The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face off with the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Week 12. At 4-6 and just a game behind the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South race, the Bucs are in charge of their own destiny down the final stretch of the 2023 season. Tampa Bay has lost five out of its six previous games and will look for a bounce back against the Colts. Indy is coming off a bye week and built-up momentum from two wins against the Panthers and Patriots. At 5-5, the Colts are vying for a Wild Card berth and a continuation of the club's recent success. The Bucs believe they can return to peak form, and it begins with Sunday's critical battle on the road. Tampa Bay's defense ranks first in the league in goal-to-go touchdown efficiency at 44.4% allowed and in contrast, the Colts have scored touchdowns on 60.0% of their red zone drives. The matchup could very well hinge upon the red zone. Here are five Buccaneers to monitor on Sunday:
Chris Godwin
Kenny Moore II is one of the NFL's best slot corners. He possesses a ball-hawking prowess and is lethal on blitzes with an effective dip-and-rip maneuver. In the modern era of the NFL, slot corners have to be able to navigate multiple responsibilities: man-to-man coverage, zone, play down in the box against the run and blitz. Moore does all at an elite level, whether covering plays on an island, mirroring slot receivers or making anticipatory plays off the quarterback's eyes, Moore solidifies the Colts' secondary. He has an instinctive feel for keying and diagnosing the opponent's offensive scheme to quickly get downhill in the B or C-gap like a linebacker. He will likely see a heavy dose of Chris Godwin on Sunday. Godwin is currently one-of-three receivers with 50-or-more targets this season to have not recorded a drop in 2023. The Penn State product has a knack for getting open and is adept at making contested catches. He has elite body control to adjust to balls thrown his way and is lethal over the middle of the field, exploiting zones and taking advantage of a free release off the line.
Calijah Kancey
Calijah Kancey brings an added dimension of speed and explosion to the Bucs' defensive line with alarming first-step quickness. Despite missing nearly four games with a calf injury, Kancey has amassed 2.0 sacks, six tackles for loss and seven quarterback pressures this season. The forward-charging penetrator has been a nightmare for offenses to contend with. Kancey has created a dynamic tandem with Vita Vea in the interior and he will face Quenton Nelson on Sunday, a player who sets the standard at left guard in the NFL. Nelson is a mauler in the trenches, but he is also technically sound – a menacing paradox. He paves the way for the Colts' downhill rushing attack and RPO-game. Nelson has elite athleticism and intimidating power; however, it is Nelson's cerebral mind that differentiates him from the pack. Nelson comes out of his blocks with outstanding pad level and has the ability to forklift defenders out of their gaps to create rush lanes.
SirVocea Dennis
Linebacker Lavonte David has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Colts with a groin injury and the Bucs will need rookie SirVocea Dennis to step up. While at Pittsburgh, Dennis only had four missed tackles registered in 2022 and accumulated 36.0 tackles for loss over his last 35 games. Dennis possesses elite range, producing plays up-and-down the line of scrimmage for a high volume of tackles at the collegiate level. He is quick downhill and will receive a heavier workload on Sunday going up against one of the NFL's star-studded names: Jonathan Taylor. Taylor, the top rushing artist of 2021, has a versatile skillset. He has the dynamic combination of power to run between the tackles and speed to get north-south in a hurry. When Taylor gets to the second level, he is electric with the ball in his hands. He does not go down on initial contact and powers the Colts' offense. He started the Colts' 2023 season on the physically unable to perform list while he recovered from an offseason ankle surgery and the team has gradually ramped up his workload. The explosive runner tallied 3,639 yards from scrimmage and 32 total touchdowns in his first two seasons before ankle injuries limited him to 11 games in 2022.
Zyon McCollum
Michael Pittman Jr., a former first-round pick, has reached new heights in 2023. Pittman is averaging career bests in receptions (6.6) and receiving yards (67.7) per game. His utilizes his size and physicality to create in the underneath area of the field and Pittman showcases quickness in-and-out of breaks. He can haul in contested catches at all three levels of the field and is willing to do the dirty work on stalk blocks/chips to boost the run game. Zyon McCollum will have a larger role in Week 12 as Jamel Dean has been ruled out with an ankle/foot injury. McCollum is one of the quickest players on the Bucs' roster and the second-year corner is playing faster due to a greater understanding of the defensive scheme. He has the footwork to mirror-and-match receivers throughout the route from his backpedal. McCollum plays with patience and balance, both of which will come into play on Sunday.
Aaron Stinnie
Aaron Stinnie has started the Bucs' last four games at left guard in the absence of injured Matt Feiler and has earned the permanent role. Stinnie plays with good balance/base to mirror rushers in pass protection and has the foot quickness to bolster the run game, proving second-level blocking in space to generate seams downfield. He will face Colts' DeForest Buckner on Sunday. Since Week Nine, Buckner has led all defensive players with a pass rush win rate of 27.6%. His 11 total pressures rank ninth over that two-week span. Buckner is playing at an elite level and consistently collapses the opposing team's pocket. He dominates at the point of attack with violent hands and imposing power. With tantalizing traits, Buckner racked up eight sacks, while also accumulating 22 quarterback hits and a career-high 74 tackles in 2022. Buckner's go-to spin move is a lethal trademark and he plays with a relentless disposition. His arm length and play speed provide a leverage advantage when making tackles and Stinnie, along with the interior of the Bucs' offensive line, will have to keep Buckner at bay.
