The next matchup for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a big one as they host the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.
Both teams have matching 4-2 records, but the Ravens' level of confidence appears to be a tad higher than the Buccaneers' considering how each team has gotten to this point.
One of the reasons this Tampa Bay foe is riding high confidence-wise is because of the progression in the involvement of Baltimore running back Derrick Henry and his impact on the offense as a whole. Especially when it comes to the use and success of play-action.
“It’s very effective, because guys are trying to stop him before [Derrick Henry] gets started," Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said this week about the team's play-action ability. "They’re trying to hit the A-, B- [and] C-gap; it really doesn’t matter, they're just trying to stop him in the backfield before he gets to rolling and gets to the second and third level. That play-action is definitely effective.”
According to Sports Info Solutions, Baltimore is using play-action about 17 percent of the time, ranking 7th highest in usage this season. But it's not just about volume, because the Ravens are also successful at a rate that ranks them sixth in the league entering Week 7.
So it has not only been a significant part of the offense, but a successful part of it. And one that the Bucs are going to have to defend against well in order to win on Monday night.
For coach Todd Bowles' defense, that means defending it better than they have thus far.
While they are about middle of the pack in terms of how many play-action passes they've faced this season the Buccaneers defense is one of the better ones defending it, allowing a 65.9 percent completion rate through six weeks. But the eight yards per attempt and over 95 passer rating the unit is allowing is more worrisome.
However, there's potential hidden in the data that suggests Tampa Bay might do better against play-action if it finds a way to close out crucial takeaway opportunities.
With just one interception while facing play-action, the Bucs defense has also dropped three — which of course isn't good — but indicates better performance against that type of play might be on the horizon.
Of course, on top of a highly successful play-action offense coming to town this weekend there's also the super-intelligent Jackson at quarterback who rarely puts the ball in harms way.
The bottom line is, the Buccaneers have their work cutout for them this weekend.
