Map to Success: Keys to a Bucs win in Jacksonville

Find out how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can pull off the upset against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off a game Bruce Arians called the best complete team game of the season. They didn’t just win against the Atlanta Falcons, the Bucs beat the Falcons on every side of the ball. The Bucs (4-7), are on the road again this week in Jacksonville to square off against the Jaguars (4-7), and looking to start a winning streak of their own. If the Bucs want to beat the Jaguars, here are some of the key match-ups that they must win.

Stop Leonard Fournette

Fournette sits just 49 yards shy of his second 1,000-yard season. The Jaguars sit at the bottom of the barrel in scoring, averaging just 19 points per game, but they can move the ball. The Jaguars are top-15 in both rushing yards and passing yards per game, with Fournette leading the way in rushing yards and receptions with 56. The offense runs through the running back, and this should be the Buccaneers’ top priority heading into Sundays game.

Communicate on defense

DJ Chark is one of the young up-and-coming wide receiver stars in the league, and Nick Foles is hungry to prove why he was brought to Jacksonville. Without communication in the secondary for the Bucs, that could spell disaster, especially if they are stacking the box to slow down Fournette. Outside of an early deep pass from Matt Ryan to Calvin Ridley last week, the young secondary of the Bucs were able to not give up big plays and keep the Falcons receivers in front of them, while the defensive line went to work.

Limit turnovers

This is not the Jaguars defense you’ve been accustom to over the past few seasons. They no longer have a no fly zone, and they rank 29th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game. It just so happens the Buccaneers have the red-hot receiving duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, whom have both eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards on the season. Jameis Winston must play smart and limit turnovers. In the game against the Falcons, Winston threw two early interceptions that the Bucs were able to overcome, but you cannot do that to your defense and expect to be bailed out every time.

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