Gameday Tampa Bay!
December 18th, 2016
Game 14
Bucs (8-5) at Cowboys (11-2)
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m.
TV: NBC (locally, WFLA-TV Channel 8).
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (WDAE-AM 620 and WFUS-FM 103.5 in Tampa-St.Petersburg region); SiriusXM Channel 119, Westwood One national feed Channel 88.
Weather: Did you happen to know it is cold everywhere but Florida? Even though the game will be played under the roof of Jerry’s World, a true NFL palace (Joe was there as a fan a couple of years ago and think of the Ice Palace in Tampa, only big enough for football. Joe was even drinking Crown and Coke Zero — in the fourth quarter! Thank you, Jerry!!! None 0f this neo-prohibitionist, no-alcohol-sales in the fourth quarter nonsense in Jerry’s World, no sir!) For tailgaters, Joe has one word: Bundle up. It will be in the mid-30s in the late north Texas afternoon, per AccuWeather.com, and it will only get colder. By the time the game ends, it is supposed to be 30.
Odds: Per FootballLocks.com, Cowboys -7.
Outlook A statement game. If the Bucs really are on a roll, if they are for real, Joe means really for real, this is the game to plant a Bucs flag right in the middle of that damned blue star at midfield at Jerry’s World. On national TV. In primetime. On NBC. With alluring Carrie Underwood singing your praises. With Al Michaels talking Super Bowl odds. With PFF chieftain Cris Collinsworth eating his words. This is sort of like the San Francisco game in 1997 when Warren Sapp went wild and the Bucs served noticed they are no longer the Yucs and they are not to be effed with. That’s what this Dallas games seems to Joe. Sure, the Cowboys are 11-2 but damned, they have looked vulnerable of late. Look, if the Bucs can lock up Russell Wilson and Drew Brees, a rookie shouldn’t be that impossible to contain. To Joe, the Cowboys are scary due to two factors: One is they can run the ball and the Bucs have shown they are somewhat soft on the run up the middle. Melvin Gordon gashed the Bucs early but the defense settled down in the second half at San Diego. However, it helped the Bucs were able to score points that game. They have not been able to generate much offense the past two home games. Joe is confident it is because teams are not concerned in any way with any receiver not named “Mike Evans,” and with Doug Martin struggling more than at any point in his career, defenses have realized they have the Bucs offense lassoed if they take out Evans. Unless Dirk Koetter is able to figure out a way to unleash the offense, Joe has a hunch the Cowboys are just going to gut the Bucs with the run up the middle time and again. These, in Joe’s eyes, are the two keys to the game: stopping the Dallas run game and on offense, the Bucs scoring points. If the Bucs cannot put up 24 points, it may be a long night. Again. And as a result, you likely won’t see the Bucs on NBC in primetime in a long, long time.
Trinkets: The Cowboys are dominant in the run game, second as a team in the NFL averaging 152 yards a game. … Bad news for everyone’s favorite Muscle Hamster, Bucs RB Doug Martin: Dallas is second in the NFL in rushing yards allowed at 83.1 yards a game. … The Cowboys have one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses allowing 267.8 yards a game, No. 28 overall. … Despite giving up so many passing yards, Dallas is fifth in points allowed (18.3 a game). … The Bucs are seventh in the NFL in turnover margin (+6). … Tampa Bay has 30 sacks already this season, good enough for No. 12 in the NFL. … Similarly, the Bucs are 12th in the NFL in sacks allowed (26). … Tampa Bay is No. 21 in rush defense getting gouged for 110.7 yards a game. … The Bucs are 1-10 in Dallas including two playoff losses. … Dallas WR Dez Bryant is currently tied with Michael Irvin for second-most touchdown catches (65) in Cowboys history. … RB Ezekiel Elliott is currently tied with Tony Dorsett and Herschel Walker for most rushing touchdowns by a Cowboys rookie (12). … LB Sean Lee needs one tackle to establish a career high. He currently has 156 tackles. … TE Jason Witten needs 111 yards receiving to break Irvin’s record for most receiving yards in Cowboys history. He currently has 11,794 yards. … Bucs QB Jameis Winston needs 791 yards passing in the next three games to set an NFL record for most yards by a quarterback in his first two seasons. He currently has 7,406 yards passing. … CB Brent Grimes tied for third in the NFL in passes defended at 20. … TE Cam Brate is tied with Hunter Henry, Kyle Rudolph and Delanie Walker with most touchdowns by a tight end this season (six). … WR Mike Evans has 10 touchdown catches, third in the NFL behind Jordy Nelson (12) and Antonio Brown (11).
December 18th, 2016 at 1:37 am
Joe must be as excited as I am if he is posting his Gameday article at 1am, a full 19.5 hours before gametime. Cant say I dont love it
December 18th, 2016 at 1:58 am
Tampa Bay 27 Cowboys 23
December 18th, 2016 at 1:59 am
Tampaaaaaaaa
December 18th, 2016 at 2:04 am
I just hope that tomorrow All the Bucs feel like Kevin Greene did. ” My Will will overcome your will”. That’s the way they have been playing so far.
December 18th, 2016 at 2:06 am
Oh………….and ME13 I would like to see Two TDs please and Thank you.
December 18th, 2016 at 2:06 am
BAAAAAAAAAAAY
December 18th, 2016 at 2:08 am
@Bucco…………”BAAAAAAAY!!!!”
December 18th, 2016 at 2:08 am
Lol………Jinx me a Budweiser Warthog
December 18th, 2016 at 2:10 am
Jeeeesh it is past bedtime. Peace out GOOOOOOOO BUUUUUCCCCCCSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 18th, 2016 at 4:14 am
HOW BOUT THEM BUCCANEERS!!!I can almost guarantee that if we win today in Dallas and our defense shows out people will be comparing us to the 2002 Buccaneers!are we there yet?no!can we get to that level by the the first week of playoffs?maybe!if we win today this could possibly be the beginning of a…do i dare say it….SUPER BOWL RUN!
December 18th, 2016 at 4:35 am
Go Bucs!!!
December 18th, 2016 at 5:01 am
Some great tidbits and observations in there Joe. Thanks. This statement by you I think says it all: “Unless Bucs coach Dirk Koetter is able to figure out a way to unleash the offense, Joe has a hunch the Cowboys are just going to gut the Bucs with the run up the middle time and again.”
Bucs key defensively will be our LBs in my opinion, especially Kwon. If they let Zeke Elliott average his standard 5 yds a pop running then we’ve got big problems (he’s even better at play action out of the backfield however … 80% success averaging over 10 yds/catch). Problem I think is that if our safeties cheat up to help out there, Dez Bryant will burn us deep. Of course, Witten, Beasley or Williams have done a great job all year of burning teams in the short or intermediate pass game. Cowboys have lots of weapons and no question that this’ll be the Bucs biggest test of the year.
Offensively you hit it dead on … Dirk Koetter has to find a way to unleash this offense or Bucs are in deep trouble. And to me that means controlling the time-of-possession in addition to scoring points. Personally think that this is one game where Bucs will have to use the pass (short especially) to set up the run. Cowboys run defense is too good to use the standard ‘run-run-pass’ approach that we’ve been seeing too much I think. We’ve got to keep 3rd down manageable (and penalties down) to keep drives alive. Sims, Brate & Humphries should play big roles. In short: put the game in Jameis’ hands. If they do AND if the Bucs defense stands tall, Bucs win 24-17.
December 18th, 2016 at 6:44 am
Def has to create turnovers and offensive needs brate, hump , shep to have good day to open up Evans , if we can do that with a run game about 85-100 yds we got the game
December 18th, 2016 at 7:41 am
3 key players are out for the Cowboys…CB Morris Claiborne, DE Demarcus Lawrence, OT Chaz Green. Plus Dez will be playing with a back injury.
They will come out running Zeke. Load the box and blitz with a little bit of disguised contain 75% of the game. And keep and eye on Witten.
They’ll be doubling Evans, so take advantage of that with Brate and some options over the middle to Sims. And manage the clock.
We’ll win by 14 or more if we do that.
December 18th, 2016 at 7:42 am
The Cowboys will be trying to circle the wagons and reel back in their rookie QB, We are going to see a heavy dose of the run game and very short passes!!! unless/untill the Bucs are up by two scores!!!!
I see Will Gholston, WG92 to be the key to the game and to have a very big game!!!!! Keep the coverage on the TE tight and short as we should not see a throw over 12 yards to witten!!!!
Go America!!!!!
Go BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go BUCS Showing America What A Big Mother F*&%’n Stick LOOKS LIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 18th, 2016 at 7:44 am
forgot about Hump…..def another weapon we’ll need to help us win.
December 18th, 2016 at 7:49 am
Go Bucs, for sure. But, I don’t think they’ll get it done tonight.
December 18th, 2016 at 8:09 am
We need offense and lots of it. Don’t put the game on the rookie kicker, get in the damn endzone! Spell Sims wide if needed, he can certainly cause matchup headaches for Dallas.
December 18th, 2016 at 8:15 am
Go Bucs! We can do this. Play hard – play fast – DO YOUR JOB and let the game come to you.
December 18th, 2016 at 8:30 am
Go Bucs.
Go Bucs.
Go Bucs.
Brrrrrrring it!
December 18th, 2016 at 8:42 am
Man if the running games could come together and the rest of the team continues it’s high level of play we may just may have something going here at exactly the right time!
Go Bucs! Beat Dallas!
December 18th, 2016 at 11:20 am
Christmas come early with a Bucs win. The Steelers would more aptly be named America’s team. The only team to play on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years day.
December 18th, 2016 at 11:49 am
Wow..I cannot contain my excitement today..now the hours will drag before kickoff..will stay busy till then..
Go Bucs!!!
December 18th, 2016 at 5:03 pm
No one is really helping us today. Giants won, Green Bay won, SF is getting killed by Atlanta. Only good thing so far is that the Vikings lost. If have to win tonight to keep control of our destiny.
December 18th, 2016 at 5:57 pm
Well the jags fired Gus. I hope we can still keep Mr. Mike around.
December 18th, 2016 at 8:33 pm
uh, oh…the Cowboys are gashing the D already