Advertisement

Bucs-Lions: Tampa Bay Times staff predictions for Sunday’s 1 p.m. game

Tampa Bay's injured quarterback returned to the lineup last week. Will Detroit's make it back in time to face Jameis Winston in the Bucs-Lions game Sunday at Raymond James Stadium?
 
Published Dec. 8, 2017
Here’s the Times’ Bucs coverage team’s predictions for Tampa Bay’s 1 p.m. game Sunday against the Detroit Lions at Raymond James Stadium:

MOTOWN MOWED DOWN

Rick Stroud, @NFLStroud: The Bucs play much better at home, especially their defense.  Matthew Stafford is busted up and has a bruised right throwing hand.  Detroit has lost two in a row and suddenly coach Jim Caldwell is under fire. Joe Hawley should be back at center after an illness. Jameis Winston should be better in his second game after returning from a shoulder injury. Prediction: Tampa Bay 24-21

JUST ENOUGH TO WIN

Greg Auman, @gregauman: The Bucs defense does play better at home, and if  Stafford is limited at all by his hand injury, the Lions have struggled establishing a run game. Tampa Bay gets a few of those key injured players back,  Winston converts in the red zone and Bucs and Dirk Koetter get a much-needed home win. Prediction: Tampa Bay 31-27

ROARING BACK AGAINST THE LIONS

Tom Jones, @tomwjones: The Bucs should’ve won last week in Green Bay. They were the better team for 60 minutes. They were not the better team in overtime. But the positive was quarterback Winston didn’t have too much rust after missing three games with injury. He should be even better this game. Prediction: Tampa Bay 23-16

IF STAFFORD PLAYS ….

Martin Fennelly, @mjfennelly: If Stafford can grip the football, he’ll chew up the Bucs secondary and lack of pass rush in a big way. Jameis’ homecoming comes up short. Prediction: Detroit 31-23.

BUCS HAVE UPPER HAND

Thomas Bassinger, @tometrics: Stafford has started for the Lions in every game since 2011. If he plays through his hand injury and tries to extend his 108-game streak, that’s not necessarily good news for Detroit, whose playoff hopes are on the line. Since the start of his streak, Stafford has been on the Lions’ injury report 12 times, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. Detroit is 3-9 in the games after Stafford appeared on the injury report. If he can’t go, the Lions will turn to Jake Rudock, a 2016 sixth-round pick who until last week hadn’t thrown a pass. Prediction: Tampa Bay 24-16

CAN'T KEEP UP

Ernest Hooper, @hoop4you: The Bucs have four wins and they’ve all come against teams with struggling offenses. They don’t do well when required to score a lot of points, especially when they fall behind early. If Stafford finds a way to play through his injury and enjoy some success, it doesn’t bode well for Tampa Bay, even though they tend to do a better job on defense at  Raymond James Stadium. Prediction: Detroit 22-21