**
1) Defense sets the tone, this time at home* In each of the last two games, the Bucs D has come out and gotten not only stops, but takeaways as well, and established the early lead. Last week, it was Gerald McCoy¹s sack/fumble at midfield that eventually led to the Mike Evans TD catch and a 7-0 lead. The D also stuffed Chicago on other occasions in the first half holding them to just four first downs and zero sustained offense. Now, it¹s time to do something similar in front of the home crowd. Get them involved from the beginning, get some momentum and make life miserable for the Bengals.2) Establish the ground game Since the Browns game, Tampa Bay has been unable to get anything going on the ground with any consistency. While there has been an occasional carry by Doug Martin, Bobby Rainey or rookie Charles Sims that shows promise, there has not been nearly enough effective running. The Bengals have a good front seven and the Bucs want to utilize play action as the game goes on. That can only happen effectively, if you keep the defense honest by running solidly. Let¹s see if it changes this week.*
If the Bucs want to get pressure on Bengals QB Andy Dalton, who has absorbed just 13 sacks all season, it may need to come up the middle with DT Gerald McCoy against C Russell Bodine
WR Mike Evans vs. CB Terence NewmanThe Bengals have allowed the seventh-fewest receptions of 20 yards this season, and Newman is holding receivers to just 8.7 yards per catch, fifth fewest in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Evans has 24 grabs for 505 yards in November, an average of 21 yards per catch, with seven receptions of 25 or more yards. Something's got to give in this matchup.
Bucs' Special Teams vs. KR/PR Adam JonesPro Football Focus ranks Jones as the third-best returner in both the punt and kickoff categories. His 31.7 yards per KO return lead all KRs with 15 take-backs. He is also a fearless PR, with 95 straight punt returns without a fair catch dating back to 2006. The Bucs have been solid in coverage this year, ranking 12th and 14th in punt and KO yards per return, but must be at the top of their game to limit Jones.
LB Mason Foster vs. RB Jeremy HillIn relief of starting RB Giovani Bernard, Hill rushed for 120 ypg. and two scores in Weeks 9-11. Bernard is back in the lineup and the two split carries last weekend, but Hill still leads the team with 4.9 yards per rush. With Lavonte David missing last week, Foster led the team with eight tackles and will need to continue roaming the field to keep the Bengals RBs from breaking one loose.
CBs Johnthan Banks & Alterraun Verner vs. WRs A.J. Green & Mohamed SanuThe Bucs secondary has risen to the occasion over the past two weeks, allowing an average of just 139.5 net passing yards per game against Washington and Chicago. A week after holding Bears WRs Marshall & Jeffery to just 62 yards, Banks & Verner go up against two more dynamic WRs who have nine combined TDs and average 15 yards per catch.
QB Josh McCown vs. DE Carlos DunlapDunlap leads his team with 5.5 sacks this season and will try to pressure McCown in order to make him uncomfortable and force turnovers. In the Bucs' win vs. Washington, the offensive line allowed just eight pressures and McCown ended the day with two TDs, no INTs and a 137.5 passer rating. If the offense can limit pressure, McCown could have another big day.
DT Gerald McCoy vs. C Russell BodineThe Cincinnati O-Line has allowed just 13 sacks, second- fewest in the NFL, while Gerald McCoy is looking for a sack in his third-straight game. Seven of the sacks vs. the Bengals have come from defensive tackles, showing that McCoy (ranked second among DTs with 7.5 sacks) can apply pressure up the middle to add to his total.
3) Keep Bengal Big Play Threats quiet**
While A.J. Green gets plenty of attention, Cincy has two other threats that don¹t get a lot of notoriety. Mohamed Sanu and Giovani Bernard are explosive as well. It will be incumbent for players like Johnthan Banks and Alterraun Verner to keep Green or Sanu from beating them deep. But Bernard can also do damage, if he has space. Tampa Bay is hoping for Lavonte David to return from injury and he and the linebackers in particular will have the challenge of keeping up with him.
