The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are back on the field this week following their bye. At a 4-6 record they need a strong finish to the season to make the playoffs. That starts this week as they travel to the 2-8 New York Giants.
This is a game that the Bucs should win and win comfortably. No matter how you slice it or what metric you look at, it’s hard to say that the Bucs aren’t the far superior team. However, there is one thing the Giants have going for them that gives them an elite strength.
Keeping this group in check needs to be the first, second and third priority for the Buccaneers. If they can’t, then that is basically the only way that I see them losing to the Giants this weekend. X marks the spot! Here is my week twelve X-Factor matchup.
Buccaneers offensive line vs Giants defensive line
This is a good old fashioned strength on strength type of matchup. The Bucs have developed a young and talented offensive line group into one of the better units in the league. This week they will get a chance to measure up against one of the best defensive lines in the NFL.
The Giants defensive line is centered around All Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence. The sixth year big man out of Clemson has become not only one of the best run stuffers in the NFL at 340 lbs, but also one of the best interior pass rushers in the game. He has 21 sacks over the last three seasons including 9.0 this year.
When talking about the best defensive tackles in the game today, Lawrence is one of the first names to bring up. A dream matchup for a rookie center who is hoping to become that caliber of center in the NFL as well. That is the opportunity that Graham Barton has in front of him.
Barton is an elite athlete who is still learning the finer points of playing his position after playing left tackle in college. And while he has had his share of growing pains (some in critical moments of the game) overall he is much further along than I expected him to be at this point. So much so that I am not overly concerned about him being matched up against Lawrence.
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Of course, Barton will not be alone. Ben Bredeson has had a very solid season at left guard and Cody Mauch has taken the anticipated step forward in his second season at right guard. Both of these two will see time against Lawrence and, if not both of them, I trust Mauch in this spot as well. Ideally no one is having to deal with Lawrence one on one too often, but I believe these guys can hold their own.
On the outside, the Giants will feature pass rushers Azeez Ojulari and Brain Burns. Both are athletic and bendy edge rushers who can get around the corner and cause havoc. Each has logged 6.0 sacks this season and are looking to build on that.
We know that right tackle Luke Goedeke can hold his own as one of the better right tackles in the NFL. However, if there was a way to beat him then I would say it is with speed and bend on the edge. This will be a challenging matchup for him, but one I expect him to get the better of most of the time.
Big Buccaneers Question
The big question mark is Justin Skule who will be filling in for All Pro Tristian Wirfs at left tackle. You don’t ever want a back up matched up against a pro bowl caliber player, but that is exactly the case for the Bucs this weekend. Skule must limit the damage from these two edge rushers and protect Baker Mayfield’s blind side.
The trenches are usually where games are won and lost. However, this is essentially the only pathway for the Giants to win. They have one real strength to speak of and that is their defensive line.
If the Bucs can limit their impact, not even shut them down, then it should be a comfortable victory. They must overcome their own inexperience and their best player being out to do that. This will be the game within the game that I will be watching.
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