Mission: Denver Broncos

The Bucs have faced three hard tasks this season, and have come out on top in two of them. This week, they will face another tough task in facing the Broncos, who are certainly looking for revenge. Its been 4 years since the Bucs have played the Broncos, and 12 years since they’ve played in Denver. The high altitude will affect the Bucs, much like the warm weather affected the Packers last week. Each team is 3-1, and the Broncos are looking to embarrass the next team that comes their way, following their embarrassing loss to Kansas City last week. That team in the way? The Bucs, who are riding a wave of confidence.

The Denver offense, despite scoring only 19 points last week, is still 2nd in the league in points per game, largely in part because they are 1st in total yards per game. The passing game is ranked 2nd in the entire league. Jay Cutler is finally starting to answer the questions about his skills, and is hooking up with surprise receivers Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. They don’t have much to brag about with their running game, ranked 14th in the league. Their leading rusher, Selvin Young, has rushed for only 228 yards. When it comes to the Broncos, they rely solely on their offense to put them ahead. Their defense is ranked 24th or worst in most of the major defensive categories. They are 29th in points allowed per game, and maybe more importantly, ranked 31st in passing yards allowed.

Key Matchup:
Bucs Defense vs. Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler is the straw that stirs Denver’s drink. As Cutler goes, so does Denver. He is ranked in the top 10 in several offensive categories, including total passing plays and first downs passing. He is 2nd in the league in passing yards, already surpassing the 1,000 yard mark. He has completed 65% of his passes, and has thrown for 9 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions. He has a quarterback rating of 98.6, averages 8.12 yards per pass, and has only been sacked twice this season. Denver doesn’t have much of a rushing game, so the offense mainly falls of Culter. He has two very capable receivers in the aforementioned Marshall and Royal, who are responsible for 5 of Cutler’s 9 touchdowns. If the receivers are open, Cutler has two lethal weapons that put the hurt on the opposing defense. If he can’t find them, and is under pressure, the better the chances for the other team.
The Bucs defense has a lot to be proud of. Last week, they held Aaron Rodgers in check. The Bucs defense is ranked 10th in points allowed, and 21st in passing yards allowed. The Bucs were able to stop the Green Bay offense last week, and will have to go against an even tougher Denver offense. Although they will have a tough time against Cutler and the passing game, there is a little bit of solace for the Bucs. They are ranked 1st in the league with 7 interceptions, and 8th in sacks. Perhaps the most comforting stat is the fact that they are ranked 1st in the league in defensive touchdowns. Not only do the Bucs have a tough task, but so does Cutler. He will have to rely mainly on his arm, as the Bucs are shut down when it comes to the running game (don’t let the ranking of 12th throw you off).

The Bucs are now ranked 9th in the league when it comes to the passing game, but there are still things to be concerned about. Brian Griese has thrown 6 interceptions in the past two weeks. Good news though, for the Bucs: the Broncos defense has only 1 interception on the season. The offense is 13th in points per game, and 7th in total yards per game. If they’re going to weaken the Denver defense, the best way to do it is to throw. The Broncos defense is ranked 24th in rushing yards allowed, so the Bucs could hammer the ball if they wanted too. Unfortunately, the best way to go about it is to throw the ball. Griese can’t have another 67 pass week, so he’ll need to be generous to the running backs.

If the Bucs defense cooperates, expect this to be a high-scoring game for Tampa. The Broncos defense is ranked 29th in the league in points allowed, so this shouldn’t be too hard for a very capable Buccaneers offense. The worst case scenario is that this game turns into a shootout, but with the level of confidence the Bucs defense is playing with, don’t hold your breath.