Tampa Bay v. San Diego

by John Michael

Trending up. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have hit it big as of late, winning three of their last four while averaging 36 points during that span. The offense has been on fire, becoming one of the most – if not the most – productive offenses in franchise history. The catalyst of this offense during this span has without a doubt been Doug Martin. Since his breakout game in Minnesota, Martin has taken the league by storm. In the last game against Oakland, Martin scored four touchdowns and shattered the franchise record for single game rushing yards.  

But while the Bucs are trending up, the San Diego Chargers enter this game moving backwards. After starting the season with a solid 3-1 record, San Diego has lost three of their last four to end up with the same record as the Bucs at 4-4. Their offense ranks in the lower half of the league in both passing and rushing yards on offense at 22^nd and 20^th, respectively. The Chargers are also suffering from injuries, with three key starters who are questionable for the game. Jared Gaither, one of the top blockers in the league on the offensive line, was held out of practice last week alongside defenders Corey Liuget and Demorrio Williams. Phillip Rivers, the Chargers quarterback, has also been underperforming the past few weeks, but should be ready to attempt a lot of passes against a Buccaneers secondary that is ranked dead last in the league in passing yards allowed.

Keys to Victory

Run Dougie Run. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Until defenses can prove that they can stop Doug Martin, there is no reason to try and slow him down. The Chargers run defense is tough, ranking 4^th in the league in rushing yards allowed, but Martin has proven that he can overcome tough challenges in the run game. Last week, many questioned whether or not he could perform well with the loss of Carl Nicks, but Martin proved he could. Let Doug loose until the Chargers can show that they can stop him

Bunker down in the secondary. The passes are coming today. Phillip Rivers saw last weeks performance that saw Carson Palmer gain 414 yards in the air against the Buccaneers and will be looking to replicate it. The Bucs secondary is also weak right now, with Eric Wright dealing with an Achilles injury. The secondary may not be able to stop the pass, but should look for mistakes by Rivers and create turnovers.

Josh Freeman. This may be the game where Josh has to step up big time. If Rivers can attack the secondary with positive results, the defense may be in for a long day. And with a highly ranked run defense, Martin could be slowed down. Keeping up with the Chargers may rest solely on the arm of Freeman and his ability to target Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams. This wide receiving tandem has proven that it can be successful so far this season, but we may see how they perform when under pressure to keep up.

The Buccaneers should aim to keep rolling they way they have the past few weeks. But the Chargers are desperate for a win. It is possible, with how the Buccaneers secondary is shaped right now, that this game could turn into a shootout. If the Bucs can obtain an early lead, they should be able to hold off the Chargers attack to secure a victory.

John Michael’s Prediction:

 

Tampa Bay wins 38-31