Top Bucs Battle Injuries in Primetime Matchup
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are riddled with injuries and have a steep hill to climb if they want to improve to 6-1. Quarterback Baker Mayfield will have to dig a little deeper in his bags of tricks in order to take down the Detroit Lions on “Monday Night Football.”
Week 7 is here and WRUF.com NFL beat reporters Riley and Dalton continue to pick each Florida team’s matchup. Dalton had a bounce-back week and went 3-0 to improve to 10-8 on the year. Riley dropped one game to put her at 12-6.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions (Monday, 8:20 p.m., ESPN)
Mayfield’s MVP-caliber play will be on full display Monday against the Lions. Tampa Bay travels to Ford Field in search of its sixth win. But it will likely be without rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
The Bucs (5-1) picked up the win against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6, but it came with a hefty price tag. First-year sensation Egbuka went down with a hamstring injury in the second half, after having just two catches. His return timeline looks grim just as he’s starting to take the league by storm.
On the other side are the Lions. Jared Goff and Co. fell to the Kansas City Chiefs on “Sunday Night Football,” 30-17. Despite posting another 200-yard passing game, Goff and the offense struggled to get going late. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led Kansas City to a 24-7 run to close out the game.
The Lions will be under the bright lights again in Week 7. While Mayfield is having the best year of his career, he will be without plenty of star power on offense. Wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. may have to join Egbuka in missing the primetime game. That is in addition to running back Bucky Irving being unavailable due to foot and shoulder injuries.
On paper, this will be a high-scoring affair. Depending on which weapons are on the field, the Bucs may have to rely on Mayfield to continue his heroics.
Riley’s pick: Lions 34, Buccaneers 31
Dalton’s pick: Lions, 31, Buccaneers 28
Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS)
Mike McDaniel remains the Dolphins’ coach after a week of speculation. His seat has only grown hotter, making Sunday’s matchup a must win for the fourth-year coach.
While the Dolphins (1-5) witnessed a heartbreaking collapse in Miami Gardens last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and De’Von Achane kept them in the game. It was the Miami defense that came up short when it mattered most, aiding L.A. to a 29-27 victory.
Achane continues to prove his talent to the league. The Texas A&M product posted two touchdowns, 128 rushing yards and four catches for 22 yards. Sunday was his first game this season with more than 100 rushing yards and put him at six total touchdowns.
The Cleveland Browns (1-5) are in a similar situation as Miami. Coach Kevin Stefanski has an overall record of 40-44 with the team and is also on the hot seat.
Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel will search for his first NFL win, but it will be a challenge. The Browns have yet to total more than 17 points, and have one win due to a last-second field goal against the Green Bay Packers.
The Dolphins and Browns contest may be a slow one at best, but it will have immense future coaching implications.
Riley: Dolphins 21, Browns 18
Dalton: Dolphins 28, Browns 17
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Los Angeles Rams (London, Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network)
The Jaguars return to its “second home” in London. Jacksonville has come to be London’s team as of late, with its first matchup coming in 2013. The hot-start Rams (4-2) will travel across the pond and look to capture their fifth victory against an AFC squad.
Jags wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. finally became involved in the pass game. He came out of Week 6 with eight receptions for 90 yards and his first score of the year. While Jacksonville could not leave Seattle with a win, the offense took strides.
The Rams held quarterback Cooper Rush and the Baltimore Ravens to just 72 passing yards in Week 6. The preceding week was a different story regarding quarterback competition.
49ers quarterback Mac Jones threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ loss on “Thursday Night Football.”
Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence has thrown for more than 220 yards in four contests this year. If the Rams want to come out of Wembley Stadium with a victory, they will have to contain Lawrence and the Jags’ pass attack.
Riley: Jaguars 28, Rams 21
Dalton: Rams 15, Jaguars 12
Category: NFL
