The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are traveling to the desert to take on what’s left of a Cardinals roster that has disappointed mightily this season.
Tampa Bay was projected to be one of the top dogs in the NFC, but are anything but that with their 6-8 record. While they technically have the No. 4 seed based on how terrible the NFC South is, they have not looked like a Super Bowl contender this season.
The Bucs have been defeated by double-digits in each of their last two games, those being the 49ers and Bengals. Their most recent win was a late 13-point comeback against the New Orleans Saints at home, which is far from an impressive team to beat.
In the offseason, the Bucs had a scare with Tom Brady retiring for a few weeks. He ultimately returned to the team, which was followed by an influx of free agent signings and re-signings. It essentially prevented a rebuild, or at least postponed it another year.
In training camp and throughout their first few games, the Bucs suffered numerous key injuries to their offensive line, which has led to what is statistically the worst rushing offense in the NFL.
Despite having two talented backs in Leonard Fournette and Rachaad White, the Bucs cannot move the ball on the ground, which leads to unfavorable passing situations for Tom Brady. They aren’t particularly great at pass blocking either, which has contributed to their struggles.
The Bucs have three games to go, with the Panthers and Falcons on the schedule following their matchup with the Cardinals. This is a playoff-type game for them in terms of importance with the Panthers just one game behind them.
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