Buccaneers VS Lions Preview
In this Week 6 matchup, the BUCS are facing the much-talked-about Lions of Detroit. The Lions have captured the attention of the media and many NFL fans alike mostly due to their surprising Week 1 win over the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs on the road.
Now, the Lions have become the darling team of the NFC North, and their considered in the conversation of the best team in the entire NFL. OUR BUCS, on their other hand, are looking for a signature win to truly announce how serious they are. The Week 3 loss to the Eagles turned some heads the wrong way. The bounce-back victory against the non-rival sAints of the Crescent City had some second-thinking the write-off of the BUCS. But, it wasn’t enough to match the level of hype of the Lions.
Going into the game, the Lions have been praised for both sides of the ball. On paper, they’ve got a Top 5 scoring offense and a slightly above-average defense. The defense has gotten much of its praise due to its dominance against the run. However, the pass defense is just average when looking at the yards gained and a bit below average in allowing touchdowns. Since the BUCS are relatively used to not having an explosive run game to boost its offense, the passing attack will likely be on full display. Detroit is entering the game with a weakened secondary to boot.
Here’s a statistical look at BUCS and Lions’ offensive ranks vs each other’s defensive ranks.
DETROIT Offensive Tendencies
As mentioned above, the Lions offense relies heavily on tactics the BUCS’ defense should be familiar with. The 3-WR attack from Detroit shouldn’t be as daunting an attack as what the defense has to deal with daily in practice. And the running game, while to be respected, shouldn’t be feared the way many have painted.
| Offensive Formation | Snaps | % Of Snaps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WRs (11) | 171 | 60.21 % |
| 1 RB, 2 TEs, 2 WRs (12) | 52 | 18.31% |
| 2 RB, 1 TE, 2 WRs (21) | 30 | 10.56% |
| 1 RB, 3 TEs, 1 WR (13) | 16 | 5.63% |
| 0 RB, 1 TE, 4 WRs (01) | 10 | 4.23 % |
| 6 OL, 2 RBs, 1 TE, 1 WR | 0 | - |
| 1 RB, 0 TE, 4 WRs | 0 | - |
The BUCS’ defense should be in nickel coverage most of the day, with Detroit utilizing 3 WRs in most of their play selections. Chris Izien will get plenty of opportunities to show off.
| Type | Completions | Attempts | Completion % | Yards | Average | % of Plays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Right | 31 | 40 | 77.50% | 273 | 6.83 | 29.41% |
| Short Left | 24 | 39 | 61.54% | 202 | 5.18 | 28.68% |
| Short Middle | 23 | 31 | 74.19% | 262 | 8.45 | 22.79% |
| Deep Left | 9 | 14 | 64.29% | 209 | 14.93 | 10.29% |
| Deep Right | 5 | 9 | 55.56% | 149 | 16.56 | 6.62% |
| Deep Middle | 1 | 3 | 33.33% | 20 | 6.67 | 2.21% |
Similar to New Orleans’ offense, the Lions tend to throw a lot of short, quick throws to get in rhythm and pick up the pace. The defense will have to have sound tackling to combat the pass game. In theory, this is very similar to how the BUCS’ offense came out in Week 1 against the Vikings. So, the defense should be relatively familiar with this approach, though the BUCS’ offense has shown a bit more variation over the following weeks. The addition of Calijah Kancey on the defensive line should be a big factor in the pass rush. And this could lead to Goff having to look to get rid of the ball faster than he has in recent weeks.
| Direction | Attempts | Yards | Avg. | % Of Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center | 30 | 103 | 3.43 | 23.81% |
| Right Tackle | 25 | 78 | 3.12 | 19.84% |
| Left Tackle | 22 | 109 | 4.95 | 17.46% |
| Left End | 16 | 88 | 5.50 | 12.70% |
| Right End | 14 | 120 | 8.57 | 11.11% |
| Right Guard | 13 | 34 | 2.62 | 10.32% |
| Left Guard | 6 | 14 | 2.33 | 4.76% |
The Lions have gotten a lot of attention for their run game. The BUCS’ run defense hasn’t been as stout as it has been over the previous three years. That’s largely due to the defensive line moving to being faster to combat the passing game. While the Lions may try to attack the defense with the run like they have with past opponents, they’d be doing so at the risk of running the clock. The Eagles were able to run the ball so well against the BUCS due to the threat of Jalen Hurts at QB. With Goff, that doesn’t exist, and there will be no hesitation when attacking the RB.
BUCS OFFENSIVE ADVANTAGE
Michael Lynn Evans III.
Mike Evans should featured in this game. With Detroit missing two of its starters in the already questionable secondary, Mike Evans should see plenty of targets to test out their roster depth. Evans’ hamstring will be something to watch for. But he’s been cleared, so he’s expected to go like usual. If executed correctly, this should pose a big problem for Detroit.
There’s also Chris Godwin and the long ball threat of Trey Palmer. I wouldn’t be surprised if Palmer had a breakout game against this secondary with so much focus needing to be put on Evans.
There’s been a lot of talk about the Lions’ defense. But I don’t see their advantage in facing the BUCS’ offense. And I don’t understand the disrespect to the BUCS’ defense.
If the BUCS don’t shoot themselves in the foot, this matchup should go their way, and it should lead them to a 4-1 record and bit more respect. Maybe even some fear within the division.
