Pewter Predictions For 2024 Divisional Round

BUCS at LIONS

WHEN: Sunday, January 21, 2024 | WHERE: Ford Area (Detroit, MI) | KICKOFF: 3:00 p.m. ET | TV: NBC

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Mike Tirico | ANALYST: Cris Collinsworth | SIDELINE: Kaylee Hartung & Melissa Stark | RULES: Terry McAulayRADIO: 98 ROCK 97.9 FM | PLAY-BY-PLAY: Gene Deckerhoff | ANALYST: Dave Moore | SIDELINE: T.J. Rives

Sport day is approaching, and it’s time for the Pewter Report employees to make its weekly sport predictions and provide up our sport preview of this week’s matchup. Tell us what you assume within the article feedback part and add your prediction, too.

Scott Reynolds:

Due to a 12-5 report and a earlier win over the Bucs again in Week 6, the Lions are the higher group. However within the playoffs, the higher group doesn’t at all times win.

Generally issues like momentum and group well being make a distinction. And proper now after profitable six of its final seven video games and being as wholesome because the group has been all 12 months, Tampa Bay has momentum and well being on its facet. This sport might go both approach, however I anticipate it to be a lot nearer than Detroit’s 20-6 win in Tampa earlier this season, and nearer than Tampa Bay’s 32-9 rout of Philadelphia in Monday’s Wild Card sport.

The Bucs are a special and higher group than the one the Lions beat again on October 15. Tampa Bay has confirmed it may possibly run the ball down the stretch, which is one thing it struggled to do in opposition to Detroit within the first sport, speeding for simply 46 yards. Each the Bucs and the Lions have Prime 5 speeding defenses, and the group that runs the ball higher and commits the fewest turnovers probably wins the sport.

The Lions lastly obtained the proverbial monkey off their again with a long-awaited playoff victory on Sunday in opposition to the Rams in a 24-23 victory – the group’s first postseason win since 1991. However after racing out to a 14-3 lead within the first quarter, the Lions began to tighten up and allowed the Rams to return again. Will Detroit really feel the added stress of profitable a house playoff sport in opposition to a 6.5-point underdog and play tight?

Extra importantly, will the Bucs are available taking part in unfastened with nothing to lose, as few anticipated them to be on this place? Can Tampa Bay maintain this sport shut sufficient for Chase McLaughlin to win it ultimately? Yeah, why not? If the Bucs can leap out to a lead within the first quarter to place the Lions on their heels and quiet the group I don’t see why their revenge tour can’t proceed for at the very least one other Sunday.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 26, Lions 23REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 11-7

Matt Matera: “Revenge Tour” Continues With A Bucs Win

The Bucs are taking part in quick and free heading into this divisional spherical playoff matchup in opposition to the Lions. Ought to Tampa Bay’s offense be capable to proceed what it did on Monday night time, notably with what the group obtained from Baker Mayfield, it may possibly take them so far as the Bucs wish to go.

This isn’t to say that the Bucs ought to attempt to go rating for rating with the Lions, however they’re going to have their photographs in opposition to the Lions protection, and in the event that they hit these photographs, it could simply give the win to Tampa Bay.

Yards after the catch are going to be a giant issue on this sport. The Bucs have been incredible with it on Monday night time, whereas Detroit allowed some huge performs in their very own constructing. The Lions even have tons of pace on offense, notably with Amon-Ra St. Brown. It might assist out the Bucs in the event that they both double-teamed St. Brown or put a security excessive now that Zyon McCollum is in that position.

Quarterback Jared Goff is nice in opposition to the blitz, so despite the fact that the Bucs blitz as a lot as anybody within the league, I believe they’ll have to choose and select their spots. Sending further rushers has gotten the Bucs so far, however they’ll’t let it harm them an excessive amount of. Taking away the center of the sphere will probably be vital.

Mayfield and Mike Evans have come near hitting the massive play over the past two weeks. That is the time the place they get it collectively. The Bucs got here shut of their first matchup and it’s going to be accessible in opposition to Detroit. Mayfield is already a motivated participant. Now that C.J. Gardner-Johnson threw some insults his approach, Mayfield might convey much more vitality.

This can be a nice likelihood for the Bucs to leap out to a lead and take the group out of it. Tampa Bay performs higher with a lead and may maintain the clock going late with Rachaad White working the ball to salt away a win. The Bucs have embraced the underdog position and being counted out, so taking part in for one another will get them to the following postseason spherical.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 31, Lions 25MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 10-8

Bailey Adams: Bucs’ Spectacular Run Of Momentum Ends In Motown

I used to be on the fence final week and in the end selected to roll with the Bucs over the Eagles, and I used to be confirmed proper within the type of a convincing 32-9 win for Tampa Bay that booked this journey to face Detroit within the NFC Divisional Spherical.

I believe final week, partly, was a mix of all the things clicking — a masterful sport plan from Todd Bowles, an in-his-bag sort of play-calling night time from Dave Canales and the gamers making key performs on the proper time after getting an early lead. I believe one other a part of final week’s sport was the Eagles being in full disarray and having no solutions to their collapse that started after they began 10-1.

All of it labored out fantastically for the Bucs final week, and whereas I believe they’ve greater than a puncher’s likelihood this week, I believe their momentum may run out in Motown.

Driving excessive from their emotional win final week — their first playoff win because the 1991 playoffs — I believe the Lions thrill the house crowd at Ford Area once more with a victory that sends them into the NFC Championship Sport for the primary time since these 1991 playoffs.

I truly don’t hate this matchup from a Bucs standpoint. They have been within the sport when the 2 groups met in Week 6 and solely fell out of it due to some poor execution on offense and an incapability to outlive third downs on protection. I believe Tampa Bay performs a greater sport this time round, however I believe Detroit does, too.

The duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs didn’t get to make its presence felt in Week 6 and I believe it is going to on Sunday. Not solely that, however I’m unsure the Buccaneers secondary will be capable to do sufficient to decelerate the likes of Amon’Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Josh Reynolds and Sam LaPorta.

For the Bucs to win this one, the offense might have one other 30-point efficiency, and I’m simply not assured sufficient on this group to go on the highway and do this. It might undoubtedly occur and I wouldn’t be shocked if Tampa Bay discovered a solution to win within the Motor Metropolis and superior to the NFC title sport. My coronary heart is telling me to go in that course, actually. However my head is saying to make the protected choose, and that’s the house group that has been wanting like a prime contender within the NFC all 12 months lengthy.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Lions 27, Bucs 20ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 10-8

Josh Queipo: Good Vibes Defeats Nice Vibes In Bucs’ Street Win

I’m previous the X’s and the O’s and the analytics. In a bonkers season full of nearly each quarterback within the league and their mom happening with accidents, the Eagles falling off a cliff, and the Texans going from worst to first, the one factor left to investigate is vibes. And the vibes are nice with each of those groups. Detroit has run a throwback to the times of Ace of Base and Jurassic Park (the unique) – again to the Nineties when the Lions have been an excellent group with Barry Sanders after which Calvin Johnson. The Lions are coming off a win at residence for the primary time in 30 years in opposition to their beloved former quarterback, Matthew Stafford.

I query whether or not the group can maintain the emotional dial set at 10 for an additional week. And the Bucs mix related vibes with a roster filled with leaders who’ve a Tremendous Bowl ring of their trophy circumstances. That management mixed with the regular hand that head coach Todd Bowles has confirmed to have can information the Bucs to victory on the highway.

Defensively, the Bucs have been capable of maintain the Lions to twenty factors of their final matchup. Coming off of a defensive masterclass in opposition to the Eagles, the Bucs have the items (and a defensive schemer who’s dialed in) to restrict the Detroit offense. I don’t foresee Tampa Bay limiting Detroit to twenty factors once more. However holding the Lions to 21-24 factors is definitely possible.

On offense, Dave Canales confirmed an analogous hyper-specific game-planning aptitude for a high-profile matchup final week. Little doubt he ought to see the weak spot within the Lions secondary and totally try to take advantage of it. Mix that with an improved deep ball from quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Bucs offense ought to be capable to gentle up the Lions secondary to generate sufficient factors to maintain the vibes going for yet one more week.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 31, Lions 24QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 11-7

Adam Slivon: Bucs Lose Shut One In Motor Metropolis

To only about everybody’s shock, the Bucs have made it to the NFC Divisional spherical in opposition to the Lions. To get right here, Tampa Bay has needed to win six of its final seven video games, the most recent being a dominant, 32-9 win over the Eagles. Now it’s time to face a Lions group hungry to proceed having the postseason success that has eluded them within the twenty first century.

When this sport, it goes with out saying that the offense wants an improved efficiency from when it final performed Detroit in Week 6. Again then, the offense was nonetheless adjusting to the brand new scheme and far of the struggles have been seen. Since then, Baker Mayfield and Co. have had some huge video games, and had one final week because of a balanced offensive assault.

That will probably be wanted this week because the Lions have a stout run protection and bodily again finish led by Kerby Joseph and Brian Department. It received’t be straightforward to get on the board, however the offense has seemed higher exterior of the NFC South in current weeks and will discover some success. Particularly, my eyes will probably be on Rachaad White and if he is ready to have success early. That will probably be crucial in leaping out to a quick begin and maybe quieting down the Ford Area crowd just a bit bit.

Defensively, it received’t be as straightforward this week because it was in opposition to an Eagles group lacking A.J. Brown. Amon-Ra St. Brown leads the aerial assault and is a 1,500-yard receiver. However past him, there are nonetheless loads of weapons Todd Bowles’ protection might want to strategize for. Josh Reynolds is a sneaky good receiver who’s efficient up the center, whereas Jameson Williams is a younger speedster who caught a protracted landing over Ryan Neal within the first sport. Oh, and rookie phenom Sam LaPorta is already among the finest tight ends within the league.

That’s to not point out they’ve two close to 1,000-yard backs with double-digit speeding touchdowns in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. That’s plenty of expertise, and Jared Goff is not going to be affected by the blitz as a lot as Jalen Hurts was. With Ben Johnson calling the performs, Detroit’s offense has proven little downside placing up factors in opposition to formidable defenses.

This sport will probably be shut – maybe nearer than most see it – however in the end I see the Lions marching on of their Cinderella season whereas the Bucs fall simply quick in persevering with their very own.

SLIVON’S GAME PREDICTION: Lions 27, Bucs 24SLIVON’S SEASON RECORD: 13-5