Sunday's matchup between the Buccaneers and Lions could very well hinge upon who wins the battle in the trenches. Both clubs are banged up with key fixtures on this week's injury report list. For Tampa Bay, starting right tackle Luke Goedeke appeared on the report on Wednesday with a concussion. He practiced in a limited fashion on Wednesday and downgraded to a non-participant on Thursday. If he is not able to clear concussion protocol, Justin Skule will replace Goedeke on the right side. For the Lions, starting left defensive end Marcus Davenport did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday with a groin injury. Davenport solidifies the line alongside Aidan Hutchinson and his status will be one to monitor. He drew high praise from various Bucs' coaches and players in the team's headquarters, including left tackle Tristan Wirfs.
"Marcus Davenport, I have played him a couple of times," noted Wirfs. "He is a big guy, like 280. He is a big power rusher and has a bunch of inside moves, mainly speed-to-power. Then Hutchinson, everybody knows him. He is the Energizer Bunny…I think if we get our hands on them, we will be alright and not [let them] get their feet going. Obviously, they line up in a lot of wide-nines to build momentum and come after you and try to collapse the pocket to let the interior guys feed off of it. They are great across the board, and we know it is going to be a tough battle coming into it, especially on the road, having to do a silent count. We are going to have to be on top of our stuff."
With lateral quickness, length and stellar arm extension, Davenport sets a firm edge. Hutchinson, the Lions' prized possession, is explosive and possesses the traits to excel in both odd and even fronts. He plays with active hands, a lethal inside move and an instinctual feel on counters. Entering hostile territory, the Bucs' offensive line will have to operate out of a silent count to combat the crowd noise inside Ford Field. Instead of the quarterback and center barking calls pre-snap, the unit has to operate on nonverbal communication due to the noise level.
The offense will have to be on the same page, or they will be put into disadvantageous positions. The silent count is a series of non-verbal cadences from player to player, typically in the form of calculated beats in each individual player's head to determine when the ball will be snapped. The Lions' defensive ends will try and pick up the cues to beat the offensive tackles off the ball for a shot at Baker Mayfield.
Physicality and explosiveness off the ball is a trademark of the Lions' defense and the athleticism of the Bucs' offensive line will come into play on Sunday. Tampa Bay's offense soared to new heights in Week One as Mayfield threw four touchdown passes en route to an impressive 146.4 quarterback rating and overall, Tampa Bay led the NFL in Week One in third-down conversion percentage. The unit scored on their first five possessions at Raymond James Stadium and the Bucs' offensive line will need a stout encore performance against the Lions. Wirfs will spearhead the unit with quickness out of his stance, upper-body strength and a timely punch.
