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Detroit Lions predictions vs. Bucs: Tampa Bay a tough but winnable matchup at home

dave birkett, carlos monarrez, jeff seidel and shawn windsor, detroit free press
·3 min read
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Free Press sports writers share their predictions for the Detroit Lions' divisional-round playoff game Sunday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3 p.m., NBC):

Dave Birkett

This game won’t be the cakewalk some have made it out to be. The Bucs have a really good defense, a couple of dangerous receivers and they’ve played good football since the calendar turned to December. Tampa has allowed just nine points in its past two games and had a plus-eight turnover differential for the regular season. The Lions are the better team, though, with more avenues to win, as they proved in October. Stop the run, and Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown can hurt you through the air. Devote too many resources to St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs or Sam LaPorta are liable to have big games. The real ace in the hole here, too, is the edge the Lions get from playing at home. Last week’s game was as raucous an environment as I’ve ever seen at an NFL stadium and the party this week should be even bigger. I think the Lions give their home crowd plenty to cheer about early, and Baker Mayfield makes one costly mistake that sends the Lions to the NFC championship game for the first time since January of 1992. The pick: Lions 28, Bucs 20.

LIONS VS. BUCS: Dave Birkett's scouting report

Carlos Monarrez

The only thing the Bucs do consistently well is stop the run on defense and generate decent pressure without the blitz. Baker Mayfield is a gutsy overachiever, but the Bucs don’t have the offensive arsenal to keep up with the Lions’ offense, especially now that Jahmyr Gibbs has become a potent weapon. And if you thought last week’s game was loud, just wait. The pick: Lions 26, Bucs 24.

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Jeff Seidel

The Lions beat the Buccaneers, 20-6, in the middle of October. But that was a lifetime ago in the NFL. Both teams are different. But the Buccaneers still have a stout run defense. So, Jared Goff will need to have another highly productive, mistake-free game. But more than that, the Lions will need their fans to take their energy to another level if that’s even possible. Because that noise was a difference-maker against the Rams, forcing early timeouts that changed the ending. Do it again? Play smart, mistake-free football in a loud, crazy Ford Field and the Lions will advance. The pick: Lions 28, Bucs 21.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff raises his arms as the Lions beat the L.A. Rams, 24-23, in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024.
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff raises his arms as the Lions beat the L.A. Rams, 24-23, in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024.

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Shawn Windsor

Tampa’s defense matches up well with Detroit’s offense. The Bucs' interior line and linebacker play are particularly quick and physical, and that will make it tough for the Lions’ run game. Without a consistent run game, Jared Goff will have to make plays. In their first match-up, Goff did, while Baker Mayfield did not. But the difference was really a couple of explosives down the field, and if that changes this time — Mayfield had open receivers— then the Lions will find themselves in a tight game late in the fourth. Home field inches the Lions past the Bucs as they make one more play. The pick: Lions 23, Bucs 20.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions predictions vs. Bucs: Tampa a tough but winnable matchup