Defense needs to show up.

The Rams like the big play. Or at least, they like successful plays. The Bucs like giving up big plays.

So that’s a really, really bad formula for Sunday night’s game in Tinseltown.

The Rams, who may be the hottest team in the league with the hottest quarterback in the league (Matt Stafford) with a coach who is known as Todd Bowles’ kryptonite (Sean McVay), are No. 2 in the NFL in successful plays.

What are successful plays? When a team gets at least 40 percent of the necessary yards to convert on first downs, 60 percent on second downs and 100 percent on third or fourth downs.

(Just for comparison sake, the Bucs are No. 23 in the NFL in this category.)

Now, compare that to how the Bucs’ defense is playing.

The last 10 touchdowns the Bucs’ defense has allowed (all after the bye, all in the past two games) have come from an average of 33 yards out.

Average!

Joe finds that simply appalling.

And that’s mostly with one of the league’s top corners, Jamel Dean on the field. Dean has been ruled out for Sunday night.

At bare minimum, the Bucs must cut down these explosive plays. There’s no way the Bucs can beat the Rams in their own crib if they are allowing five touchdowns a game from outside the red zone.

Hell, the Bucs might not survive coughing up five touchdowns from anywhere on the field, in or out of the red zone.

Shoot, Joe doesn’t think the Bucs can beat the Rams if the Bucs allow five touchdowns from anywhere on the field, in or out of the red zone.