Limiting YAC
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held Christian McCaffrey to 40 yards after the catch in Week Six and he had averaged 62 per game. In addition, Tampa Bay held McCaffrey to 8.1 yards per reception, which was tied for his lowest mark in a game this season. With his ability in the passing game, the Bucs swarmed McCaffrey and Bucs inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis made an impact near the line of scrimmage at limiting the back, coming downhill to corral the Niners' prized possession. For the Lions, Jahmyr Gibbs is a mismatch weapon in the passing game and Amon-Ra St. Brown, along with Sam LaPorta are tough to bring down in the open field once they have gathered momentum. For Tampa Bay, taking effective angles and maintaining gap integrity will be critical on Monday Night Football in Motown.
"Voss did a great job," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "Our number-one thing we had on our list to stop was the YAC yards by [number] 23], because he can catch the ball and he can hurt you in so many ways. We knew he was going to catch the checkdowns, but we needed to have him bracketed inside and out. I thought those guys did a great job limiting the yards per catch."
Matching Intensity
In 2024 when the Lions and Bucs met in Week Two, Aidan Hutchinson racked up 4.5 sacks against Baker Mayfield. This season, Hutchinson's 6.0 sacks rank fourth in the NFL and prior to his injury that prematurely ended his 2024 campaign, Hutchinson was on pace to win Defensive Player of the Year. He can do it all: Win with finesse, power or bend. Hutchinson plays with a voracious passion for the game and has a vast array of moves in his rush repertoire off both ends to collapse the pocket. His spin move inside is legendary and he has the capability of wrecking a game. This time around, Tampa Bay's offensive line is focused on matching the physicality of the Lions and giving them a taste of their own medicine with the run game through Rachaad White.
"I think with 97, Hutch, high-motor guy and they all are," noted Tristan Wirfs. "They have Pat' O Connor over there so we know what he is about. But I think across the board, matching their intensity and staying connected and then the second thing, they are a little thin in the secondary so if we can establish the run and get stuff going up front and put it on our backs early, then I think we will be okay. But the biggest thing that we have said all week is match their intensity and it is going to be a fun environment."
Dialing Up Pressure
Baker Mayfield sits near the top of most leaderboards at the quarterback position, as does Jared Goff. Goff leads the NFL in passing touchdowns (14) and is second in the NFL in passer rating (120.6). He can throw receivers open in tight windows and delivers touch throws down the field with velocity. Goff attacks the intermediate area of the field with accuracy and the Bucs will strive to speed up his process. In Week Two last season, Goff went nine of 17 for 117 yards and two interceptions, and a 35.3 passer rating when pressured according to Next Gen Stats. The Bucs' defense tallied a season-high six sacks against Mac Jones in Week Six and the unit will need to have another big outing against Goff and cast at Ford Field.
"It's important to get to him and try to keep him off balance, but I think he throws well once he gets off his spot, as well," described Bowles. "It's going to be very important for us to plaster receivers and make sure his first and second reads are taken care of. He's a great quarterback – he's having a hell of a year. It's going to be tough sledding, but everybody's got to be on their P's and Q's back there."
