allowing him more one-on-one opportunities. Both should feed off each other’s presence again this week and get after Hasselbeck early and often.

With improved play from Lavonte David and the team’s new starting corners, the Bucs have been playing their best defensive football of the season over the past two weeks. They should continue that trend again this week if they’re able to generate pressure with the front four and force Hasselbeck into making poor decisions down the field.

Top Matchups and Players to Watch

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Mike Evans vs. Vontae Davis

Tampa Bay’s top pass-catcher will have his hands full this week against one of the league’s better man-cover corners. Evans is on pace to top his 1,000-yard rookie campaign in 2014, and though he’s struggled with drops and his touchdown numbers are down from last year, he’s still a dangerous big-play threat.

Look for the Bucs to try and find creative ways to move Evans around to get him isolated on other defenders, giving him a more advantageous matchup than going up against Davis.

Jacquies Smith vs. Colts offensive tackles

The return of Smith from an ankle injury was a huge boost for Tampa Bay’s past rush last week, and he figures to be even more healthy and effective this week. He’ll also be facing a pair of tackles who will be playing out of position due to injuries of their own.

Castonzo will miss Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, which will force a shakeup up front for the Colts. Joe Reitz is expected to slide over from right tackle to the left side, with rookie Jack Mewhort moving from left guard out to right tackle to replace Reitz.

The Colts have struggled to keep their quarterbacks clean all season, and the job might be even harder this week with Castonzo out. Look for Smith to take full advantage off the edge.

Prediction

Both of these teams are hot right now, but the Bucs look like the more impressive team on both sides of the ball, and they seem plenty comfortable on the road.

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The Colts have won a pair of close games, but Winston has proved his ability to make plays in key moments late in the fourth quarter, and he’s making leaps and bounds every week in his understanding of what he’s seeing from opposing defenses.

Winston is hot, and he’ll be facing one of the league’s worst pass defenses. The Bucs also have the league’s second-ranked rushing attack, which should give them the balance necessary to keep the Indy defense guessing all afternoon.

If the Bucs can keep improving their ability to get pressure with their front four and create takeaways—they had three of each last week—they should be in position to take yet another road victory this week.

Final Prediction: Bucs 27, Colts 20

All stats courtesy of NFL.com

Luke Easterling is a Featured Columnist covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NFL draft for Bleacher Report. He is also a senior NFL draft analyst for Draft Breakdown. Follow him on Twitter @Luke Easterling.