The Tampa Bay Bucccaneer shocked a lot of people with their 48-40 victory over that team in New Orleans last weekend. That game was supposed to be a "gimme" for the home team according to many national analysts and even some casual Bucs fans. One of the big stories coming out of that game was the monster performance by proverbial career journeyman, Ryan Fitzpatrick. Very few, if any, would've guessed he'd be the one under center when the Bucs offense looked like it could be one of the most potent forces in the League. Crazy, right?!

As crazy as that notion was, there a plenty that think it's somehow even crazier that the Fitzpatrick-led Buccaneers come out of Week 2 with a win against the defending Super Bowl champions. The Philadelphia Eagles come into Tampa looking to go 2-0 versus NFC South opponents after narrowly escaping with a win against that team in Atlanta. The Buccaneers are looking to start 2-0 for the first time since 2010. While it may not be easy, it's far from impossible.

Dreams and Nightmares

The possible success of the Buccaneers will likely come down to the play in the trenches. While that can be said for every game, this week is a prime example. The Eagles entered the 2018 season having the #1 ranked offensive line according to ProFootball Focus.com. The new look Buccaneers defensive line will get a chance to change its entire image in this one. If they can get to QB Nick Foles in this game and force him to move in the pocket, it'll be a big step towards garnering respect from remaining opponents this season and the rest of the League. Last season's League low of 22 sacks and #29 pass rush ranking(ProFootballFocus) would be quickly fade away with a good performance. It's well worth mentioning that the last time the Bucs faced a seemingly impenetrable offensive line(2016 Cowboys), they had a pretty decent showing. Although the game resulted in a 20-26 loss, the defense registered 3 QB sacks and it was an injured Noah Spence that gave fits to both of their highly touted tackles and made way for others to make plays.

While the Bucs overhauled the defensive line in hopes of somewhat replicating the 2017 Eagles strategy of heavy rotation, injuries have already forced the team to look into other plans to start the season. With Jason Pierre-Paul joining rookie Vita Vea and Mitch Unrein on the injury list, Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith will look to employ some other strategy to get and keep pressure on the Eagles QB. Pierre-Paul(knee) may still play Sunday, but he'll probably need to do so intermittently as the Team would likely play it safe to not further the injury. One player that could alleviate some of the pressure of having to play an injured JPP is DE Carl Nassib. Nassib is on of the latest additions to the roster, yet he got in on Week 1's action and had an immediate impact getting pressure on Matt Ryan on his first snap in the game. Nassib's long arms, athleticism and relentless motor are traits reminiscent of what JPP a terror for opposing offensive linemen. He's definitely one to look for Sunday.

Also, the interior of the defensive line will need to be stout in preparation for the RPOs(Run-Play Option) the Eagles have been known to use. They run them about 10 times a game according to Buccaneers head coach, Dirk Koetter. I'm fully expecting to see RB Jay Ajayi in early and often to take some of the pressure off the up-and-down Eagles QB. If he gets going early the RPO attacks will weigh heavy on the minds of not only DTs Gerald McCoy and Beau Allen, but the LBs that line up behind them. Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander will need to play fast and smart to combat the threat of Ajayi and Foles running the ball.

'Young and Gettin' It'

While the defensive line can use heavy rotation to bolster the pass rush, the secondary is going to have to completely replace its two top starters due to injury. Both Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves are out. Rookies Carlton Davis and MJ Stewart will step in and try to make names for themselves. Davis had a tough outing against that team in New Orleans led by likely Hall Of Fame QB Drew Brees. But he and Stewart aren't facing a QB nor receivers the level of last week's competition. . They'll have their hands full, but it shouldn't be the daunting challenge they saw in the Crescent City. Foles' pedestrian numbers (19/34, 117 yards) won't strike fear in the heart of anyone in the secondary. And none of the Eagles receivers are as dangerous as those from last week. With Justin Evans continuing his strong play from last season, there's a good feeling the weaknesses that plagued back-end of the defense may be getting solved much sooner than later. This game could be a showcase for the young secondary as they may be called upon to help the pass rush with coverage while facing a streaky QB that's currently on a down swing.

'Issues'??

One the offensive side of the ball, the offensive line bears the greatest burden. They'll be tasked with slowing down the constant wave of rotating defensive linemen.The Bucs didn't give up a sack in their first game, but this is a bigger challenge. Very few are expecting the combination of Dotson, Bennenoch/ E. Smith, Jensen, Marpet and D. Smith to hold up against the pass rush of the defending champs who tallied up 4 sacks against Atlanta. If the Bucs can hold off their pass rush for a bit and open up some holes for Peyton Barber and the other RBs, that could give open things up for Fitzpatrick to look downfield and take advantage of what could be multiple one-on-one matchups.

'Dangerous'

The WR/TE groups could see a big day if Fitzpatrick has a bit of time to find them. To combat the mismatch of Julio Jones against their CBs, Philly played a great deal of zone hoping to keep the lesser talent in check. Jones got his yards(169), but the other receivers did little to no damage whatsoever. With Mike Evans, Chris Godwin,  Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard in play, that's gonna be a tough task for that method of defense. Desean Jackson is listed as questionable while in concussion protocol. There's a good chance of him being cleared to play.  If Jackson and/or Evans gets singled up anywhere near as much as they did in New Orleans, I wouldn't be surprised to see another aerial assault. However, I'm expecting to see  Howard and Brate have a lot of opportunities in the middle of the field while the defense try to keep the outside WRs to shorter routes with lots of cushion at the line of scrimmage. This could also allow Chris Godwin or Adam Humprhies to have a big game in the slot. Overall, the Bucs offense could see mismatches all over the field leaving Philly traumatized provided the offensive line holds up.

All Eyes On You, BUCS! Stay Woke.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a lot of to play for in and it's just Week 2. Beau Allen and Vinny Curry are looking to carry a big chip on their shoulder the entire season, but this week means a lil' bit more since they were released from Philadelphia. Offensive Coordinator and now play caller Todd Monken is out to prove Week 1 wasn't some fluke. The same could be said for the life-sized garden gnome of a meme god, Ryan Fitzpatrick. The offensive line has a storm to hold back. The defensive line has its Mt. Olympus to climb. This Buccaneers team is looking to take down the underdogs-turned-Champions in-game that has the former pegged as a fluke and the latter listed as the favorites. This game isn't likely to be easy for either team, but the Buccaneers may have more ways to win on the offensive side of the ball and the play up front may decide the game.