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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5 Bucs to Watch Against the Jaguars in Week 16

The Buccaneers will take on the Jaguars on Christmas Eve as they continue their hunt for the NFC South crown. Here are five players to watch

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jacksonville Jaguars will go head-to-head on Christmas Eve in Week 16. Both clubs are moving in the opposite direction, with the Bucs rising to 7-7 following wins over the Panthers, Falcons and Packers. Tampa Bay is tied for first place in the NFC South with the Saints and is slated as the fourth seed. Conversely, the Jaguars (8-6) have dropped three games and lead the NFC South by a tiebreaker. The Bucs are coming off their most complementary performance of the 2023 season in their victory over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Baker Mayfield carved up the Packers' defense and posted a perfect passer rating in Week 15 and the Bucs will strive to continue the stellar trend against the Jaguars. Here are five Buccaneers to monitor on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium:

Lavonte David

Evan Engram's 88 receptions are second among all NFL tight ends in 2023 and heading into Week 15, Engram had the most targets (83), receptions (70) and yards (539) on quick passes this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Engram explodes into his routes and effortlessly controls movements in-and-out of his breaks. He is physical after the catch and has the speed element to work the field vertically. Engram will not always be Lavonte David's responsibility on Sunday, but when he is in man against Engram or the Jags' tight end is in his specified zone, David has the skillset to succeed. Regarded as one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL over the past decade, David's footwork is fluid in transition. His understanding of angles/leveraging himself against tight ends and running backs sets him apart. In Week 15 against the Packers, David produced nine tackles, two tackles for loss, a split sack and a pass defensed. He played an integral role in Green Bay whether flying across the formation to force an incompletion against a Packers' empty set or sifting through gaps untouched to drop rushers. With just over four minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Bucs' defense put their stamp on the game. Shaq Barrett and David applied pressure on Jordan Love and Barrett knocked the ball out. The long-developing routes by the Packers' receivers caused Love to hesitate and Todd Bowles' aggressive unit took advantage.

Tristan Wirfs

Josh Allen is currently tied for fifth in the NFL with 13.5 quarterback takedowns. He has also set career-highs in quarterback hits (26), and tackles for loss (13) through Week 15 in 2023. Allen often overwhelms tackles with elite explosiveness and penetrating-charge. He maintains his speed and momentum around the edge and Allen is adept at setting the edge. Allen has established himself among the league's upper echelon. Bucs' left tackle Tristan Wirfs will be matched with Allen at some point during the Week 16 meeting and this will be a battle to monitor in the trenches. Wirfs has only allowed one pressure in each of the last two games. He possesses freaky athleticism for his size, and he has the lateral agility for move-blocking duties. Wirfs is an elite technician, and the two premier players will go head-to-head at Raymond James Stadium.

Rachaad White

Rachaad White eclipsed 100 yards from scrimmage for the fourth-consecutive game on Sunday against the Packers, making an impact whether squeezing through the hole or making an initial guy miss and getting north-south. With quick cuts to the edge, White became a key component of the Bucs' offense. He has established himself as one of the best dual-threat backs in the NFL this season and his 834 rushing yards rank 10th in the NFL. On Christmas Eve, White will face Jaguars' tackling machine, Foyesade Oluokun. Oluokun set the NFL mark for tackles in a season in 2021 with 192 tackles and led the NFL in tackles (184) and solo tackles (128), while leading the Jaguars in tackles for loss (12) in 2022. A sixth-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2018 NFL Draft, Oluokun signed a three-year $45 million deal with the Jaguars during the 2022 offseason and has bolstered Jacksonville's defense. He is efficient at matching running backs and tight ends in coverage and the wrap-up tackler is a violent striker. Oluokun is adept at forcing tight ends/running backs to adjust routes with his physicality off the line of scrimmage.

Jamel Dean

Calvin Ridley, who was acquired via trade by the Jaguars in November of 2022, was reinstated by the NFL in March following his suspension. Ridley produced 248 career receptions for 3,242 yards and 28 touchdowns in 49 games spanning four years with the Falcons. In 2023, Ridley has accumulated 60 receptions for 781 yards and five touchdowns. Ridley, a route-running technician, consistently alters the tempo of his routes to bait defensive backs and fluidly transitions at the stem. He is quick into breaks and forces defensive backs to play on their heels and Bucs' Jamel Dean has the speed element to keep pace. In his fifth year in Tampa Bay, Dean has amassed three passes defensed and 51 tackles. He is physical in crowding receivers on the boundary and accelerates on a dime to hit top speed. Dean possesses short-area change of direction skills and he will play a key role in limiting Ridley on Sunday.

Yaya Diaby

The Jaguars bolstered their offensive line in April by using their first-round pick (No. 27) on Oklahoma's Anton Harrison. Harrison has been left in one-on-one situations on an island with a pass-rusher on 84.9% of his pass block snaps this season, which is the highest percentage for any right tackle in the NFL per Next Gen Stats. In addition, his 6.6% pressure rate allowed on such plays is third best in the league. Harrison has quick footwork when moving upfield and is explosive when moving in space. He has range in space to square up blockers and the pursuit skills to take on linebackers in zone. Harrison has tremendous power, and he will go up against Bucs' Yaya Diaby on Sunday. Diaby, the Bucs' third-round draft pick, has cemented a significant role in Todd Bowles' defense as he has progressed his way up to starting on gamedays. Diaby is second on the team with 5.0 sacks and he has recorded at least one sack or quarterback hit in five of the last eight games. He possesses short-area burst and is able to fire out of his stance to disrupt the backfield. Diaby is able to chase down ball carriers with above-average acceleration and he is able to quickly get separation at the point of attack with power.

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