With their first playoff victory in thirty-three years, the Detroit Lions are among the NFL’s most heartwarming tales this season. Coach Dan Campbell’s club, who hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round of the playoffs on Sunday, has high expectations for the Super Bowl.
Although Detroit is the emotional favorite to snap its 1957 championship drought, the Tampa Bay Bucs aren’t going to take no for an answer and are determined to write their own happy ending.
The Tampa Bay Bucs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, the defending NFC champions, 32–9 in the Wild Card round thanks to outstanding play on both sides of the ball. However, they are 6.5 favorites going into the NFC Championship game, and they will need to perform at their highest level if they hope to advance to the final game for the first time since 2020, when Tom Brady led them to their second Super Bowl victory.
What would it take for the Bucs to upset the Detroit Lions at Ford Field and surprise everyone? Let’s examine three requirements that must be met for coach Todd Bowles and his Tampa club in order to make it a reality.
The Tampa Bay Bucs need to exert constant pressure on Jared Goff.
For the most part of the season, Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions has been excellent, but he has shown symptoms of faltering when defensive pressure is applied. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense, which is renowned for its capacity to put pressure on quarterbacks, must seize this opportunity. As he did against the Eagles, Todd Bowles will need to use more blitzes and frequently switch up his look to throw Goff off-balance and push him to make mistakes. Said simply, it’s not easily done.
Following his victory over the Rams, Goff completed 21 of 21 passes when under no pressure and just 1 of 6 passes when under pressure. Goff completed just over 51% of his throws under pressure in 2023, compared to almost 75% of passes in a clean pocket. The quarterback’s weakness has persisted, and the Bucs defense—which has allowed just 274 yards of offense in the first round of the playoffs—has been the best thus far. The Tampa Bay Bucs will need to play just as well as they did against the Eagles in order to defeat the Detroit Lions and win in Motown.
Baker Mayfield must maintain its upward trajectory.
Another fantastic story in the NFL this season is Baker Mayfield. On a one-year contract, he joins the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is a strong contender for NFL Comeback Player of the Year. By throwing for 337 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions against the Eagles, Mayfield demonstrated his ability to guide the Bucs offense to victory. After playing for three different clubs in 2022, he had his best year as a professional and defeated the Lions, Mayfield. The Bucs offense needs to keep up their winning streak and find ways to move the ball and score.
Plays that let Mayfield blend large, high-percentage attempts with vertical opportunities must be part of the game plan versus Detroit. Despite Mike Evans’ constant presence, the receiving corps has struggled with drops all season and cannot afford to continue making the same mistakes they did against Philadelphia. They must be dependable choices and convert when Mayfield hits his shots in order for him to win the game.
