NFL Beast

The Best Damn NFL News Site Ever!


Cardinals-Buccaneers Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the Week 16 enemy

4 min read
   

#NFLBeast #NFL #NFLTwitter #NFLUpdate #NFLNews #NFLBlogs

#Arizona #Cardinals #ArizonaCardinals #NFC #RevengeOfTheBirds

By: Seth Cox

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

It is Friday one and all and that means it is time to talk with the upcoming opponent.

We talked with Bucs Nation and discussed what is going wrong in Tampa Bay and who is to blame for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers woes.

Enjoy.


1. You’ve been asked enough about what is going wrong in 2022, so let’s ask, what are some bright spots on offense this season?

Answer: Some of the brightest spots in the Bucs offense this season have come from their youngest players. Rachaad White, Cade Otton, and Ko Kieft are all doing good work in their rookie seasons, and have showcase abilities that could very well keep them as starters for the Bucs moving forward after the Brady era.

It has also been discovered that the Bucs actually have some good depth along the interior of the offensive line. Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett have proven to be capable starters for the Bucs in place of Ryan Jensen who was injured before the season, and Luke Goedeke who was injured mid season.

2. The defense still looks great at times, but seems to not have the same juice as before, what are your thoughts as to why?

Answer: The Bucs defense has been a bigger bright spot for the Bucs this season. Minus the game against the 49ers, the defense is one of the main reasons as to why the Bucs have been competitive in the games that they have played this season. However, there have been concerns with injuries this year yet again as multiple members of the defense have missed games with some missing most of the season (Shaq Barrett).

3. How do you feel about Todd Bowles and Byron Leftwich at this point?

Answer: At this point I believe that Byron Leftwich will not be the offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers following this season. There have been way too many times this year where the offense has been down right terrible and coaching/play calling has taken the majority of the blame throughout the season.

Leftwich looks abysmal without Bruce Arians there to guide him as head coach and I firmly believe the Bucs will go in another direction once the season is done.

Todd Bowles is a different matter entirely however, if the Bucs do not make the playoffs I could very much see a scenario where the Bucs move on from Bowles and look to get a fresh coaching staff in to build on their current core of players.

If the Bucs do find a way into the playoffs however, it is likely that the Bucs would look to keep Bowles around for another season which may just be delaying the obvious. Bowles is a fantastic defensive mind but struggles yet again as a head coach.

If you are only able to limp into the playoffs with Tom Brady as your QB, how are you going to sell to the ownership that things are going to get better once Brady leaves or retires after this season?

If Bowles is kept on for another season, he is going to need an all-star offensive coordinator to give him the support that he would need to have success as a head coach. If not, then things could be over as soon as the end of year two.

4. I was shocked that DraftKings Sportsbook only had the Bucs as 3.5-point favorites, but that line has moved to 4.5-points already and I predict it will be at 6.5-points by kickoff. How high are you comfortable with that line getting and still taking it? If it makes you feel better I would bet the Bucs to cover up to 10.5 points.

Answer: The line does seem very to me and I would take only because of the massive wave of injuries the Cardinals have been dealing with this year regarding some of their top positions. I imagine this could still be a close game but the Cardinals not having their starting QB certainly helps the betting matters a lot.

5. I talked with my buddy who is a big Niners fan and no one wants to see Tom Brady in round one of the playoffs… Do you buy the Brady mystique still being there if the Bucs are able to make it in?

Answer: Yes and no. Brady still has the ability to will the Bucs to victory if the circumstances are right. However, there have been many times where the players, and coaches surrounding Brady have simply let him down too many times for Brady to have a legitimate chance to come back into a game. The Bucs still have the talent and ability to be a dangerous team in the playoffs if they are able to make it, but Brady would certainly need some help from those around him to have any chance of making a far run.

Originally posted on Revenge Of The Birds