PREMIUM
Stephen Nover's NFL Totals Crusher
(NFL) Tampa Bay vs. Denver,
Total: 42.50 | -103.00 Under
Result: Win
Total: 42.50 | -103.00 Under
Result: Win
Take out Drew Lock, Courtland Sutton and Phillip Lindsay and Denver's offense isn't so promising. Instead the Broncos face a run-stuffing elite Tampa Bay defense with nothing but dink-and-dunk backup QB Jeff Drisel and Melvin Gordon. The Bucs led the NFL in run defense last season and held their first two foes, Saints and Panthers, to 2.5 yards rushing. Gordon isn't nearly as good a back as Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara.
The Buccaneers also have excellent pass rushers headed by former Bronco Shaq Barrett, who led the NFL in sacks last season. I envision the Broncos going very conservative here with their conservative coach, defensive-minded Vic Fangio.
Fangio probably is one of the three best defensive coaches in the NFL. Denver's defense is not dominant anymore, but it remains respectable.
The Broncos defense catches Tampa Bay at a good time. The Buccaneers' offense is not yet in sync as they transition in Tom Brady and Leonard Fournette. The Bucs aren't the pass-happy team of a year ago when Jameis Winston was under center. They are more balanced now with Fournette, a ground-and-pound inside running back. Brady hasn't been overly sharp. He's thrown interceptions in his last four games and is averaging 228 passing yards in his first two games with Tampa Bay.
Neither offense is going to be helped by the weather conditions either with heavy winds expected.
The Buccaneers also have excellent pass rushers headed by former Bronco Shaq Barrett, who led the NFL in sacks last season. I envision the Broncos going very conservative here with their conservative coach, defensive-minded Vic Fangio.
Fangio probably is one of the three best defensive coaches in the NFL. Denver's defense is not dominant anymore, but it remains respectable.
The Broncos defense catches Tampa Bay at a good time. The Buccaneers' offense is not yet in sync as they transition in Tom Brady and Leonard Fournette. The Bucs aren't the pass-happy team of a year ago when Jameis Winston was under center. They are more balanced now with Fournette, a ground-and-pound inside running back. Brady hasn't been overly sharp. He's thrown interceptions in his last four games and is averaging 228 passing yards in his first two games with Tampa Bay.
Neither offense is going to be helped by the weather conditions either with heavy winds expected.