Skeleton Keys To Victory: Week Five – Buccaneers vs Seahawks

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off their first loss of the season last Sunday. This was the first game of a very difficult month-long stretch, especially considering all the injuries that this team is dealing with. Now they must look to bounce back on the road vs the Seattle Seahawks.

The birds in blue are also entering this game with a 3-1 record just like the Bucs. Both are looking to establish themselves as one of the best teams in the NFC, but only one will walk out victorious. If the Bucs want that to be them then they will have to follow my skeleton keys to victory.

No Splashing

The Seahawks have a pretty good offense. However, this is a team that can be very streaky. They hang their hat on making big plays which can cause an offense to be a little boom or bust.

Only three teams in the NFL have more passing plays of 20+ yards. The same is true with their running game with only three teams having more runs of 20+ yards. Limiting these splash plays will be the number one factor for the Bucs in this game.

On paper, this isn’t an overly talented offense. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and a 32 year old Cooper Kupp highlight their wide receiver group. And while running back Kenneth Walker has been known to make magic happen, if the cut back lanes are clogged up then it limits his effectiveness. 

If the Bucs can stay in control, swarm to the ball carrier and eliminate yards after catch or contact then the defense should be in good shape.

Cook Your Seahawk On High Heat

Part of the Seahawks success in creating big plays is their ability to protect the quarterback. Sam Darnold has only been sacked six times this season which is one of the lowest marks in the NFL. He is getting the ball out quickly and when he doesn’t the blocking is holding up well. 

That can’t be the case for the Bucs in this game. Head coach Todd Bowles is a master of dialing up pressure and giving quarterbacks different looks. This is exactly the type of game where he has to be in his bag of tricks.

Whether it be pressuring the quarterback or attacking the running game, the Buccaneers should turn up the heat in this game. The Seahawks don’t have dynamic playmakers, so it might be worth a little extra risk vs reward.

Get Godwin Going

So far this year, the Seahawks have allowed the 6th fewest rushing yards and zero rushing touchdowns. Part of that is that they haven’t played many strong offenses, but part of that is their strong defensive line. If you want to attack this defense then it should probably be through the air.

Even with Mike Evans out for a second straight game, the Buccaneers have options in the passing game. Emeka Egbuka has been the most impressive rookie receiver in the NFL this year and Rachaad White is one of the better pass catching running backs in the NFL. However, the offense should plan to lean on one of their biggest stars in this game.

Godwin played in his first game of the year last week after returning from a major injury he sustained last season. It was great to see him on the field, but there was obviously some rust to be knocked off after missing almost a full year. We can only hope that he begins to get his legs under him in this game because the team will need as many weapons as possible against a good Seattle defense.