Bucs vs Cardinals: Game Preview – By James Ludeman

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Last week Tampa Bay suffered a tough loss to the New England Patriots. You could look at that game and see the loss as a negative, or something to build on for this upcoming week against Arizona.

Tampa Bay looks to avenge a 40-7 loss from last season. In that loss, Jameis Winston turned the ball over 4 times and Carson Palmer threw for over 300 yards.

This game has a couple of interesting story lines. For the Cardinals, it’s the arrival it Adrian Peterson, from the New Orleans Saints. Arizona is looking to establish a run game that has been nonexistent, averaging 51.8 yards per game, which is last in the NFL.

For Tampa, it’s the return of Patrick Murray. With Nick Folk being moved to IR, the Bucs needed a consistent kicker, and they feel they’ve found that with Murray. As of 2016, Murray is 21 for 26 with his longest kick being a 55 yard field goal. Will we continue to see missed opportunities?

Defensively, the Bucs’ injuries have been a big story. Lavonte David, Kwon Alexander, and TJ Ward have all returned to practice this week, and should be ready to return against Arizona. Tampa will need all hands on deck to hold down the Arizona offense of Palmer, Peterson, and future hall of fame receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

I believe Tampa has the ability to win this game. They showed a lot of heart and could’ve easily won last week against New England. They will have to limit the turnovers against a good defense. DeSean will need to have a big game, and Doug Martin I believe will be key in this game as he will see a lot more playing time.

Prediction. Bucs- 30
Arizona-27

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