3 key matchups to determine Buccaneers-Seahawks

The Buccaneers’ cast of cornerbacks appears to be significantly improved from last season.

Early returns on rookies Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison are extremely positive, and the same could be said for the veterans such as Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum. Unfortunately, Dean and Morrison are both expected to be ruled out for this game due to injury.  As a result, Parrish and McCollum will be tasked with playing an even more significant role when it comes to slowing down the Seahawks’ passing attack, and you can expect Zyon to be matched up with Smith-Njigba more often than he isn't.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has absolutely exploded onto the scene in his third season. Without D.K. Metcalf or Tyler Lockett hogging targets, Smith-Njigba has proven to be one of the more versatile receiving threats in the game.

Smith-Njigba is averaging over 100 yards receiving per game to go along with nearly 7 receptions per contest and an absurd 15.5 yards per reception. He is an extremely crafty route-runner with elite footwork and excellent hands, which have allowed him to excel both in the intermediate levels of the defense as well as vertically downfield. 

If McCollum can slow down Smith-Njigba, it will be a massive win for a depleted Buccaneers’ secondary who will have their hands full playing without a number of key players in this game. 

Bucs IOL vs. Seahawks IDL

Both Graham Barton and Ben Bredeson have had their hands full so far in 2025. After spending the first two weeks of the season playing out of position, the two starting interior offensive linemen finally got to move back to their regular spots vs. the Eagles in Week 3, and unfortunately, they both struggled — especially on the final drive of the game.

In order for the shorthanded Bucs to have any success on offense without key pieces along the OL like Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke, they’re going to need more from their two regular starters in the middle. 

The Seahawks boast an impressive defense under defensive-minded head coach Mike Macdonald. One of the strengths of Macdonald’s defense is its interior defensive line, which is spearheaded by veteran DT Leonard Williams and second-year DT, Byron Murphy II. Murphy has already surpassed his sack total from his rookie year with 2.5 through just 4 games. He is extremely athletic, has heavy hands, and will be a problem for many years to come.

Williams is in year 10 of his impressive NFL career, but he’s still performing at an extremely high level, coming off an 11-sack season in 2024. Both players not only provide a disruptive pass rush, but they are also rock solid defending the run. 

In order for the Buccaneers’ offense to find success in this game, they will need Barton, Bredeson and backup RG Luke Haggard to play extremely well despite the challenging matchup they’ll be faced with on Sunday. 

Emeka Egbuka vs. Devon Witherspoon

Emeka Egbuka has had a magical start to his NFL career. Through his first 4 games, the rookie WR has already amassed 18 receptions for 282 yards and 4 TDs, helping him secure the NFL’s first Offensive Rookie of the Month Award of 2025.

Despite Egbuka’s excellent play to start his career, he isn’t a traditional X receiver. But without Mike Evans — like we saw last week vs. Philadelphia — Egbuka was thrust into that role and asked to create.

Egbuka doesn’t really have the size or explosive athleticism to thrive in that type of role, but he still found a way to make a big play for his team with a 70+ yard TD reception in the second half. If not for that big play, Egbuka’s numbers would have been much more modest on the day, as the rookie WR struggled to get off the physical press-man approach Quinyon Mitchell threw at him. 

Devon Witherspoon is a similar type of player to Mitchell in the sense that he is a highly aggressive player who likes to pester wide receivers with his strength and physicality, throwing them off their route at the line of scrimmage or disrupting their focus at the catch point downfield.

Egbuka will need to be very calculated and crafty when it comes to getting off the physical style of play he is going to face from Witherspoon on Sunday. If he can’t? The Buccaneers’ depleted offense could be in for a tough day against a group that looks like one of the league’s best all-around defenses.