New York Jets: Bucs game looks very winnable now
The New York Jets head to Tampa Bay this Sunday to take on the Buccaneers in what has become a very winnable game for Gang Green.
One of the highlights of the NFL off-season occurs when the weekly schedule comes out in the Spring. Every fan looks forward to viewing it. When the New York Jets schedule arrived, a Week 10 contest at Tampa Bay looked very daunting. Not anymore.
The Buccaneers are reeling. Their pirate ship has taken on water and is sinking rapidly. They are one of the most disappointing teams in the league in 2017. The Jets (4-5), on the other hand, are coming off a rousing 34-21 triumph over Buffalo in Week Nine. It was their finest performance of the season. Now they take on an opponent in total disarray.
Tampa Bay was a popular pick to win the NFC South this season. Instead, the Bucs are mired in last place with a 2-6 record and will be without quarterback Jameis Winston (shoulder) this Sunday. Not only that, but wide receiver Mike Evans, one of the premier players in the NFL, has been suspended for Sunday’s contest for violating unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct rules in their 30-10 setback to New Orleans in Week 9. Evans, who has 40 receptions for 532 yards and four touchdowns, will be sorely missed by the Bucs.
One fascinating storyline in this game is that former Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will now start under center for the Bucs. The Harvard beard has thrown for 358 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions in relief of Winston this season. He knows the Jets really well and vice versa. Fitzpatrick does not possess a strong arm but he is accurate (62.5 percent completion percentage this season) and he does have mobility to escape once the pocket collapses.
Gang Green needs to do dial up the pressure on Fitzpatrick, collapse the pocket but also protect against the long scramble. New York is coming off a seven-sack effort against the Bills so they should be able to provide a lot of heat against Tampa Bay’s mediocre offensive line.
It’s not going to be easy winning at Raymond James Stadium. It’s never easy winning on the road. The Bucs are a desperate team. They will be without Evans but they have dangerous weapons in Desean Jackson, Doug Martin and tight end Cameron Brate. The Harvard product has four touchdowns on the season and is a dangerous threat in the red zone. Jamal Adams will need some assistance covering Brate down the seam from fellow safety Marcus Maye.
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The Jets need to use the same formula that was so effective against Buffalo: run the ball down Tampa Bay’s throats with Bilal Powell and Matt Forte and use play-action from McCown (193-of-274, 1980 yards, 13 TDs, 7 INTs) to fire the ball down the field to Robby Anderson, Austin Seferian-Jenkins and company. Fitzpatrick can be prone to the turnover so New York, which forced three turnovers against the Bills, need to win the turnover tussle.
This is a very winnable game for the Jets. They are catching a wounded Tampa Bay contingent at the right time. Jets fans should be very disappointed if their squad is not .500 by Sunday evening.