The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Broncos in Week Three at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 22. Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton will be making his first visit to Tampa with Denver. He has coached 15 games against the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay – the most by any opposing head coach in team history. Coming off an exhilarating 20-16 victory over the Lions on the road in Week Two, the Bucs will vie to improve to 3-0 on Sunday. Conversely, rookie quarterback Bo Nix and company will strive to right the ship after an 0-2 start to the 2024 slate. Here are five Bucs' players to keep an eye on following kickoff:
Zyon McCollum
Zyon McCollum cleared concussion protocol and had his best game as a Buccaneer in Week Two at Ford Field. The Sam Houston State product picked off Jared Goff on the Lions' first play from scrimmage, setting the tone in hostile territory. He was targeted five times and had four passes defensed, along with six tackles. McCollum added another near-interception to the mix in the third quarter on a deep-in by Amon-Ra St. Brown, but St. Brown dislodged it. Todd Bowles said that the mental aspect of the game has slowed down for McCollum and the results are evident. McCollum has refined his tackling technique, and the speedster made a mark against the run and in limiting YAC-yards in Motown. During the offseason, the Broncos signed former Lion Josh Reynolds, and he has emerged as a viable threat for Denver. In 2023, Reynolds averaged 15.2 yards per grab and is a long-strider deep threat. With elite ball skills, Reynolds climbs the ladder with ease.
Mike Evans
Future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans is up to the same tricks in 2024. He is the only receiver in NFL history with 1,000-plus receiving yards in each of his first 10 seasons and after a double-touchdown performance in Week One over the Commanders, the jump-ball specialist with strive to continue the trend on Sunday. Evans uses his physicality to power through jams and is a cheat code at executing back-shoulder catches. He will go up against one of the best corners in the league in Week Three with Broncos' Patrick Surtain II lining up across the line of scrimmage. Surtain re-set the cornerback market and became the NFL's highest paid defensive back on September 4, passing Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jaire Alexander. He earned an All-Pro nod in 2022 and made the Pro Bowl the previous two seasons. Surtain has totaled 37 passes defensed since being drafted by the Broncos with the ninth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Surtain checks all the boxes in traits defensive coordinators covet: Elite ball skills, sticky press coverage and the capability of phasing routes at all three levels of the field. Surtain has a smooth backpedal and quick acceleration out of transitions.
Bucky Irving
Liam Coen emphasized "getting the run game back on track" against the Broncos and said the noise inside Ford Field affected the ground game against the Lions. He cited miscommunication up front with the Lions' varied run structures and a few that were missed. Rachaad White, the club's primary workhorse, suffered a groin injury in Detroit, and he practiced in a limited capacity on Wednesday. Bucky Irving, the change-of-pace runner, has outstanding contact balance and has the ability to make defenders miss with lateral cuts in mid-or outside zone. With a lethal spin move and downhill charge, he will look to invigorate the run attack in Week Three. Alex Singleton leads the Broncos in tackles through two games and diagnoses plays well. He has developed at finishing off plays and will look to add to his tackle mark against Tampa Bay.
Yaya Diaby
The Broncos will be without their starting right tackle, Mike McGlinchey, on Sunday, as he is expected to miss a month with a significant MCL sprain. Todd Bowles' defensive front will be licking their chops, specifically Yaya Diaby. Diaby took the NFL by storm in 2023, leading the Bucs in sacks with 7.5 and all rookies in tackles for loss with 12. Throughout the offseason, Diaby worked on harnessing his power and added new moves to his arsenal. Diaby has not registered a sack thus far in 2024, but he did accumulate three quarterback hits in Week Two, collapsing the pocket around Jared Goff. He got the signal-caller off his spot and disrupted the Lions' rhythm on offense. Diaby is effective at setting up blockers on twists/stunts and quickly separates at the point of attack with a lethal punch.
Cade Otton
Bucs' tight end Cade Otton played an unselfish role in Week Two. He was tasked with chipping Aidan Hutchinson and assisting in the trenches as a blocker. Even though his performance did now 'wow' on the stat sheet, he played a pivotal role in the offense's ability to sustain drives and created opportunities for teammates. With more teams likely allocating resources to Chris Godwin, the team's slot weapon who is off to a monstrous start, Otton could have a breakout game against Denver. Otton is adept underneath and can adjust to haul in grabs without breaking stride/disrupting tempo. He is effective at finding the soft spots in zone and boxing out defenders by opening his hips to secure the ball. In 2023, the Broncos defense was the second-worst in the league in covering tight ends, and the Bucs will certainly try to exploit safeties and linebackers in coverage by creating advantageous matchups with Otton.
