Pewter Predictions For Week 14

BUCS vs. RAIDERS

WHEN: Sunday, December 8, 2024 | WHERE: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, FL) | KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. ET | TV: CBS

Recreation day is approaching, and it’s time for the Pewter Report workers to make its weekly recreation predictions and supply up our recreation preview of this week’s matchup. Tell us what you suppose within the article feedback part and add your prediction, too.

Scott Reynolds: Bucs Snap Three-Recreation Dropping Streak At House On Sunday

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and RB Rachaad White – Picture by: USA As we speak

If there was an under-reported and evident detractor for this yr’s 6-6 Bucs workforce it’s that Tampa Bay is simply 2-4 at house and 4-2 away from Raymond James Stadium. It needs to be famous that each workforce that has crushed the Bucs in Tampa – Denver, Baltimore and San Francisco – has a successful file or is a minimum of .500, as is the case with 6-6 Atlanta. The final workforce with a shedding file to return to Ray-Jay was the earlier 0-2 Broncos, however Denver is 8-3 since claiming its first win of the yr in Week 3 over the Bucs.

Now the 2-10 Raiders journey to Tampa Bay to play a recreation that needs to be the Bucs’ seventh win of the season.

This Raiders workforce just isn’t as unhealthy because the two-win Giants workforce that the Bucs destroyed, 30-7, in New York a number of weeks in the past. But inferior to the three-win Panthers squad that the Bucs beat in extra time, 26-23, final Sunday in Carolina. Las Vegas has performed the Tremendous Bowl champion Chiefs robust twice this yr, shedding 27-20 at house and 19-17 final week in Kansas Metropolis. The Raiders don’t have loads of expertise, however the expertise the workforce does have is elite at a number of positions corresponding to tight finish with rookie sensation Brock Bowers, and defensive finish with Professional Bowler Maxx Crosby.

These two may be game-wreckers if the Bucs don’t be careful. Tampa Bay has the higher roster on paper and must play as much as its potential. If that occurs this could possibly be – and needs to be – a blowout win for the Bucs. But when the workforce doesn’t play properly sufficient – and that’s been the case in three straight losses at house – and lets the strain of being on a playoff run get to it, Tampa Bay may get upset as a substitute. I’m betting that the momentum generated from two straight wins doesn’t enable that to occur.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 31, Raiders 23REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 8-4

Matt Matera: Bucs Take Care Of Enterprise To Transfer To 7-6

Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs – Picture by: USA As we speak

Hopefully, the Bucs have realized their lesson after an in depth extra time victory over the Panthers final week that they’ll’t simply anticipate to indicate up and win simply because they’re taking part in in opposition to a two-win Raiders workforce. Each recreation is a playoff recreation for Tampa Bay, or a minimum of that’s what each participant and coach is saying, so they need to act prefer it. All of them know what’s at stake. This can be a winnable recreation, and with the Falcons taking part in the Vikings, it could possibly be the Bucs in first place of the NFC South by day’s finish.

Outdoors of a spectacular 30-second drive to pressure extra time and a strong go of it to arrange the game-winning area objective, Baker Mayfield was horrible final week. I don’t anticipate that to occur once more. The Bucs’ offense has one goal, and that’s to cease Maxx Crosby. It’ll assist if Tristan Wirfs can play for the second recreation in a row. Tampa Bay doesn’t need to do something unique they usually can keep on with the identical recreation plan from the final two weeks. Simply run it, largely with Bucky Irving, and get the ball to Mike Evans. Do this and the offense will probably be wonderful.

The place I’m most involved for the Bucs is on protection. They’ve been horrible in go protection all season lengthy and even worse when defending tight ends. They are going to have a really robust problem going through Brock Bowers, and the query is how the Bucs wish to cowl him. Todd Bowles hasn’t pressed the best buttons but. The excellent news is that the Raiders don’t run it properly. The Bucs could make Las Vegas one-dimensional, and although Aidan O’Connell could have some moments due to the Bucs’ go protection, it gained’t be sufficient to take over the sport. The Raiders are turnover-heavy, too, so this is perhaps the week somebody on Tampa Bay information an interception. Regardless, the Bucs win.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 34, Raiders 27MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 7-5

Bailey Adams: Bucs Offense Leads The Means In Third Straight Win

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Picture by: USA As we speak

The Bucs simply barely acquired the job achieved in Carolina final Sunday, avoiding the upset to win a second straight recreation to get again to .500 at 6-6. Simply after the bye week, I wrote about how the three video games out of that bye can be essential for Tampa Bay. Now that the workforce has gotten far sufficient to get again to .500, it’s time to finish the job and get again above that mark at 7-6 earlier than subsequent week’s robust matchup in opposition to the Chargers in Los Angeles.

This can be a Raiders workforce that has misplaced eight straight video games, however they’re tough. They’re coming off a 19-17 loss to the Chiefs on Black Friday, and it’s a recreation they need to’ve gained. Tampa Bay can’t take this Vegas squad flippantly, even when it’s a 2-10 group that hasn’t gained since Sept. 29. Brock Bowers is harmful and has a positive matchup in opposition to Todd Bowles’ protection, and there’s a potential game-wrecker on the Raider protection within the type of Maxx Crosby.

However as necessary as it’s for the Bucs to not take this one flippantly, the fact is that it’s a recreation they need to be successful. Bowers, Crosby and Jakobi Meyers are good gamers caught on a foul workforce, however there’s not an entire lot of expertise all through the remainder of the roster. Aidan O’Connell is coming off the very best recreation of his younger profession, however the Buccaneer protection can’t enable him to beat them. Even when Vegas is scoring – and it certainly will in opposition to this protection – I nonetheless belief Baker Mayfield and the offense to cleared the path, put up a 30-point efficiency and get the workforce to 7-6.

As a bonus prediction, I just like the Vikings to present the Falcons their fourth straight loss, sending Tampa Bay into first place within the NFC South.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 30, Raiders 20ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 8-4

Josh Queipo: Bucs Seize Division Lead With Win

Raiders TE Brock Bowers – Picture by: USA As we speak

I’m doubling up on this prediction. Not solely will the Bucs win tomorrow, however the Falcons will lose to the Vikings sending Tampa Bay a recreation up on the Falcons. It will put Tampa Bay within the driver’s seat for the NFC South Division title and a house playoff recreation for the third yr in a row.

Whereas second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell and the Raiders offensive line have taken strides up to now couple of weeks, Las Vegas’ offense remains to be certainly one of NFL’s worst. Since week 10, Vegas is twenty third within the league with a -0.034 EPA/play and tied for nineteenth in success charge at 42.3%.

The Raiders’ run recreation is among the worst within the league and gained’t match up properly with the Bucs’ run protection. It will pressure O’Connell to need to be glorious by way of the air. And sure, rookie phenom Brock Bowers will most certainly mild up the Bucs’ porous middle-of-the-field protection. 50% of his catches this yr have are available in between the numbers. However a one-dimensional offense centered on him will solely have a ceiling that’s so excessive.

The actual separation will come when Tampa Bay’s spectacular offense faces off with the Raiders’ poor protection. And whereas defensive finish Maxx Crosby is among the prime edge rushers within the recreation proper now, he’s going through off with one of many Bucs’ best strengths of their offensive line. Vegas will probably be hard-pressed to maintain up with the Bucs’ inventive, numerous and balanced offensive assault. The Bucs offense ought to enable them to run away with this one. Pun supposed.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 26, Raiders 19QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 7-5

Adam Slivon: Bucs Win Battle Of The Pirates, Get First House Win Since September

Bucs RB Bucky Irving Picture by: USA As we speak

The Bucs have one other must-win recreation on the docket for Sunday as they put together to face a Raiders workforce that fights – however can be preventing for the No. 1 general choose within the 2025 NFL Draft. At 2-10, it’s a Las Vegas squad devoid of loads of prime expertise however has two of the sport’s finest at their respective positions in tight finish Brock Bowers and defensive finish Maxx Crosby. Bowers and Crosby are the most important threats to swing the end result of this recreation, and loads of consideration must be positioned on them from a gameplanning standpoint. Taking them out leaves the cabinet naked for head coach Antonio Pierce to work with.

Offensively, they rank twenty seventh within the league in scoring and fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy earlier this season. Tampa Bay faces Aidan O’Connell and a dead-last run recreation. That ought to be no downside for head coach Todd Bowles’ protection, proper? With the Raiders working on a -18 turnover deficit, this recreation is a primary alternative to capitalize and get the unit’s first interception since Week 6 in opposition to the Saints to assist put the sport away.

Baker Mayfield didn’t have his finest recreation in opposition to the Panthers final Sunday however acquired in a rhythm late. Dealing with the Twenty eighth-ranked scoring protection offers Mayfield a chance to have a bounceback recreation, one which needs to be reliant on feeding Mike Evans the ball and counting on Bucky Irving to do Bucky Irving issues. Apparently sufficient, Sunday’s recreation is the second anniversary of the “Mayfield Miracle” when he led the Rams on a game-winning 98-yard drive in opposition to the Raiders. It shouldn’t take that to win this time, as I predict the Bucs get an early lead and management issues the remainder of the best way because the extra gifted workforce on each side of the soccer.

SLIVON’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 31, Raiders 20SLIVON’S SEASON RECORD: 8-4

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