Alex Smith details how Buccaneers could upset Lions

Retired quarterback and current football analyst Alex Smith explained during a recent appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio how he went back and watched the Week 6 game between the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers that Detroit won 20-6. 

Smith believes footage from that contest shows the Buccaneers could upset the Lions at Detroit's Ford Field in this Sunday's divisional playoff showdown. 

"Multiple opportunities in that game where the Bucs missed big throws downfield," Smith said, as shared by the JoeBucsFan website. "I could show you a clip of six plays where there are guys wide open running down the field and the Bucs just missed them. They missed them. If they hit half of them, it’s a completely different football game."

Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 19-of-37 passes for 206 yards with no touchdowns and one interception versus Detroit back on Oct. 15. He directly said shortly after the defeat that he and the offense "sucked."

More recently, Mayfield connected on 22-of-36 pass attempts for 337 yards and three touchdowns in this past Monday's 32-9 wild-card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. His numbers would've been even better if not for roughly six first-half drops committed by multiple teammates, including star wide receiver Mike Evans. 

"I feel like this is a big Mike Evans game," Smith added about this Sunday's encounter in Detroit. "[The Lions] do not have a guy in the secondary who can cover Mike Evans one-on-one." 

As of Friday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Buccaneers as 6.5-point underdogs against the Lions. Meanwhile, Smith suggested that the film he watched indicates Mayfield's performance against Philadelphia was no fluke. 

"You saw the command," Smith said about the first pick from the 2018 NFL Draft. "He really diced them up." 

Assuming Smith's breakdowns are accurate, Detroit safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson may ultimately regret giving Mayfield and company some bulletin board material ahead of Sunday's showdown.