The Cowboys’ postseason will have the Buccaneers in the wild card round. Although they had a pretty bad level in the first half of the regular part, the fact that the rival is Tom Brady adds a lot of suspense to the game. For the defense it will be very important to recover the level of the beginning because the offense has many tools capable of generating yards easily.
Run defense vs. run game
Tampa Bay’s running attack was the worst in the league in statistics. In fact, they finished the season in last place with 76.9 yards per game. That was due to their lack of efficiency as they averaged just 3.4 yards per carry, a figure that also left them in the bottom spot. Although this facet should not be neglected because they have a very good duo of runners.
The Buccaneers have veteran Leonard Fournette as the experienced backfield RB. Fournette is able to get yards with his power and how difficult he is to take down. The defense should remember him for what happened in Week 1. That Tampa Bay win had the running back completing a 127-yard rushing sheet on 21 rushing attempts.
But to that option we must add another that was not so much in mind in that instance. Rookie Rachaad White emerged as a reliable tool while Fournette was away from his usual production. White gives the offense a change of pace mostly because of his passing contribution.
Containing the running game will be a priority for the Cowboys against the Buccaneers. In this part is precisely what should be its weakness, so you have to take advantage of it. If the defense can’t even stop the offense from getting yards with its running backs, all the rest will be nearly impossible to stop entirely.
Fournette had the whole defense trying to tackle him ????
????: #TBvsAZ on NBC
????: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/3PGayaIFW9 pic.twitter.com/gFcHrRmFT4— NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2022
Air Defense vs Air Play
Dallas’ pass defense has left many doubts since Anthony Brown’s injury. The cornerback spot opposite Trevon Diggs became a real problem because of inconsistent replacements. One failed experiment turned out to be that of Kelvin Joseph. That also happened with the other cornerbacks.
That is the most obvious weakness of the unit above the ground because there is no talent available. The game on the ground can be limited with a good scheme, although that does not happen in the air because it is more difficult to hide a weakness. But what will make this a little more difficult to fix is that Tom Brady will be the quarterback.
Brady knows better than anyone in which area to attack to get the most out of the opponent. His ability is what gives him that possibility, although he also has elite wide receivers that make it easy to send him. For that reason, there may not be any defensive matchups this Monday.
MICHAEL LYNN EVANS III
????: #CARvsTB on FOX pic.twitter.com/9t0gLXlMHT
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 1, 2023
The Buccaneers have a wide receiving duo that is arguably the best in the NFL when in their usual production. The one with the best chemistry with the QB may be Mike Evans, whom he constantly looks for in valuable situations. Evans is a threat in the end zone and on deep runs as he demonstrated against the Carolina Panthers. In that game they won the division with all three of his appearances in the end zone on a day in which he passed for 200 yards.
What makes his contribution even more dangerous is that he’s not alone on offense. The other element is Chris Godwin. Being more versatile than his partner, he is the one that receives the most targets. The 142 passes that went his way led his team. For all this is that the pressure on the quarterback will be even more relevant than the coverage. Brady with time to throw makes any coverage fruitless.
