PERSONNEL NEWS

Strategy And Personnel

The Sports Xchange

December 13, 2018 at 12:54 am.

PLAYER NOTES

–WR DeSean Jackson has a left thumb injury and is expected to miss his third straight game Sunday.

–WR Chris Godwin was targeted 10 times but had only one catch in loss to the Saints last Sunday.

–S Justin Evans will miss his second straight game with a foot injury.

–DT Gerald McCoy did not practice Wednesday but is expected to play Sunday against the Ravens.

–T Demar Dotson was limited in practice Wednesday but should play against the Ravens.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: C Ryan Jensen returns to play his former Ravens team Sunday. But he hasn’t had the kind of year the Bucs had hoped for. Jensen leads the team with nine penalties for 100 yards, including four unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Last Sunday, after amassing 25 yards in penalties in one series, he got into a sideline spat with QB Jameis Winston.

GAME PLAN: The Bucs biggest chore Sunday will be stopping the run. Lamar Jackson brings another element to the Ravens offense that few teams have. The good news is that the Bucs are used to playing twice a year against Cam Newton. Although not as fast, Newton adds a running dimension that puts pressure on the defense, particularly on the perimeter.

Offensively, the Bucs are coming off one of their worst games of the season. They failed to gain 300 total yards for the first time all year. Blame it on the offensive line, which had a bad day against the Saints defense. Jameis Winston was sacked four times and hit 10 other times. The Bucs had few explosive plays.

For the Bucs to win, they need to get the football downfield. But the Ravens defense may be better than the one Tampa Bay faced in New Orleans and this game is on the road. The only way for the Bucs to win is to rattle Lamar Jackson and turn him into a passer. He’s still a rookie quarterback and rookies can make mistakes.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH

–Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs vs. Bucs LT Donovan Smith. Suggs still is a pass-rushing force with seven sacks this season. He will go against Smith, who struggled in the last game against the Saints as Jameis Winston was sacked four times and hit on 10 other occasions.

–Bucs WR Mike Evans vs. Ravens CB Marion Humphrey. Evans is the go-to receiver in the Bucs offense and will need a bounce-back game after being largely held in check by the Saints last Sunday. Humphrey is a second-year pro with no interceptions this season and will likely get plenty of safety help.

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