Tag: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Giants vs. Buccaneers: 3 causes for concern in Week 12

The New York Giants square off in a Sunday afternoon battle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12. Here are three causes for concern.

The New York Giants will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium with hopes of creating a spark out of the bye week.

That spark will have to come via the Giants’ new QB1, Tommy DeVito, or as most Giants fans know him, “Tommy Cutlets.”

This, of course, comes following the decision by the Giants earlier this week to bench Daniel Jones and start DeVito instead of Drew Lock, who they signed in the offseason for $5 million. He has served as the backup quarterback all season.

The Giants come in well-rested off the bye week sporting a five-game losing streak after their embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers in Munich, Germany.

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers come in with a four-game losing streak all of which have come against teams that are currently .500 or better.

While most fans are probably rooting for losses at this point for 2025 NFL draft positioning, the Giants are hoping to get back in the win column, especially Brian Daboll, who may be coaching for his job.

Here are three causes for concern ahead of the Week 12 matchup.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The return of Mike Evans

Wide receiver Mike Evans is trending toward a return on Sunday after being out with a hamstring injury since Week 7. Evans, one of the league’s best and most underrated receivers, will present a major challenge for the Giants’ secondary — in particular, Deonte Banks, who has struggled mightily in his sophomore season.

The Bucs come into Week 12 with the second-best completion percentage in the league and will go up against a Giants’ defense that ranks 30th in opponents’ completion percentage. If Evans can go, it would give Tampa Bay an added boost in this game.

Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Bucs may be better than their record

As previously mentioned, the Bucs come in with a four-game losing streak. All six losses this season have come against teams that enter Week 12 with a record of .500 or better.

The Bucs also had some impressive victories this year. Three of their four wins have come against against the Washington Commanders (7-4), Philadelphia Eagles (8-2), and Detroit Lions (9-1).

In fact, the Bucs’ only game against an opponent under .500 was against the New Orleans Saints.

The Giants will be the worst opponent (record-wise) the Bucs have had on their schedule so far this season.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Bucs rushing attack

The Bucs are averaging 5.0 yards per carry this season, which ranks fifth in the league and could be a recipe for disaster considering the Giants have struggled against the run all season long.

The Giants are giving up a league-worst 5.3 yards per carry heading into Week 12.

The Bucs rush the ball at just over 41 percent of their plays. However, given the mismatch in this category, the Giants can expect a heavy dose of the Tampa Bay rushing attack on Sunday.

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Top reactions: Daniel Jones listed as QB4 on Giants’ depth chart

See what football fans on Twitter had to say when the New York #Giants listed Daniel Jones as QB4 on their depth chart this week.

The New York Giants are in the midst of a brutal season and decided to bench starting quarterback Daniel Jones as they look to the future.

Jones has become something of a scapegoat in New York throughout the Giants’ abysmal 2024 campaign. While he bears some responsibility for the team’s struggles, Jones seems to take all of the heat from fans in the Big Apple when it comes to New York’s 2-8 record.

On Wednesday, Jones was listed as QB4 on the Giants’ depth chart as New York’s coaching staff cleared the way for fan-favorite backup Tommy DeVito to start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12.

The Giants needed to make some kind of change after their woeful start to the season, and this move sends a clear message to the New York faithful that a shake-up is in order.

See what fans on Twitter had to say about Jones’ benching this week:

Top Reactions

Former Bucs Super Bowl QB has faith in Baker Mayfield

During an interview with WDAE in Tampa Bay, Johnson shared his belief in Mayfield’s ability to lead the Bucs to another Super Bowl victory.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback history has included some ups and downs. From the early careers of Steve Young and Doug Williams to running with veterans such as Jeff Garcia and Tom Brady, they have experienced it all.

One former quarterback, Brad Johnson, praised the team’s current starter, Baker Mayfield. During an interview with WDAE in Tampa Bay, Johnson shared his belief in Mayfield’s ability to lead the Bucs to another Super Bowl victory.

“(Mayfield) has got all the skill set. He was the first pick of the draft. He’s been through adversity. He’s had to live it; he’s had to bounce from a couple of different teams and now he’s found his home. You know what I mean? He produces and he gets the most out of the players around him. . .”

Mayfield has been the topic of conversation for several former Bucs quarterbacks. First, it was Tom Brady during his return broadcast to Raymond James Stadium, and now Johnson.

Mike Edwards is ready to make some plays for the Bucs defense

The team may be getting a boost in that category, though, if defensive back Mike Edwards has anything to say about it. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had some serious issues in the secondary during the 2024 season. They have surrendered a lot of passing yards, given up big plays, and proven they have a hard time forcing turnovers.

The team may be getting a boost in that category, though, if defensive back Mike Edwards has anything to say about it.

Edwards has been around the ball since his Kentucky days when he had 10 interceptions. In the NFL, Edwards has eight of them, three of which resulted in touchdowns.

Speaking to Bucs media, Edwards said, “That was my thing and I carried my way all the way to the league. I feel like ever since my rookie year, I’ve been trying to find the ball and that kind of stuck with the name ‘the ball hawk.’ Try to find the ball and go get the ball – that’s my main thing. More than that, just try to bring whatever it may be to the defense, whether it be tackling, or blitzing. . .”

The Bucs secondary has added many new players over the Bye Week outside of Edwards. They also brought in Troy Hill, who has a tendency to find the ball and create turnovers.

All in all, the Bucs secondary has every chance to produce now as a unit.

Bucs slip in NFL power rankings following their Bye Week

Every week, a variety of outlets drop power rankings during the NFL season, and one had them actually dropping in the rankings. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were inactive during their Bye Week, but that didn’t mean they were safe from taking a loss off the field. Every week, a variety of outlets drop power rankings during the NFL season, and one had them actually dropping in the rankings.

USA Today ranked the Bucs 17th in their Week 10 rankings, but they dropped to 19th following Week 11. They argued, “They (Bucs) went into their bye with a four-game slide. They’ll emerge from it faced with the NFC’s easiest remaining schedule. . .”

The rest of the NFC South was ranked, with the Falcons coming in at 14, the Saints coming in at 24, and the Panthers rounding things out at 26.

The benefit of the NFC South being all over the place is that this division is still winnable for the Bucs. The two losses to the Falcons will hurt, but having the easy schedule mentioned above will help their chances.

If you’re in green, you’ll get Giants vs. Buccaneers on TV

NFL Week 12 television maps are out and if you’re in green, you’ll get the New York Giants vs. Buccaneers on your local CBS station.

The New York Giants (2-8) are preparing to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey for a Week 12 matchup.

The Giants are returning from their bye week and will be starting quarterback Tommy DeVito after benching Daniel Jones and leapfrogging Drew Lock, while the Bucs are also returning from a bye after having lost four straight.

Those in the green region of the TV map will get the game on the local CBS channel.

Getting the call for this game will be Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Tiki Barber (analyst), Jason McCourty (analyst), AJ Ross (sideline).

Information courtesy 506Sports.

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Gimme Him: One player Giants would steal from Buccaneers

The New York Giants are often exposed when Dexter Lawrence is off the field, so stealing this Buccaneers nose tackle would certainly help.

The New York Giants (2-8) will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday afternoon.

That, of course, provides those of us here at Giants Wire the opportunity to hypothetically steal from the Buccaneers’ roster in search of depth and/or talent upgrades for Big Blue for the second time this season.

In going over Tampa Bay’s roster, there doesn’t appear to be an abundance to choose from. Most of the Bucs’ top stars play positions the Giants aren’t in desperate need to improve.

Options include offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, quarterback Baker Mayfield, edge rusher Yaya Diaby, and cornerback Zyon McCollum.

McCollum was very nearly the choice but it’s hard to tell if his 2024 success is an anomaly or if he’s truly turned a corner and will be a viable long-term starter. The Giants certainly have a need at cornerback but he feels too risky.

Ultimately, we opted to go with nose tackle Vita Vea, who is still on the right side of 30 and would help the Giants in a variety of ways.

Although Vea is not an elite run defender, he is above-average in that department and provides a solid pass rush from the interior. And you might be thinking, “Why would the Giants need that when they have Dexter Lawrence?”

The answer is simple: They have nothing other than that and are routinely exposed when Lawrence is off the field.

Vea would not only serve as a sub option for Lawrence, but he could also line up alongside him and help strengthen the unit as a whole.

In nine games this season, Vea has recorded 31 tackles (20 solo, eight for a loss), one pass defensed, seven QB hits, and 5.0 sacks. And those 5.0 sacks are more than all Giants defensive tackles outside of Lawrence have combined (4.0).

What are your thoughts, Giants fans? Would you pick Vita Vea or would you steal an entirely different player from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

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Bucs activate veteran defensive back from practice squad for Week 12

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers activate a veteran defensive back to the squad on Tuesday ahead of their matchup with the Giants in Week 12.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers activate a veteran defensive back to the squad on Tuesday ahead of their matchup with the Giants in Week 12. The Bucs are activating veteran Troy Hill to bring some depth to the secondary.

Hill also brings a splash of playmaking as well.

Hill has appeared in 119 career games for the Cincinnati Bengals , Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns, and Carolina Panthers. In the process f hoping between all these teams, he ended up making 60 starts and totaling 406 tackles, 41 passes defensed, nine interceptions.

Three of those nine interceptions were returned for touchdowns which speaks to the magic he can make magic happen, which the Bucs need a dose of.

Hill’s best season came in 2020 when he posted career highs in tackles (77), passes defensed (10) and interceptions (three), while leading the NFL in defensive touchdowns, with three.

He will be playing alongside Antoine Winfield Jr., and the recently signed Mike Edwards in the safety position.

Updated Bucs playoff and division odds following Week 11

ESPN has released its updated playoff predictors, and the Bucs is starting to feel like the playoffs may soon be out of reach.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit on the season with a 4-6 record through 11 weeks of the season. The team is scoring like one of the best teams in the NFL, while their defense continues to let them down weekly. If the team wants to turn things around, it starts with the defense.

ESPN has released its updated playoff predictors, and the Bucs is starting to feel like the playoffs may soon be out of reach.

They did get a boost from teams losing while they healed up during their Bye Week. Their playoff chances rose to 32%, and their chances of winning the division jumped to 27%.

While those odds are increased, their chances of earning a Bye Week in the playoffs or making the Super Bowl remain long. Those odds sit at less than 1% and 2%, respectively.

Regardless of those final two numbers, there is plenty to be excited about if you are a Bucs fan with the odds looking better.

Giants open as 5-point home underdogs vs. Buccaneers in Week 12

The New York Giants are listed as 5-point home underdogs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12.

The New York Giants (2-8) have opened as 5-point underdogs for their game this Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6).

The over/under opened at 42 total points with the money line currently at Bucs -250, Giants +190, per BetMGM.

The Giants are coming off their bye week and are on a five-game losing streak. They are 0-5 at home this season and are 3-7 overall against the spread.

The Buccaneers are also coming off their bye and are on a four-game losing streak. They are 2-2 on the road this season and are 6-4 overall ATS.

The Buccaneers are averaging 27.9 points per game this season, fifth-highest in the league. The Giants are 32nd — dead last — in the league in scoring with an average of 15.6 PPG.

Seven of the Giants’ 10 games played this season have gone under the total. Seven of the 10 games played by Tampa Bay this season have gone over.

The Buccaneers are the only team to pin a loss on the 9-1 Detroit Lions this season. Their other wins have come over New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Washington.

The Giants’ two wins have come against Cleveland and Seattle, both on the road.

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