This time last week, we were looking at a playoff picture with a pair of contenders out of the NFC East. With the San Francisco 49ers punching their ticket, we’ve got one final Divisional Round matchup to set the stage for the NFC Championship Game.
The Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to square off in a battle of the underdogs.
Let’s dig in.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Detroit Lions | Sunday 3 p.m. ET
It can’t be easy following in the footsteps of the great Tom Brady. The NFL’s GOAT took Tampa Bay to the promised land in 2020, and following his (real) retirement last spring it looked like the Buccaneers were barreling towards a rebuild. “Rebuild” is a word we’ve heard plenty of in Detroit, but the Lions have more than proven those days are behind them. They earned their first playoff win since 1991 by overcoming Matthew Stafford’s Rams last Sunday, and one week later, they have a chance to get to their first NFC Championship since that same year.
Bring on the battle of No. 1s (and the underdogs).
The L.A. Rams drafted Jared Goff first overall in 2016. Two years later, the Cleveland Browns took Baker Mayfield with the same selection. Neither QB stuck with the team that drafted them, and both are now defined by the chip that sits firmly on their shoulders. If you’re looking for a redemption story, this one’s got the intrigue.
Can Tampa Bay’s receivers get out of their own way?
The Buccaneers’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles was by no mean perfect — too many dropped passes would’ve put victory in jeopardy had the Eagles shown a little life. Tampa Bay cannot afford to repeat those errors against a Lions squad whose offence has had no problems putting points on the board.
Just how far can Lions’ run game go?
As effective a passer as Jared Goff has been, striking great chemistry with lead receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, this offence runs on the strength of its run game. Both David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs cashed in against the Rams and a lot will ride on that same duo this Sunday. The Buccaneers limited Philly’s rushing attack to just 42 yards last weekend and put up solid numbers in the regular season, too, ranking seventh in yards allowed per carry (3.8).
Matchup to watch: Buccaneers’ wide receivers vs. Lions’ secondary
Detroit has struggled against the pass much of this season, allowing the second-most yards per attempt (7.8) to opponents. Some of that was due to the absence of C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who made his return to the lineup just in time for a playoff run. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers haven’t exactly boasted a prolific offence — considering they play in the NFC South, they haven’t always needed one — but against the Eagles, we saw some under-the-radar stars emerge. The focus will be on big Mike Evans, but look for David Moore and Trey Palmer, both of whom scored last week, to make a difference again.
