Tampa Bay has already tripled its win total from last season and has a chance to finish with a non-losing record for the first time in six years. QB rating is imperfect (always that caveat) but other than the aforementioned four games, Mariota hasn’t cracked 85 in ratings and has more games in the 60s (4) than the 100s (3).
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INJURY UPDATE Bucs will be without WR Vincent Jackson (knee) and DT Akeem Space (ankle). It appears as if the Buccaneers made a wise decision selecting Winston No. 1 overall in the National Football League draft. The return of Jenkins will be a huge plus for what has been a solid Rams passing defense this season. They’ve managed to lose three of their most talented players on the defensive side of things, but were able to pull it together against the Lions last week.
Nevertheless, if the Rams are to win this contest, they will need the ground game to be just as effective, if not more effective, than it was last week. The Rams have also had a tough time over their last three games against the pass as well, allowing 268 yards to opposing quarterbacks. A live streaming radio broadcast of the Buccaneers Vs. Rams can also be accessed via this link. The Bucs have 143 penalties this season and average 10.2 per game on the road. Todd Gurley really has been the only offensive bright spot for the Rams this season.
But the Bucs have the opportunity to quickly put that behind them in an inconsistent campaign that has seen them just about alternate wins and losses – a victory then would be the logical conclusion again if they are to keep up that sequence.
But I believe that Gurley could be worth taking on here considering neither team looks the most reliable for betting purposes in terms of what they will produce on any given game day. Dirk Koetter has really been attempting to keep Winston from throwing that much.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher praised Bucs rookie QB Jameis Winston for his development and specifically mentioned getting it done on third down. Obviously Gurley is an incredible talent, but he is dinged up and the Bucs have been aggressive. These two have hit the under in five straight meetings as well.
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Rams running back Todd Gurley, who was limited in practice Wednesday, was listed as probable and expected to play.
