Tag: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

LB Myles Jack and CB Tre Herndon ruled questionable vs. Bucs, 2 others ruled out

The Jags may have to face the Bucs’ explosive passing attack down three players on the back seven.

The Jacksonville Jaguars could be without several members of their back seven Sunday against the Tampa Bay Bucs as multiple players from the group were on the final injury report. The most notable name on the list was starting MIKE LB Myles Jack (knee), who was ruled questionable alongside starting cornerback Tre Herndon (shoulder).

Both Jack and Herndon were limited Friday. However, Jack missed Wednesday and Thursday’s practice. If neither or just one player can go, the Jags could find themselves in a bad situation as the Bucs’ offense is ranked fourth in passing and third in points.

The Jags will also be without safety Ronnie Harrison Sunday after he sustained a concussion against the Tennessee Titans Week 12. He was in the process of bringing down Titans tight end MyCole Pruitt and incidentally collided with teammate Jarrod Wilson on the way down. As a result, he didn’t practice all week.

The last player listed on the injury report was tight end Seth DeValve (oblique), who has missed the Jags’ previous two games. Once again, he didn’t practice all week and fans will have to wait until next week for a possible return.

3 bold predictions for Bucs vs. Jags

DJ Chark could be up for another game with two touchdowns and 120-plus yards as the Bucs are struggling mightily against the pass.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking to start the month of December on the right track this Sunday against their in-state rivals in the Tampa Bay Bucs. Both teams will come into the game below .500, but most fans would agree they have the talent to make this game competitive and interesting.

Here are three bold predictions for Sunday’s game, which will take place at TIAA Bank Field:

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

WR DJ Chark Jr. will have his second 150-plus yard day with two touchdowns

The Jags will be up against the No. 31 ranked passing defense (289.9 YPG average) Sunday, which sets DJ Chark Jr. and the passing game up to eat. He’s been Nick Foles’ favorite receiver since his return from collarbone surgery and that likely won’t change this year.

Despite the success of Foles’ and Chark’s connection, the young receiver had his second-lowest receiving yards total of the year last week against the Tennessee Titans (38). Typically when he doesn’t get going and/or Leonard Fournette struggles, the Jags normally don’t have a good day on offense. That said, they need to get to Chark early and often.

There will be times where he and the Jags’ other receivers are lining up against rookie cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who is learning the game. He currently has a grade of 58.5 on Pro Football Focus while Chark is one of the highest-graded Jags on the roster with a 80.7. Those numbers alone should warrant a lot of targets for Chark.

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3 Jaguars to watch on defense vs. Bucs

The Jags defense will need to have a solid day Sunday against the Bucs passing attack, which could lead to Josh Allen getting more snaps.

The Jacksonville Jaguars went winless in November and will look to get away from that in December. First up on their schedule for the upcoming month are their in-state rivals in the Tampa Bay Bucs, who are coming off a solid win against the Atlanta Falcons.

Here are three Jaguars to watch on the defensive side of the ball, as the Jags try to cool down a hot Bucs offense:

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

CB Tre Herndon

The Jags’ passing defense will be very important in Sunday’s game. Bruce Arians has his group clicking through the air as they rank fourth in passing yards (288.1 YPG), fourth in total yards (386.4 YPG) and third in points scored (28.4 PPG).

A big part of their success is due to their dynamic duo at the receiver position in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, who have nine and seven touchdowns on the season, respectively. Both receivers will also roll into Sunday’s game with over 1,000 yards receiving and will be matched up against A.J. Bouye and Tre Herndon.

With Arians and former Jags quarterback turned coordinator Byron Leftwich making the game-plan, the Cards will test Herndon more than Bouye, and he must answer the call as he did against the New York Jets when he had two picks. However, if he doesn’t it could be a long day for the Jags on defense.

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Behind Enemy Lines: 4 questions with Saints Wire

To help us preview this holiday matchup, we went behind enemy lines with John Sigler, the managing editor of Saints Wire. Here are four questions ahead of tonight’s game.

The Atlanta Falcons haven’t given their fans much to be thankful for this season, but one bright spot was the team’s Week 10 upset over the Saints.

Three weeks later, Atlanta has a chance to complete a season sweep over New Orleans in front of its home crowd on Thanksgiving. To help us preview this holiday matchup, we went behind enemy lines with John Sigler, the managing editor of Saints Wire.

Here are four questions ahead of tonight’s game.

It’s hard to imagine the Saints being able to win without Drew Brees in years past. What’s the biggest difference between this year’s team and those of previous seasons?

SW: Complementary football is the name of the game for the Saints this year. The team is getting huge contributions out of the defense and special teams units, whether it’s the defense stopping the Panthers six times inside the 10-yard line to close out last week’s game, or if it’s Thomas Morstead and the punt coverage unit downing more than half his tries inside the opposing 20-yard line. The offense has been up and down all year, but the Saints have made up for it by playing well in the other two phases. That’s a luxury Drew Brees and company haven’t always enjoyed, and when all three groups are firing on all cylinders, they’re tough to stop.

What happened to you guys in that Week 10 loss? Was it simply a fluke against a division opponent, or a sign of bigger problems for the Saints over the second half of the season?

SW: They just executed poorly, especially on offense. Michael Thomas was the only weapon who could make a play. Their offensive line was bullied by the Falcons defensive front. The Saints defense had unusual breakdowns in run discipline, and the loss of Marshon Lattimore opened up Atlanta’s passing attack. Whether the Saints weren’t dialed in after the bye week or simply laid an egg against a common opponent can’t be said, but they’ve played with much stronger focus in the weeks since.

Where is the weak spot on this Saints team that the Falcons could potentially attack on Thursday?

SW: There should be opportunities for Atlanta to make big gains through passes to their running backs. While nobody is going to confuse Brian Hill or an injured Devonta Freeman for Christian McCaffrey, the Saints defense often appeared to forget to assign someone to cover him in last week’s game with Carolina. He was given too much open space to run into out of the backfield and punished the Saints with 9 receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown. If New Orleans hasn’t figured out their coverage assignments against running backs, Matt Ryan will be able to toss layups all night long. Also, keep an eye on the Saints offensive line — star left tackle Terron Armstead and left guard Andrus Peat are out.

Game prediction/score?

SW: I think the Falcons are going to have too many injuries at too many positions to keep up with the Saints. New Orleans has finally gotten tight end Jared Cook going as a compliment opposite Thomas, and they’ll find ways to put up points. I question whether the Falcons can match them blow-for-blow considering the injuries to Freeman, Julio Jones, and Austin Hooper. This feels like a game for Alvin Kamara to remind the NFL world what he’s capable of on a national stage. Give me Saints 30, Falcons 24.

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Michael Fabiano says to trust Jameis Winston in Week 13

Find out why fantasy football guru Michael Fabiano thinks you should start Jameis Winston against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston has put up some big numbers this year, which has been both good and bad. He’s already thrown for 3,391 yards and is on pace to throw 4,932, which would obliterate his previous season high of 4,090 (2016).

But, unfortunately, Winston has also been turning the ball over at an alarming rate, having already thrown for 20 interceptions in 11 games, becoming the first quarterback since **gulp** Jay Cutler to do that.

As you can imagine, Winston’s erratic play has frustrated fantasy football owners who have the Bucs QB on their roster. It’s hard to predict week-to-week which Winston will show up, but fantasy expert Michael Fabiano says to start him this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Here’s why:

“Winston continues to be difficult to trust, but he does rank fifth in passing yards per game and 10th in fantasy points among quarterbacks. This week he faces the Jaguars, who just allowed nearly 40 fantasy points to Ryan Tannehill a week ago. While there’s always risk of an implosion, I still like Winston in this game.”

Even though it’s a road game for the Bucs, it’s a short trip between Tampa and Jacksonville. Winston threw two early interceptions last week, but managed to get back on track and lead his team to a 35-22 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

We’ve all been waiting for the Bucs to string together back-to-back wins this season. Week 13 could be it.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars sports betting odds and lines, with NFL Week 13 betting picks and best bets

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7) make the short trip upstate to battle the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7) at TIAA Bank Field Sunday. The Week 13 cross-conference tilt will kick off at 1 p.m. ET. We analyze the Buccaneers-Jaguars odds and sports betting lines, while providing sports betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Buccaneers at Jaguars: Week 13 preview, betting trends and notes

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  • Despite their geographical proximity, the two sides haven’t met since Oct. 2015, with the Buccaneers claiming a 38-31 victory. The Jags have won four of the six all-time, head-to-head matchups.
  • The Jaguars have allowed a league-high 24.3 points per game in the second half since Week 9. They’ve also allowed a league-high 7.3 yards per carry to opposing running backs since Week 9.
  • Jacksonville has attempted a two-point conversion on a league-high 30% of PATs this season.
  • The Jags are 1-16 when allowing 100 or more rushing yards since the start of last season. The Buccaneers average 98.3 yards per game on the ground.
  • Tampa Bay has the NFL’s second-best rush defense with an average of 78.7 yards allowed per game. It’s second-worst in the NFL with 30.5 points per game allowed.
  • The Jaguars are 7-0 when not committing a turnover since the beginning of 2017. The Bucs rank seventh with 17 takeaways on the year.
  • Tampa Bay is minus-10 in turnover differential. Jacksonville is neutral.

Buccaneers at Jaguars: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 1:50 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Jaguars 25, Buccaneers 21

Moneyline (?)

The JAGUARS (-106) have lost three straight games, but they’re 2-3 at home this season. The Buccaneers (-115) are slight road favorites with a 3-3 record as the visitors. The Bucs beat the rival Atlanta Falcons 35-22 on the road last week, while the Jags lost 42-20 at the rival Tennessee Titans.

Jacksonville will win the turnover battle, as most teams do against the Bucs, and come away with the home win.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Jags to win outright returns a profit of $9.43.

Against the Spread (?)

The more profitable play is siding with the JAGUARS (-1.5, +105) to cover the meager spread and win by two or more points. Jacksonville is 5-6 against the spread, but fails to cover by an average of four points per game. Tampa Bay is just 3-8 ATS, but has a neutral differential against the projections – helped largely by last week’s blowout win as an underdog.

Over/Under (?)

Take the UNDER 48.5 (-115). The Bucs are a league-best 9-2 against the Over/Under, and they top the projected total by an average of 9.8 points per game. The Jags are 6-5 against the projections and top the number by only 0.8 points per game. This is the highest point projection for the Jags since Week 1 and they haven’t scored more than 20 points as a team in three straight games.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Esten’s NFL betting record: 29-34

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Bucs WR Chris Godwin proudly sports that Snickers bling

Check out Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin sporting an iced-out Snickers chain because, why not?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin had a huge performance last week in the team’s 35-22 win over the Atlanta Falcons, catching seven passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns.

Godwin’s big day not only gave him the first 1,000-yard season of his young career, but it also earned him the coveted Snickers chain.

For those wondering what that is, it’s an “iced-out chain created by famed jeweler Ben Baller.” Each week, the chain goes to a player “who has not only shown hunger for more with a huge game or play on the field, but who is also driven to do more off the field.”

Check out Godwin sporting the iced-out chain below.

This is cool and all, but I wish we could’ve seen former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch sporting an iced-out Skittles chain during his career, his favorite candy.

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via GIPHY

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Bucs-Jaguars Injury Report (Nov. 27): Beau Allen, Jamel Dean limited

Check out the injury report for both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of their Week 13 showdown.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the league’s toughest schedule the first half of the season, playing five-straight games away from the friendly confines of Raymond James Stadium.

During that stretch, the Bucs traveled for games in Los Angeles, New Orleans, London, Tennessee and Seattle, respectively, going just 1-4.

Fortunately, their road game in Week 13 will keep them in-state as they travel to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who, like the Bucs, sit at 4-7.

Here is the injury report for both teams from November 27.

Buccaneers

DL Beau Allen (neck) – Limited Participation

CB Jamel Dean (shoulder) – Limited Participation

T Demar Dotson (not injury related) – Did Not Participate

DL William Gholston (ankle) – Limited Participation

WR Scotty Miller (hamstring) – Limited Participation

CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (knee) – Limited Participation

OLB Anthony Nelson (hamstring) – Did Not Participate

OLB Jason Pierre-Paul (knee) – Did Not Participate

CB M.J. Stewart (knee) – Did Not Participate

Jaguars

DE Josh Allen (knee) – Limited Participation

DL Calais Campbell (back) – Limited Participation

WR Chris Conley (hamstring) – Limited Participation

TE Seth DeValve (oblique) – Did Not Participate

S Ronnie Harrison (concussion) – Did Not Participate

LB Myles Jack (knee) – Did Not Participate

OL Brandon Linder (illness) – Did Not Participate

DE Dawuane Smoot (knee) – Limited Participation

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OC Byron Leftwich said Vita Vea’s TD play was a ‘reward’

See why Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich called Vita Vea’s touchdown play against the Atlanta Falcons a ‘reward.’

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be just 4-7, but they are perhaps one of the more entertaining teams to watch in the NFL.

Sure, they may not have a Lamar Jackson-esque speedster at quarterback, or a running back that rolls through defenders like the Juggernaut, but they can put up points with the best of them and have plenty of stars on offense to make each snap an exciting one to watch.

And, of course, one of the biggest offensive stars on the roster is big man Vita Vea!

The nose tackle and former high school running back had his first career touchdown reception in the Bucs’ Week 12 win over the Atlanta Falcons. But, it wasn’t the first time he’s lined up on offense this season, and it turns out, his offensive performance against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10 earned him the chance to catch that touchdown against Atlanta.

Take a look.

Vea became the heaviest player in NFL history to score an offensive touchdown, and here’s hoping it won’t be his last.

For those wondering what it would look like to see Vea run through an NFL O-line, here’s a sneak peek.

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Niners LB Kwon Alexander is a big fan of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin

See what former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander had to say about his former teammates.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers easily have the best receiving duo in the league in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

In last week’s win over the Atlanta Falcons, both receivers surpassed the 1,000-yard mark on the season. Evans (1,043 yards) now has six-straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career, tied with Hall of Famer Randy Moss for the most in NFL history.

For Godwin (1,071 yards), the third-year star out of Penn State, it was his first time eclipsing the mark. But, given how well he’s played this season and his age (23), it probably won’t be his last.

The duo has given Bucs fans something to cheer about this season, and it seems as though one former Buccaneers player is among those fans.

See what San Francisco 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander had to say on this Instagram post from Evans a few days ago.

View this post on Instagram

M1K3 x RodGod #1k #Gs

A post shared by Mike Evans (@mikeevans) on

Alexander was drafted by Tampa Bay in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of LSU, but signed with the San Francisco 49ers this past offseason. Alexander tore his pectoral muscle in the Niners’ Week 9 win over the Arizona Cardinals and has been ruled out for the rest of the year.

Which means he has plenty of time to catch some Bucs games!

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