Buccaneers Week One Cannon Fire Hot Takes

The weekend is upon us and that means that Tampa Bay Buccaneers football is finally back. Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals can’t get here fast enough. To answer that age old question; yes, I am ready for some football.

This game is highly anticipated for many reasons. Not just because it is the first of the regular season, but because it’s an interesting battle between two teams with playoff aspirations. This game should be very competitive and highlight a lot of great matchups within the game.

Currently, the Bengals are favored to win. However, I wouldn’t say the Bucs winning this game is some kid of hot take. If you want those then keep reading because these are my Buccaneers week one cannon fire hot takes.

Calijah Kancey Gets 2+ Sacks

There has been a lot of talk about this battle in the trenches. The Rueben Bain vs Adarius Mims matchup should be really good and Vita Vea has gotten a lot of talk after signing his extension a few weeks ago. However, there is a name that hasn’t really been brought up nearly enough.

Kancey is still the Buccaneers best pass rusher until proven otherwise. He is so explosive and skilled that he lives in the backfield. Him returning healthy this season should make a world of difference to the pass rush.

On top of that, the Bengals interior offensive line isn’t great. No one is laying awake at night worrying about Ted Karras or Dalton Risner who are both aging and players who are pretty average at best. This is a battle that favors Kancey.

I expect him to take advantage of this opportunity. With so much attention being paid to the other guys around him, leaving Kancey one on one is a dangerous way to live. I believe he takes his first step in a pro bowl season with a pair of sacks on Sunday.

Teddy “Deadman” Hurst Touchdown

Seeing Mike Evans in a San Francisco 49ers uniform makes me sick. With that said, the Buccaneers are prepared to replace him. Perhaps not with one guy, but in the aggregate. 

Part of that solution is rookie Ted Hurst. At 6’3 he has an excellent catch radius and is able to adjust to the ball really well. By all accounts, he looks like he could be the same type of red zone weapon that Evans was.

The Bengals allowed the 4th most passing touchdowns in the NFL last season. I expect that to continue in this game. While the defense might key in on Chris Godwin or Emeka Egbuka, I think Hurst gets a favorable matchup and finds the end zone.

Chase Brown Held Under 30 Rush Yards

The Bucs invested a lot into their front seven this offseason. They bring in four new starters, including defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson and rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter who are both very impactful run defenders. On top of that, they bring back star nose tackle Vita Vea who is one of the best run defenders to ever play the game.

I think the Bengals (whose offensive line isn’t great) will struggle to block the Bucs up front. This will make it an uphill battle for running back Chase Brown. Finding any type of consistent success on the ground feels impossible.

Even if the Bengals can run the ball better than I expect, I don’t know that they will even want to. Keep in mind that the Cincinnati offense is built around their passing game. And if the Bucs put up points like I expect they will, then this could turn into an air raid track meet for Joe Burrow and company.