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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3 Bold predictions for Week 14 vs. Vikings

By Bob Blackwood

TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 23: Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates with Tom Brady #12 and Rob Gronkowski #87 after scoring a 9 yard touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter in the game at Raymond James Stadium on November 23, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 23: Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates with Tom Brady #12 and Rob Gronkowski #87 after scoring a 9 yard touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter in the game at Raymond James Stadium on November 23, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers return from their bye with an important home game against the Minnesota Vikings. The game is important for the playoff race.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off of their bye week and should be ready for the team’s next game with the visiting Minnesota Vikings. Although the bye week came late this season, I’m sure the team now appreciates the time for a little mental and physical break.

Going into their bye week, the Buccaneers had just lost two games in a row. They have been in a series of games against playoff-caliber teams and they did not do well with these tests and they lost four of their last five games. The Vikings are in the playoff race and are coming in hot with five wins in their last six games.

While Sunday’s game is not a must-win type of game, it is still a critical game for the Buccaneers. They are coming off a bye with plenty of time to prepare for the game. It is a game against yet another playoff team which means it is another chance for the team to prove itself. A loss to the Vikings will leave both teams with 7-6 records and Tampa Bay could realistically find themselves fighting for a final playoff spot.

A loss will also be the team’s fourth straight loss at home which is not very good. More importantly, a loss potentially means another poorly played game which is not what you want to be doing as you head for the playoffs.

The Buccaneers should be able to beat Minnesota on Sunday. On paper, they are the better team, but that has not always translated to wins for them this season. Minnesota wants to lean on the run game which is the perfect match for the Tampa Bay defense. The team will need to start better than they have in the second half of the season.

3. The Buccaneers defense will get an interception

The Buccaneers’ defense has been lit up in their last three home games against the Saints, Rams, and the Chiefs. This week will be different against Kirk Cousins and the Vikings in town. Although Cousins has been playing very well lately, the Buccaneers are getting the road version of Kirk Cousins and not the dome version.

Cousins has thrown five of his 12 interceptions this season in his five road games. He is been a much better quarterback when playing at home in the dome and this week will be no different. Cousins has only thrown six touchdowns on the road but has 20 at home.

Cousins is a much different quarterback on the road and against a quality defense. Unless the Buccaneers shoot themselves in the foot on Sunday, they should be able to neutralize Cousins. They are already strong against the run which will give Minnesota nothing offensively.

The Tampa Bay defense has been very good at getting pressure on quarterbacks with 34 sacks on the season. They should be able to take advantage of a less than stellar offensive line for a few more sacks on Sunday. This will force Cousins into bad throws and poor decisions.

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