1. RB Doug Martin
Thursday could very well be the day that Doug Martin takes the NFL rushing lead. He enters Week 15 trailing Minnesota's Adrian Peterson by 37 yards and Peterson won't take the field until Sunday. Martin averages 93 yards per game and has finished with less than 37 yards in just one game this season.
2. WR Mike Evans
It is unclear whether or not Vincent Jackson will be available for Thursday's game after he suffered a knee injury in Week 14 against the Saints. Should Jackson be unable to go, that would put the bulk of St. Louis' focus on Evans, who is on the cusp of his second-consecutive 1,000-yard season. Evans said that the Rams double-teamed Calvin Johnson in their Week 14 matchup against Detroit and expects similar attention on Thursday.
**
- LB Bruce Carter**
Carter filled in nicely for Kwon Alexander when he made his first start of the season against New Orleans. He finished second on the team in tackles with eight and added two tackles for losses, a sack and a quarterback hit. He was dinged up in the game, though, and is listed on the Bucs' injury report with an ankle injury. Keep an eye on Carter's status as the game approaches. The Bucs were relatively thin at linebacker to begin with.
4. DL Da'Quan Bowers
With several injuries across the defensive line, Bowers was signed by the Buccaneers on Tuesday morning. He was selected by the Bucs in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft and played four seasons in Tampa Bay before being released prior to the start of this season. He has experience playing tackle and end and could very well find himself getting game action in his first contest back.
5. TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Should the situation play out where Jackson is sidelined and Evans is drawing double teams, another Buccaneer pass-catcher will need to step up and take advantage of single coverage. Seferian-Jenkins missed nine weeks this season and returned two games ago. He's still not there, Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter said, but is progressing each and every week. The stars could align for him to have a big game.
Behind-the-scenes photos of the Buccaneers vs. Saints game at Raymond James Stadium on December 13th.
