It’s easy to imagine that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs will be coming off emotional highs from the previous week. The Buccaneers blew out the Chicago Bears 36-10 for their most lopsided win of the season, and moved to 4-5 and second place in the NFC South.
It was the Buccaneers’ first home win of the season, with four losses this year to the Los Angeles Rams, the Denver Broncos, the Oakland Raiders and the Atlanta Falcons. The Buccaneers defense had their best game of the season by allowing a season-low ten points, while forcing the Bears to commit four turnovers.
The Chiefs win came over a Bucs rival in the Carolina Panthers. The win benefited the Buccaneers, by dropping the defending NFC Champions to 3-6 and on the fringes of elimination. The win wasn’t the prettiest for the Chiefs, but it might have been their best of the season. It was on the road and they rallied with 17 points in the fourth quarter, after having only scored one field goal through three quarters, to win 20-17. The Chiefs are the NFL‘s hottest machine right now as they have won five games in a row.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week Eleven Keys to Victory
Cameron Brate Continues His Breakout Season
The Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce has been regarded as one of the best in the NFL for several years now as he routinely has three to five catches a game and he can line up anywhere on the field. But the breakout player at the tight end position this year has been Brate for the Buccaneers. He has 35 catches this year and 12 of them have come in just the last two games against the Bears and the Falcons. If he continues to be 2016’s version of Gary Barnidge, he’ll become the difference-maker the Buccaneers need in their offense.
The Defense Contains Alex Smith
Smith rarely gets sacked and one of the reasons is because he’s one of the best scrambling quarterbacks in the game. He runs because the Chiefs’ offensive line is solid but vulnerable at times, but sometimes he’ll run when it’s least expected and it can really deflate the defense. The Bucs linebackers Kwon Alexander, Lavonte David and Daryl Smith have to be vigilant.
Jameis Winston Actually Tries to Run
Winston scrambles only if he has to, but he’s deceptively mobile in the pocket and he moves around with his eyes downfield. He showed that last week in the best homage to Fran Tarkenton you’ll ever see. The Buccaneers offensive line has injuries to tackle Kevin Pamphile, and centers Joe Hawley and Evan Dietrich-Smith, and that means opportunities for elite nose tackle Dontari Poe and sack leader Dee Ford.
Winston’s scrambling ability will be tested often. His reluctance to run can work to his advantage if he wants to. It can counteract the pass rush and keep the Chiefs’ ball-hawking secondary honest at the same time. And if he misses playing baseball, he can enjoy sliding like a base runner every now and then.
Keep Building Roberto Aguayo‘s Confidence
The Buccaneers’ much-scrutinized kicker may have finally curtailed the internal and external pressure he’s faced since being selected in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft. Aguayo hasn’t missed a kick or an extra point in his last eight attempts. Games against the Chiefs are usually tight, defensive struggles and there’s a chance the Buccaneers will have many opportunities to kick field goals. If Aguayo can keep his momentum going and maybe convert kicks from 40 or 50 yards, which he has struggled with, maybe he can return to the form that made him one of the best collegiate kickers in history.
Keep the Arrow Quiet
Arrowhead Stadium remains one of the best atmospheres in all of football because they have some of the loudest fans. If you add in conditions like wind and a nippy temperature, the place can be disorienting. With the Chiefs on a roll, the Buccaneers need to keep their composure and play relaxed.
Pick: Kansas City 26 – Tampa Bay 16
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