Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5 Bucs to Watch Against Indianapolis

Here are a few key players to watch as the Bucs head into Indianapolis in what may end up being one the best matchups of their season.

Nov 27, 2021 at 09:29 AM

1. QB Tom Brady

As a former long-time member of the AFC, Brady knows a thing or two about the Colts. And the Colts know a thing or two about him. Though the staff and players are completely changed over, and some coaches who faced off against Brady in years past are even on staff at the Bucs now, Brady still manages to play well every time he goes against Indianapolis. He has a 15-4 record against them and averages 252.1 yards per game. He's thrown for a total of 38 touchdowns against the Colts and averages a 98.0 quarterback rating across the 19 times he's played them in the regular and postseason.

Brady actually hasn't lost to the Colts since 2010, going a perfect 8-0 in that span, including the playoffs, which is his most wins without a loss against any opponent since that year. He also has an average passer rating of 105.2 since then. Aaaand that's enough jinxing him. Though the league's current leader in passing yards who has the second-most touchdowns of any player at 44 years old might be immune from jinxes, to be honest.

2. TE Rob Gronkowski

Speaking of long-time members of the AFC, tight end Rob Gronkowski has entered the chat. In seven career games against Indy, Gronk has 29 receptions for 450 yards and seven touchdowns. That gives him a 15.5 yards per reception average and judging from last week, Gronk looks as though he's back to full strength.

The Bucs will need Gronk, along with the rest of their offensive weapons to score some points against the Colts. Tampa Bay owns the highest-scoring offense in the league, averaging 30.9 points per game, but Indianapolis isn't far behind. They rank fifth in points scored, averaging 28.1 themselves. They also take care of the ball, giving the ball away just 10 times while on offense, which is among the best in the league. They also rank first in turnover margin at +15.

3. DT Ndamukong Suh

Suh has played three games against Indy and in them, he's recorded 2.0 sacks, eight quarterback hits, five tackles for loss and even two passes defensed. Against the league's fourth-best rushing attack and perhaps best running back, Tampa Bay is going to need to live up to their reputation as a run-stopping powerhouse. That starts in the middle with guys like Suh and nose tackle Vita Vea, who is questionable entering into Sunday's game.

The unit got the job done, especially between the tackles last game, allowing the Giants just 66 yards on the ground total. Running back Saquon Barkley, who made his return from injury against the Bucs on Monday night, had just 25 rushing yards, with which he led the team.

It also won't hurt if Suh is able to generate that pass rush he seems able to do against the Colts. Quarterback Carson Wentz has been able to take care of the football this season, with a touchdown to interception ratio of 18-3, which is good for the second-best in the league. It's a big reason why Indy has the aforementioned best turnover margin in the NFL. But Wentz's production has completely dropped off in the last two games. He has just one passing touchdown in that span and an 81.3 passer rating. He averaged just 143 yards in each of the last two games and gains just an average of 5.3 yards per pass attempt. That's a start contrast from the first nine weeks in which he averaged 244.2 passing yards per game with 17 touchdowns and 100.1 rating. If the defense can limit him like he's been limited the last couple games, that should go a long way in stifling the Colts' offense so that the Bucs' offense can do their thing.

4. WR Chris Godwin

The last time Chris Godwin played against the Colts in 2019, he very much helped the offense do its thing by grabbing seven receptions for 91 yards. This season, Godwin leads all Bucs receivers with 63 receptions and 782 receiving yards. Both those numbers are good for a top 10 ranking league-wide this season.

Against the Giants Monday night, Godwin was a workhorse, nabbing all six of the targets thrown his way for 65 yards and a touchdown. The Bucs actually had four receivers with six catches on the night and three receivers that got 65 yards or more on the night. Tampa Bay would do well to have a repeat performance of that on the road, where they haven't been as efficient this season.

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TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 25, 2021 - Offensive Tackle Donovan Smith #76 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers