Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3 Bold predictions for Week 5 vs. Bears
3. Ronald Jones will rush for over 100 yards
Ronald Jones had his first 100-yard game of the season on Sunday when he ran for 111 yards against the Chargers. Jones did not do all of the work by himself, but he also looked very decisive in his cuts but also patient while setting up blocks.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
The offensive line was dominant at times on Sunday and the team will be looking for more of the same on Thursday. The Bears defense is currently giving up 115 yards per game and you can expect the Buccaneers to try to exploit this area of opportunity.
While the team leans on the offensive line, Jones may not have much competition in the backfield. If there had been a practice on Monday, Leonard Fournette would have been a DNP after missing the last game with an ankle injury. With the short week, he may be a game-time decision at best. LeSean McCoy also left the last game with an ankle injury and it is conceivable neither will play or will be playing limited snaps at best.
Combine the backfield injuries with injuries to passing game weapons such as Mike Evans, Scotty Miller, and Justin Watson and you can see how the Buccaneers could go for a more run-first approach.
The team already knows Chris Godwin is unlikely to play and they lost tight end O.J. Howard to a ruptured Achilles. Look for the team to count on the offensive line which currently does not have anyone on the injury report and look for Jones to be the beneficiary of the strong play.