The Buccaneers are 5-7 heading into Sunday’s Week 14 showdown with the Indianapolis Colts. But after going 3-1 over their past four games, Tampa Bay may be one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now.
Which is bad news for the 6-6 Colts, who are fighting to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. The Bucs have been competing on both sides of the ball lately, something you couldn’t say about them earlier in the year.
As the season draws to a close and teams look to solidify their postseason ranking, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com says Tampa Bay is the one team you don’t want to face in December. But, that may not sound as complimentary as you think.
Take a look.
“The Bucs look so good for stretches that it makes me angry they’ve lost seven games. The defense is peaking with Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett and Devin White playing dominant ball, while the offense is looking more balanced lately, with O.J. Howard and Breshad Perriman making an impact. In short: They are The Team You Don’t Want To Face In December for the umpteenth straight season of the Jameis Winston era. This is the time of year the Bucs quarterback convinces all of Tampa that next year will be The Year. The hobbling Colts, their flaws showing after overachieving all year, are catching the Bucs at the wrong time.”
Talk about a backhanded compliment. Still, Rosenthal predicts the Bucs will beat the Colts 31-24. And, he isn’t wrong about Winston. The quarterback always seems to string together a few strong performances to end the season, giving fans and the team hope for the future.
However, things will be a bit different this time around, as the Bucs are under no obligation to bring him back in 2020 since he’s playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. But, there are some who believe Winston will be back in 2020, if only for one more year.
[lawrence-related id=25833,25827,25819,25811]