The Tampa Bay Buccaneers face their first must-win situation of the 2016 NFL season as they look to avoid a 1-3 record for the third consecutive season.
They have lost 37-32 to the Los Angeles Rams and 40-7 to the Arizona Cardinals for a two-game losing streak. They were impressive in Week One with a 31-24 road win over their division rival Atlanta Falcons.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Need a Win Against the Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos
The odds of making the postseason after a 1-3 start are 15 percent according to Reddit. The only problem is they have to win a game against the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos in order to avoid such a start.
The Broncos have picked up where they left off and then some after their 24-10 win in the Super Bowl over 2015 MVP Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. The Broncos have won their first three games this season with two wins over playoff teams from last season. They won 21-20 over Carolina again in Week One, and 29-17 last week on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Defensive Line Must Step Up
Defensive end Robert Ayers will miss the game with a foot injury, which he suffered in the last game against the Rams. He has one sack in his first two games with Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers picked him up in the off-season to improve their pass rush. They had 38 sacks last year, which was tied with two other teams for 11th-best in the NFL.
Ayers spent his first five seasons with the Broncos from 2009 to 2013. He was drafted with the 18th pick in 2009 with a pick acquired in the Jay Cutler trade. Ayers started ten games in 2010 and 13 in 2011. He spent the last two seasons with the New York Giants and had a career high nine sacks in 11 starts in 2015. He’s been durable in his career, as the fewest games he’s played in was 11 in 2010. His absence is a missed opportunity against the Broncos, who bring in a wounded offensive line.
Denver will be without offensive lineman Donald Stephenson and tight end Virgil Green who are battling calf injuries. Long-time Seattle Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung is expected to play, but he could be at less than full strength. Okung left the previous game against the Bengals with a back injury.
The Buccaneers have five sacks through the first three games of the season, which is tied with four other teams for eighth-best in the NFL. Three sacks have come from the defensive line including one from Ayers, one from defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and one from rookie defensive end Noah Spence. The Broncos have given up only five sacks, which is tied with three teams for third-best in the NFL.
The Broncos also have a quarterback in Trevor Siemian, who is in his second year in the NFL and is making his fourth career start. Siemian has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL over the first month of the season, in spite of his inexperience. He has five touchdowns and has completed 67 percent of his passes. He’s shown the poise of a ten-year veteran but he could be due for an off game against a team with their season on the line.
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