PERSONNEL NEWS

Strategy And Personnel

The Sports Xchange

November 22, 2018 at 1:34 am.

PLAYER NOTES

–S Jordan Whitehead did not practice and is listed on the injury report as having a concussion. The Bucs already are without S Chris Conte, who is on injured reserve, and S Justin Evans, who did not play last week due to a toe injury.

–LB Lavonte David, who did not play last Sunday against the Giants due to an MCL sprain, did not practice on Wednesday.

–CB M.J. Stewart has a foot injury and did not practice Wednesday.

–DE Jason Pierre-Paul, who leads the team with 9.5 sacks, has a shoulder and knee injury and did not practice Wednesday. But that has been his routine the last three weeks and he has not missed a game.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: RB Peyton Barber. The Bucs need to run the football to keep pressure off their defense and Barber responded with a career-high 106 yards against the Giants. Barber is not much of a threat in the passing game, but when called upon, he has been effective moving the chains. With second-round pick Ronald Jones II missing the last two games with an injury, the Bucs have had to lean more on Barber and he has responded.

GAME PLAN: The Bucs have a dynamic offense and turn back to quarterback Jameis Winston this week. The key as always is to prevent turnovers. Tampa Bay may run the ball more to keep Winston in favorable down and distances. It also will protect the porous defense, which cannot produce any turnovers.

Defensively, the Bucs are led by Jason Pierre-Paul, who has 9.5 sacks. But the linebacker position is depleted by injury and 49ers running back Matt Breida could have a big day.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH

–Buccaneers WR Mike Evans vs. 49ers CB Richard Sherman. These two met a few years ago when Sherman was with the Seattle Seahawks and Evans got the upper hand. Evans needs only 43 yards to go over 1,000 yards for the fifth straight season.

–49ers RB Matt Breida vs. Buccaneers LB Adarius Taylor. Breida played in the Tampa Bay area at Nature’s Coast High School. He is 10th in the NFL in rushing with 632 yards. With Kwon Alexander on injured reserve, Taylor becomes the main run stopper.