The Bucs have lost four of their last five, marking the first time Tom Brady's lost four of five in 20 years. Yes, we have to go back to Weeks 4-7, 2002, when the Patriots lost four straight in his first full sason as their starting quarterback. Two of the teams he lost to were QB'd by Drew Brees and Brett Favre. The other two were . . . [checks research] . . . Brian Griese and Jay Fiedler.
So yeah, this was a very different Brady. A human Brady. A "led the league with 28 TD passes" Brady, because this was a different era.
These days, Brady is back to looking human. He's getting less time to throw than nearly every other QB, no thanks to a depleted offensive line. His backfield is last in the league in yards per carry. After opening the season forcing eight turnovers in three games while holding opponents to a mere nine points per contest, Tampa Bay's defense has collapsed in their last four matchups: one total turnover and 26.8 points per game.
For most of this week, I've been eyeing a close contest between the Bucs and Ravens--another talented (on paper) squad fighting for a playoff spot. But yesterday my thinking shifted. The Bucs' offense matches up well against the Ravens' generous pass defense, and Baltimore's defensive line has barely slowed down opposing runners.
I don't think Brady will lose five-of-six for the first time in his career. If they win tonight, Tampa Bay will have a pretty clear path to a 6-4 record before their Week 11 break. So a victory will make them surprisingly dangerous. A loss might lead to a desperation trade before Tuesday's deadline, because Brady didn't un-retire for this.
So I'd fire up Brady, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin as usual. Cade Otton remains a fantastic streamer. I'm banking on a rebound for Leonard Fournette, particularly in the end zone. And Rachaad White is ihs normal desperation flier.
For Baltimore, I don't think Gus Edwards will exceed 55 yards, and his lack of passing-game usage makes him largely TD-dependent. And how much can we trust the hobbled Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman. Andrews clearly is an easier decision if he's a full go. But this could be a lost season for Bateman, and also a reminder of what these Raven could have been if they'd held onto Marquise Brown, or if instead of drafting two TEs in the fourth round, they'd taken Romeo Doubs over Charlie Kolar.
Sure, hindsight is 20/20. But these same Ravens just signed DeSean Jackson. That's how desperate they are. It didn't have to be this way.
So it's not a coincidence that when his receivers were healthy to start the season, Lamar Jackson dominated: 34.1 fantasy points per contest in the first three weeks, thanks in part to 12 TDs. Can you guess what he's done in the lst four weeks? 13.7 fantasy points per game on only three touchdowns.
It might not seem this way at first, but this contest features two great QBs trying to get back on track, on teams that should be better than their records, dealing with injuries to key receivers (although the Bucs obviously are much deeper at WR).
I'm picking the Buccaneers 31-16. If you want to guess, share in a comment below. And good luck if you've got players playing tonight.
So yeah, this was a very different Brady. A human Brady. A "led the league with 28 TD passes" Brady, because this was a different era.
These days, Brady is back to looking human. He's getting less time to throw than nearly every other QB, no thanks to a depleted offensive line. His backfield is last in the league in yards per carry. After opening the season forcing eight turnovers in three games while holding opponents to a mere nine points per contest, Tampa Bay's defense has collapsed in their last four matchups: one total turnover and 26.8 points per game.
For most of this week, I've been eyeing a close contest between the Bucs and Ravens--another talented (on paper) squad fighting for a playoff spot. But yesterday my thinking shifted. The Bucs' offense matches up well against the Ravens' generous pass defense, and Baltimore's defensive line has barely slowed down opposing runners.
I don't think Brady will lose five-of-six for the first time in his career. If they win tonight, Tampa Bay will have a pretty clear path to a 6-4 record before their Week 11 break. So a victory will make them surprisingly dangerous. A loss might lead to a desperation trade before Tuesday's deadline, because Brady didn't un-retire for this.
So I'd fire up Brady, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin as usual. Cade Otton remains a fantastic streamer. I'm banking on a rebound for Leonard Fournette, particularly in the end zone. And Rachaad White is ihs normal desperation flier.
For Baltimore, I don't think Gus Edwards will exceed 55 yards, and his lack of passing-game usage makes him largely TD-dependent. And how much can we trust the hobbled Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman. Andrews clearly is an easier decision if he's a full go. But this could be a lost season for Bateman, and also a reminder of what these Raven could have been if they'd held onto Marquise Brown, or if instead of drafting two TEs in the fourth round, they'd taken Romeo Doubs over Charlie Kolar.
Sure, hindsight is 20/20. But these same Ravens just signed DeSean Jackson. That's how desperate they are. It didn't have to be this way.
So it's not a coincidence that when his receivers were healthy to start the season, Lamar Jackson dominated: 34.1 fantasy points per contest in the first three weeks, thanks in part to 12 TDs. Can you guess what he's done in the lst four weeks? 13.7 fantasy points per game on only three touchdowns.
It might not seem this way at first, but this contest features two great QBs trying to get back on track, on teams that should be better than their records, dealing with injuries to key receivers (although the Bucs obviously are much deeper at WR).
I'm picking the Buccaneers 31-16. If you want to guess, share in a comment below. And good luck if you've got players playing tonight.