Tampa Bay Buccaneers(4-5) at St. Louis Rams(8-1), 9 p.m. tonight
Two years ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and St. Louis Rams battled in the NFC Championship game. The two teams combined for a total of 17 points, as the Rams won 11-6. This season, heading into the night with an 8-1 record and arguably the league's best offense, the Rams should have no trouble scoring twice as many points in the first half. Since that 1999 match-up, the two teams have gone in different directions as the Rams offense continues to improve, while the Bucs struggle to meet their potential.
Entering tonight with a 4-5 record, the Bucs are one of the NFL's greatest disappointments of the season. Things have been tough in Tampa Bay as the team has lost two of its last three outings, with the only win coming in an unimpressive 20-17 victory against the league's only winless team - the Detroit Lions. The offense has been the team's downfall, as top receiver Keyshawn Johnson has yet to score a touchdown this season. And while running back Warrick Dunn is the Buc's greatest offensive weapon, he cannot make up for the anemic passing game, especially against the Rams defense. But meanwhile, Dunn (only 236 yards on the ground in seven games) and the rest of the running game has been non existent as the Bucs sit at 13th in the NFL in rushing, averaging only 3.4 yards a carry and 80.2 yards a game.
As the offense has stuttered, the Bucs once-feared defense has done little to step up for the team. Ranked fourth overall in the NFC, the defense hasn't been bad, but also hasn't been dominant enough to hold the team up through its offensive slump. After claiming that their playoff hopes depended upon a win against the Chicago Bears last Sunday, the Bucs lost 27-24, and fell to their current 4-5 record.
Now the team enters tonight's game in true desperation, knowing that a 4-6 mark would make a playoff run nearly impossible, especially in a division where the Bears and Green Bay Packers are having surprisingly strong years. With all of that in mind, facing the Rams is the last thing the Bucs need right now.
The Rams enter the night as an antithesis to the Bucs. Riding an 8-1 record into the game, they rank first overall in the NFC in both total offense and defense. To make matters worse for Tony Dungy's team, quarterback Kurt Warner's injured thumb is fully recovered, allowing him to be more precise in his passing game. This was evident as the Rams picked apart the New England Patriots last Sunday 24-17. Running back Marshall Faulk should also be back at full strength. And against the Bucs defensive line, the Rams have a good chance at getting their running game going again.
While Tampa Bay defensive end Simeon Rice is well known for his pass rushing abilities, if the Rams run at him with their ground game, he'll be outmatched by nearly 100 pounds in Rams' offensive lineman Orlando Pace. The team's weakest point has been its turnovers, as it is tied with the Cowboys for 27, yet with Warner's recovered thumb this shouldn't be too much of a problem against the Bucs.
With their passing and running game on top of the ball, the Rams should have no problem jump starting their offense early to run the Bucs over tonight.
