The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a good spot in the NFC. They are coming off their 30-10 dominating win vs the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. They are 7-3 and two games ahead of the free falling New Orleans Saints in the NFC South.
Most people consider the NFC to be a 5-team race between the Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Rams.
For more insight on the Buccaneers' Week 12 matchup against the Colts, listen below:
The Buccaneers are currently the #3 seed in the NFC standings. They are tied with the Cowboys but own the tie breaker via their head to head win in Week 1. The Buccaneers still have their sights set on the only first round bye in the playoffs. They will need some help in order to achieve that goal.
The top seeded Arizona Cardinals still have to play the Rams, Colts and Cowboys. The Packers play the Rams this week and still play at Baltimore. Meanwhile, after this week, the only game that scares Bucs fans would be at Buffalo. Even that game is looking less and less scary by the week. So, the opportunity is there to try and earn that top spot. But this week against a surging Indianapolis Colts team is crucial.
Here are 4 bold predictions for the Buccaneers vs. the Colts Sunday.
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Buccaneers Week 12 Predictions
4. Tom Brady will throw two more interceptions
Tom Brady is once again in the League MVP conversation. That is staggering knowing he is 44 years old. He leads the league with 29 passing touchdowns and is 2nd in the league in passing yards. However, he hasn't quite looked like the same player on the road this year.
Brady has thrown five interceptions the last three weeks, with four of those coming in two road games against the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Football Team. He hasn't been quite as careful with the football on the road.
Well, the Colts defense is the best in the league at taking it away. They have 25 takeaways on the season, for a plus 25 turnover differential. That is far and away the best in the NFL. Expect Brady to throw it a lot again Sunday, and this time, with two of them landing in Colts' players hands.
3. Mike Evans will be held under 60 yards receiving
Buccaneers Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans is having an outstanding year. He is tied for the league lead with 10 receiving touchdowns, but quietly is only 20th in receiving yards and tied for 29th in catches. Not unlike Tom Brady, the vast majority of his success has been at home this season.
Mike Evans set the Buccaneers all-time TD record and had to ask to keep the ball 😂
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/UXorHJAopj
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 23, 2021
In the win vs the Giants, Mike Evans set the all-time franchise touchdown record with 72 touchdowns. He passed Mike Alstott for the record.
But, eight of his 10 touchdowns have come at home. He was held to two catches at Philadelphia, at Washington and at New Orleans. So, there is precedent for slowing him down.
2. The Buccaneers will hold Jonathan Taylor under 100 yards rushing
Most of the time, saying that the Bucs defense will hold a running back under 100 yards would be far from a bold take. But this isn't just any other running back. Jonathan Taylor is in the middle of one of the greatest stretches of games we have ever seen in the NFL.
Last week vs the #1 rated Buffalo Bills defense, Taylor rushed for 185 yards and four rushing touchdowns. If that wasn't good enough, he added 19 yards receiving and a touchdown through the air as well. He became the first ever player to put up those numbers in a single game.
.@Colts Jonathan Taylor has now tied the NFL record of 8 straight games with 100 scrimmage yards and a Rush TD (LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006 and Lydell Mitchell in 1975-76). pic.twitter.com/5syM5qSkto
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 21, 2021
Taylor has now rushed for over 100 yards and a rushing touchdown in eight straight games. Only LaDanian Tomlinson and Lydell Mitchell have ever done that.
The Buccaneers defense on the other hand is on its way doing something historic as well. They led the NFL in rushing yards against each of the last two seasons and are doing it again. The Bucs defense is allowing only 78.4 yards per game on the ground. That is more than 10 full yards better than the next best.
1. The Buccaneers will get upset by the Indianapolis Colts
This game should be very close. We all know how good the defending champion Buccaneers are. The Colts, however, are sneaking up on people. Most have forgotten that when Colts head coach Frank Reich brought in his former quarterback, Carson Wentz, this team was supposed to good.
The Colts defense was a top 10 defense last year. They have dealt with some injuries to the secondary, but have played much better over the last six games.
They have won five of six, after starting the season 1-4. Carson Wentz is being more careful with the ball this season. He has only thrown three interceptions. As I pointed out above, I believe Tom Brady and the Bucs offense will turn it over at least twice. Nothing predicts the outcomes of football games like the turnover margin. This game will be no different.
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