Game Info
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Arizona Cardinals
Sunday – December 25 – 7:20 p.m.
TV: NBC
State Farm Stadium – Glendale, AZ
Records Before the Game
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8, 2-4 Away)
Arizona Cardinals (4-10, 1-7 Home)
This season has been a disaster for both of these teams. The Buccaneers were slated to have the inside track to go back to the Super Bowl while the Cardinals were making a move to gain control of the NFC. The Buccaneers are heading to the playoffs, leading their division with a losing record. The Cardinals are trying to figure out what to do next as a team. Let’s take a closer look at this week’s Christmas night match up.
NFC at a Glance
The NFC East was once said to be the weakest division in football could possibly have all 4 teams make the playoffs. The NFC North has been wrapped up by the Minnesota Vikings while the Detroit Lions are trying to make their way into the post-season. The NFC South is led by Tampa Bay while the NFC West has seen the San Francisco 49ers clinch the division and the Seattle Seahawks gearing up for a playoff appearance. Keep an eye on this game because it has playoff implications tied to it.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback Tom Brady has been struggling as of late. He’s never the player to be blamed because he’s the best. In the Buccaneers last 5 games, the Buccaneers are 2-3. The Bucs have dropped games to Cincinnati, San Francisco and Cleveland. This game is so important for the Bucs trying to gain more separation in their division. The x-factor will be the running game and defense on the road. A loss would give the Saints a shot at making the playoffs.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have fallen apart with injuries, a struggling passing game and poor execution in their last 4 games. The team is trying to gain some type of footing just to get a win. The offense is scoring 20.9 points a game while the defense is giving up 26.6 on that side of the ball. When you look at the team on paper, they should be 11-3, but injuries have decimated this team all season long. The x-factors will be quarterback Trace McSorley and wide out DeAndre Hopkins this week. If they can get on the same page they could have some big gains and upset the Bucs.
Prediction
ESPN has the Buccaneers with a 77% chance of winning this one. The over/under is 40.5, so take the under in this one. I’m taking the Buccaneers by 13! Tom Brady knows it’s crunch time and with experience comes success.
Final Score
Buccaneers – 30
Cardinals – 17
