The Buccaneers have packed it in already this year as they have lost 9 games in a row.  The last four losses have been especially brutal as they have been outscored by a combined score of 158-64.  The Falcons have won four of their last six games.  The Falcons could get the #5 seed in the playoffs with a win coupled with a Lions’ loss to the Packers.  The Buccaneers beat the Falcons 16-13 in Tampa back in December.  The Falcons will no if they have anything to play for by the time they kickoff as the Lions and Packers play at 1 o’clock.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  The Bucs are probably going to come out throwing the ball against the Falcons tomorrow.  He should have time to throw the ball as the Falcons don’t have a good pass rush.  Freeman will probably keep all of his receivers happy by spreading the ball around, but TE Kellen Winslow and Mike Williams will probably be the players most targeted.  The Falcons are giving up 235.1 yards passing per game so far this year, so Freeman could be effective.  The Bucs have shied away from running the ball lately, but that’s because they have fallen behind quite a bit early in games lately.  It will be interesting to see if LeGarrette Blount is out of the Dog House.

When the Falcons have the ball:  The bad news for the Bucs is that the Falcons have a lot of depth on offense, so even if they aren’t playing for anything….they will have capable players.  The Falcons will likely come out running more than usual this weekend as the Bucs are giving up 149.7 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry so far this year.  Michael Turner will carry the load if this game has meaning and rookie Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling will share the load if it doesn’t.  Matt Ryan or Chris Redman will likely have success throwing the ball in this game as the Bucs’ pass defense has been lousy so far this year.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 27, BUCCANEERS 16

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost 8 games in a row!  In their last three games, they have been outscored 110-48!  The Panthers have won three of their last four games.  The Panthers thumped the Bucs 38-19 just three weeks ago in Tampa.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  The Buccaneers need to run the ball and stick with it tomorrow.  The Panthers are giving up 130.4 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry so far this year, so the Buccaneers should be effective running the ball.  The Bucs should give LeGarrette Blount the ball 25 times if they want to have a good shot at an upset.  Josh Freeman should have time to throw the ball, but his shoulder is barking and he doesn’t have much zip on his fastball.  Look for the passing game to be of the shorter variety with TE Kellen Winslow to be Freeman’s top target in the passing game tomorrow.

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Panthers are going to be more balanced than usual tomorrow.  DeAngelo Williams, Cam Newton and Jonathan Stewart are going to be trouble for a Bucs’ D that is allowing 141.1 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  The Bucs will need to get a pass rush on Cam Newton, or he’s going to be playing catch with his WRs and TEs all day long.  WR Steve Smith is still a true gamebreaker for the Panthers.  If the Bucs load up to stop Smith, Newton will just throw the ball to TE Greg Olsen, TE Jeremy Shockey, WR Brandon LaFell and QB Legedu Naanee.

PREDICTION:  PANTHERS 34, BUCCANEERS 10

The Buccaneers have lost seven games in a row, but, they will have a sold out stadium behind them (only the second time this year) in the last home game of the year…..so they could be inspired.  The Cowboys have lost two games in a row, but they are 6-2 against sub .500 teams so far this year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  With Josh Freeman’s shoulder barking, the Bucs should try to keep the ball on the ground with LeGarrette Blount.  The Cowboys are giving up 101.2 rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry, so the Bucs should be effective running the ball as long as they stick with it.  The Buccaneers are going to have to keep OLB DeMarcus Ware (15 sacks) away from QB Josh Freeman, if he’s going to have any chance to have success throwing the ball.  The Cowboys are giving up 243.2 yards passing per game but they have playmakers in the secondary as they have 15 interceptions so far this year.

When the Cowboys have the ball:  The Cowboys are going to come out throwing the ball against the Bucs.  The Buccaneers are going to have to find some way to get pressure on Cowboys’ QB Tony Romo, or they are in for big trouble.  The Cowboys have excellent receivers in TE Jason Witten and WRs Laurent Robinson, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin and they are going to give the Bucs’ secondary fits all night long.  RB Felix Jones has outstanding speed and he’s also in line to have a good game against a Bucs’ D that is allowing 139.7 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.

PREDICTION:  COWBOYS 31, BUCCANEERS 14

The Buccaneers have lost six games in a row.  Last weekend they got thumped hard by the Panthers in Tampa (38-19)!  The Jaguars got punished 38-14 at home on Monday Night Football by the San Diego Chargers.  The Jaguars have lost 3 games in a row.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  The Buccaneers need to come out throwing the ball in this game.  They need to get a quick lead on the Jaguars to force them to pass the ball instead of pounding Maurice Jones-Drew at the Bucs’ hapless D.  Josh Freeman is likely to be back this weekend, but if he can’t go, Josh Johnson will get another start under center.  The Jaguars don’t have much of a pass rush and their secondary is hurting bad due to injuries.  This all sets up Josh Freeman to have a big game.  He will need WR Mike Williams and TE Kellen Winslow to step up and lead the way in the passing game.  Arrelious Benn could get deep against the Jags in this game and make some plays too, as the corners the Jaguars are playing now are pretty awful.  LeGarrette Blount will also get his share of carries against a Jags’ D that is allowing 111.6 yards rushing and 4.1 yards per carry so far this year.

When the Jaguars have the ball:  The Buccaneers are giving up 141.7 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry so far this year and that doesn’t bode well for them in Jacksonville.  Maurice Jones-Drew has 1,137 yards rushing so far this year and he has also caught 29 passes for 297, as he is a main man for the Jags.  The Buccaneers need to stop Jones-Drew if they want to win this Sunday.  The safeties will need to cheat up to help the front seven of the Bucs in this game.  The Bucs will also need to get a solid pass rush on rookie QB Blaine Gabbert, as he makes mistakes with the football.

PREDICTION:  BUCCANEERS 20, JAGUARS 17

The Buccaneers have lost five games in a row and they have looked awful in doing it.  The Panthers broke a 3-game losing streak against the Colts in Indy last week.  Here is a look at the matchups in what should be a high scoring game this Sunday:

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  Josh Freeman has a sore right shoulder and he will be a legit game time decision this weekend.  Josh Johnson will get the call at QB if Freeman can’t go.  Regardless of who is playing QB, the Buccaneers need to feed the ball to LeGarrette Blount for as many carries as he can give them.  25-30 carries will be needed from Blount if the Bucs are going to have a good chance of winning this game.  It’s going to be hard for the Bucs to throw the ball due to the situation they now have at QB.  The Panthers are giving up 137.5 yard rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry, so Blount should have a lot of running room.  TE Kellen Winslow and WR Mike Williams are starting to step up for the Bucs, so they hope that either Freeman or Johnson will get them the ball.

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Panthers are going to try to be more balanced than usual in this game to keep the Buccaneers off track.  The Buccaneers have to be worried about the Panthers’ running game as Cam Newton, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart give them three very lethal runners to deal with.  The Buccaneers are going to have to try to contain Cam Newton in the pocket and that is not going to be easy.  Newton will likely be attacking the Bucs down the field as he will try to connect with WR Steve Smith on some bombs.  Greg Olsen, Jeremy Shockey, Brandon LaFell and RB Jonathan Stewart are also nice targets in the passing game for Newton.

PREDICTION:  PANTHERS 31, BUCCANEERS 27

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost four games in a row by a combined score of 123-69!  The Titans have alternated wins and losses the last five weeks and they lost to the Falcons 23-17 in Atlanta last weekend.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  After watching what Michael Turner did to the Titans’ D last weekend, you would have to think that the gameplan will revolve around getting the ball in the hands of LeGarrette Blount as often as possible.  The O-Line will give Josh Freeman time to throw the ball, the question is, what will he do with it?  Freeman has been very inconsistent this year with 11 TD passes and 15 INTs.  The Titans are giving up 233.4 yards passing so far this year, so there will be plays to be made down the field.  He is going to be looking a lot to WR Mike Williams and TE Kellen Winslow this weekend, to they will also need to step up.

When the Titans have the ball:  RB Chris Johnson is having a terrible year (509 yards rushing, 3.2 yards per carry) but the Bucs’ D might be the tonic he needs to get going this year.  The Buccaneers are giving up 133.5 yards passing per game and 4.7 yards per carry so far this year.  Matt Hasselbeck should have time to throw the ball and that is going to be a problem for the Bucs’ D.  The Bucs are giving up 265.4 yards passing per game, so look for Hasselbeck to pick the secondary apart.  WRs Nate Washington, Damian Williams and TE Jared Cook are Hasselbeck’s top targets in the passing game.

PREDICTION:  TITANS 27, BUCCANEERS 17

The Buccaneers are playing their worst football of the season right now.  They have lost three games in a row by a combined score of 88-43!  The Packers are 9-0 on the season and they are winning games by an average of 14.9 points.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  The Buccaneers need to keep the ball on the ground this Sunday, if they want to have a chance to win this game.  LeGarrette Blount needs to get the ball in his hands at least 25 times if the Bucs are going to have any chance of winning this game.  Josh Freeman appears to have something wrong with him (probably his thumb) which has caused him to lose zip and accuracy on his passes.  The Bucs can’t beat the Packers in a firefight.  The Packers have 17 interceptions this year, so Freeman is going to have to be careful when he does throw the ball.

When the Packers have the ball:  The Packers are going to spread the field and throw the ball all over the place.  QB Aaron Rodgers likes to throw to everyone, and he has a lot of outstanding weapons in the passing game.  The Bucs are giving up 263.0 yards passing per game so far this year, so this has the potential to get ugly really quick.  The Bucs have not been too good stopping the run either (138.2 yards rushing per game), so don’t be surprised to see James Starks and Ryan Grant to get their fair share of carries.

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 35, BUCCANEERS 13

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost three of their last four games, but, they play better at home where they are 3-2 on the year.  The Houston Texans have won three games in a row and they have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 95-33!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  The Buccaneers should come out running the ball with LeGarrette Blount in this game and they need to stick with him the whole game.  The Texans have one the of very best pass defenses in the NFL as opposing QBs have a rating of 64.6, so Josh Freeman isn’t likely going to have a big game.  The Bucs do have the advantage of not having a true #1 WR, so they will spread the ball around until Freeman finds a matchup that he likes.

When the Texans have the ball:  The Texans are the new bully on the block in the NFL.  They are averaging 155.1 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry so far this year, as Arian Foster (656 rushing yards) and Ben Tate (623 yards rushing) are going to give the Bucs’ D fits.  The Buccaneers are giving up 132.4 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry so far this year.  Matt Schaub doesn’t have Andre Johnson for this game, so he will spread the ball around to his capable WRs and TEs in the passing game.

PREDICTION:  TEXANS 34, BUCCANEERS 20

The Bucs are coming off their bye week, so they have had extra time to prepare for their rematch with the Saints.  The Buccaneers beat the Saints 26-20 in Tampa earlier this year.  The Saints got shocked last week, losing 31-21 to the Rams.  But, the Saints play much better at home where they are 3-0 this year, having outscored their opponents by a combined score of 132-53!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  The Bucs are glad to have RB LeGarrette Blount back.  They are going to likely use him a lot against a Saints’ D that is allowing 124.1 yards rushing per game and 5.5 yards per carry so far this year.  Steven Jackson ran all over the Saints last week, and Blount has a similar style of running the ball with power.  The Saints like to blitz, but the Bucs’ O-Line has only given up 10 sacks so far this year.  Josh Freeman will have to make the Saints’ D pay for blitzing with quick passes to Mike Williams, Kellen Winslow, Preston Parker, Dezmon Briscoe and Arrelious Benn.

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints are going to come out throwing the ball in this game.  What makes them so dangerous is that Drew Brees will throw the ball to everyone, making it nearly impossible to double anyone.  Darren Sproles, Jimmy Graham, Lance Moore, Marques Colston, Robert Meachem and Devvery Henderson give him a ton of options throwing the ball.  The Bucs can’t overplay the pass or the Saints will give the ball to Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles in the running game.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 27, BUCCANERS 20

The Buccaneers and Bears both had impressive home wins last weekend.  The Bucs will be “at home” this weekend in London.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  The Buccaneers are going to try to be balanced in this game offensively.  It’s hard to ignore the fact that the Bears are giving up 121.8 yards rushing per game and 5.4 yards per carry.  That means that Earnest Graham might be in for a very solid game this Sunday.  The Bears’ pass D hasn’t been too good either as they are giving up 275.5 yards passing per game.  If the Bucs O-Line gives Josh Freeman time to throw the ball, he could have a field day.  Look for him to continue to spread the ball around to Earnest Graham, Kellen Winslow, Mike Williams, Preston Parker and Arrelious Benn.

When the Bears have the ball:  The Bears are going to feed the ball to Matt Forte early in this game, so the Bucs’ front seven better be ready for that challenge.  The Bucs need to get to Jay Cutler or he’s going to have a good chance of making plays down the field in the passsing game as he is one of the more underrated QBs in the NFL right now.  He likes to spread the ball around and he has two really good deep threats in Devin Hester and Johnny Knox.

PREDICTION:  BEARS 21, BUCCANEERS 20