 | | Jaworski on the Bucs |  |
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost two straight games and will continue to struggle unless they get improved play from Shaun King. Three weeks ago against Detroit, I thought King had a breakout game and would start showing some consistency, but he has taken two steps backwards. He is missing open receivers and not playing with confidence. If he does not improve, I would not be surprised to see Tony Dungy go to Eric Zeier.
Keyshawn Johnson has taken heat for not getting the football, but he was open six times against the Jets and didn't get the ball. Power running is still the foundation of the Bucs offense. But last week Mike Alstott looked like he was more of a ballcarrier than a runner because he fumbled the week before against the Jets. He was too protective and not really running with his instincts.
Defensively, the Bucs missed more tackles than normal against Washington, but I'm not concerned about the Bucs' defense. Monday's game is huge for the Bucs. They can't go 3-3 if they have aspirations of reaching the Super Bowl in their own stadium.
Five keys for the Buccaneers:
1. Consistency from King: This is the biggest key. The best way to get a young quarterback in rhythm is to throw the ball on first down, when he is playing against a base defense and a base coverage. In long-yardage situations, King will start to see nickel and dime packages, exotic coverages and zone blitzes. It becomes difficult for a young or a veteran quarterback to read. King needs to throw on first down to get comfortable. There is some frustration right now in the receiving corps. He has to get off to a fast start and let offensive coordinator Les Steckel set him up for success early.
2. Secondary must step up: Randy Moss is coming off one of the best games of his career, and Cris Carter is always a worrisome opponent. Donnie Abraham and Ronde Barber must do a job against the Vikings wideouts and get help from the safeties to keep the Vikings from big plays.
3. Better tackling: Believe it or not, the Vikings are the No. 1 rushing team in the league. That means the Bucs must return to their outstanding tackling. The Bucs practice tackling and have been one of the best tackling teams. Robert Smith is a solid north-south power runner. If they don't tackle well, Smith will have a big game.
4. Inside muscle: Against the Vikings, who like to run the ball inside, the middle linebacker must be strong. Jamie Duncan, who is questionable after suffering a concussion last week, or backup Nate Webster have to come up with big games. In a 4-3 defense, the middle linebacker must be a stud run stopper.
5. Better interior offensive line play: With the addition of center Jeff Christy and left guard Randall McDaniel, the Bucs have improved their interior. The offensive line was playing well earlier in the season, but they have since slumped. Right guard Frank Middleton has to strengthen his game, and tackles Jerry Wunsch and Pete Pierson must also pick it up. They have to play better to get to a championship level.
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 | | Salisbury on the Vikings |  |
The Minnesota Vikings are an extremely confident team. To a man, the players believe they are better than the 15-1 squad that got beat by the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game two years ago.
Most prognosticators picked Minnesota to finish in the middle of the pack this year, and the Vikings seem to have used that as motivation. Daunte Culpepper continues to prove the doubters wrong in leading the Vikings to an undefeated start to the season. Randy Moss turned in his breakout game of the season with three touchdowns last week. And the defense is playing better football than anyone ever expected.
Minnesota is running into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at a good time. The game is at home against a tough division opponent who might be starting to question themselves after two straight losses. The Vikings need to guard against overconfidence and remember that Tampa Bay might be starting to get desperate for a win.
Five keys for the Vikings:
1. Establish Smith: Robert Smith rushed for 134 yards last week, but he hasn't rushed for more than 100 yards against the Bucs since 1996. The Vikings, with the league's top ground game, have to establish Smith so the tough Tampa Bay defense can't tee off on Culpepper. If Smith is effective, the talented receiving corps can go to work.
2. Get Carter: The Vikings must get Cris Carter more involved in the passing game. Randy Moss has been the focus, but Carter should see more passes thrown his way, especially in the red zone. As Buddy Ryan once said, "All he does is catch touchdowns." Let him be the force he is capable of being.
3. Contain Alstott: Mike Alstott has five touchdowns this year and runs the ball with great authority. The Bucs are a physical team that likes to pound the ball and run it north and south. Conversely, the Vikings' defensive front is a little undersized. Their ability to contain the Bucs' power running game is key.
4. Substitute freely: Because the Vikings' defensive front seven are somewhat undersized, it will be important to rest them frequently. If Minnesota can keep its down linemen fresh, their ability to defend against the run will be enhanced. If it's close in the fourth quarter, the Vikings cannot afford to run out of gas. Tampa Bay has a tendency to beat on teams and wear them down. Minnesota needs to avoid that.
5. Avoid turnovers: Even though this is a home game, the Vikings need to concentrate on holding onto the football. Culpepper has done a good job protecting the football so far, but he needs to be vigilant against the Bucs. If teams turn the ball over two or three times against Tampa Bay and the Bucs win the time-of-possession battle, it will be very tough to beat them. |
Tony Dungy recaps the Bucs' OT loss and Tampa Bay's concerns heading into Week 6.