If the Bucs were fully healthy, I’d feel better about their chances of going into Ford Field and coming away with a revenge game victory over a very good Lions team. But the secondary is suddenly very thin, with All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. out for a few weeks, No. 2 cornerback Zyon McCollum in concussion protocol, No. 3 cornerback Bryce Hall on injured reserve and No. 4 cornerback Josh Hayes in a walking boot.
Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey’s calf will keep him out again, and right tackle Luke Goedeke missed the last two practices of the week in concussion protocol. All of those injuries have me concerned for Tampa Bay’s ability to keep this one interesting.
With that said, though, I think Baker Mayfield and the offense will do their very best to keep the Bucs afloat for much of the game. Tampa Bay needs to run the ball better early on this week and do its best to grind out some drives and help keep the defense off the field. The fact that I don’t think the Lions really have the pieces in their secondary to really contend with what the Bucs have in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan could help the upset bid, too.
But I think in the end, the injuries will be too much for the Bucs to overcome. The Lions have too much firepower on offense to not expose how short-handed Tampa Bay will be, especially when you consider the fact that Todd Bowles has yet to figure out Jared Goff. As much as I like the chances for Mayfield and the offense to do some more impressive work in Week 2, I don’t think it’ll quite be enough as Detroit pulls away yet again.
ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Lions 33, Bucs 24
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 1-0
Josh Queipo: Circumstances Prevent Bucs From Toppling “New Eagles”
During the offseason I made the case for the Lions being the “new Eagles” as they have become the playoff team that Tampa Bay often faced but could never quite figure out, much like the Eagles teams of the early-aughts were the Achilles heel of those Bucs squads. That is until they weren’t. And if this Bucs team was fully healthy, I genuinely think I would have seen a path to victory. But the injuries on the defensive side of the ball are more than worrisome.
Without Calijah Kancey I have major concerns about how effective the Bucs’ pass rush will be against a formidable Lions offensive line. And head coach Todd Bowles can make the potentially necessary, and predictable, decision to send the house to compensate. But Lions quarterback Jared Goff has shown he throughout his career that he can play well in the face of a blitz and often times has made defenses pay for trying to send extra defenders after him. Perhaps no other quarterback embodies the boom-or-bust nature of biting-outcomes than Goff.
And with a banged-up secondary that could feature a heavy dose of undrafted free agent Tyrek Funderburk, who has played all of 16 preseason snaps in the NFL and no Antoine Winfield Jr. to try and turn the tide with highlight reel turnovers it will be a tall task for the Bucs defense to keep an impressive Detroit offense, that is starting to unlock yet another weapon in Jameson Williams, in check.
If there is any hope for Tampa Bay, it is in their offense. Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen is going to have to have another impressive gameplan to win a track meet and the run game is going to have to be a bigger first-half contributor to keep the ball out of Detroit’s hands. And backup tackle Justin Skule is going to have to have the game of his life against Lions star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. Otherwise, the Lions will continue to show Eagles-like problems for this version of the Bucs.
QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Lions 28, Bucs 27
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 1-0