Will a young star breakout on national TV?
As the Bucs are set to kick off their season in Dallas against the Cowboys, we here at Bucs Nation are also set to kick things off — predictions style.
Tampa Bay is currently 1.5-point favorites via DraftKings Sportsbook in Dallas. How will they ensure they’ll come out victorious Sunday night? Our staff weighs in with their predictions and Week 1 picks below.
Staff Picks
Gil Arcia: Rookie RB Rachaad White scores twice
White had a good camp and preseason and the staff is high on him. He’ll be involved often and Tom Brady will hit him on a dump off pass for a score while he takes in the other off a handoff.
James Yarcho: Defense drops the hammer
With the left side of the Cowboys’ line in question, the Bucs’ defense will put the pressure on full throttle. Look for the Bucs to get five sacks and two takeaways against the Dallas offense on Sunday night.
Evan Wanish: Forget JPP, it’s JTS time
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is looking to replace the production that veteran Jason Pierre-Paul had in Tampa and he will get off to a good start this week. JTS will have not one, but two sacks against a banged up Dallas offensive line Sunday night.
Mike Kiwak: Julio’s Big Day
Julio Jones is healthy, has looked strong throughout the offseason, and has a sleek new number. With Chris Godwin still iffy to return and Russell Gage having missed most of the last 5 weeks with a hamstring injury, Jones seems poised to be a primary threat on Sunday. I’ll say his impactful debut includes 6 catches for ~100 yards and a touchdown.
Chris Weingarten: Jamel Dean shows up, & shows out
Dean earned the starting cornerback position over Murphy-Bunting with a strong preseason camp. The loss of Amari Cooper during the off season, and Michael Gallup’s continued recovery from injury leaves the Cowboy receiving core in a weakened state. Look for Dean, and the entire Bucs secondary, to stifle the Cowboys air attack in a dominant performance. I see Dean breaking up 3-4 passes, & not giving up any plays over 20 yards.
Will Walsh: Antoine Winfield, Jr. starts vying for a spot on the All-Pro team
The Bucs safety is coming off his first pro bowl appearance and is poised for a breakout year. The young safety’s success has been on a steady incline since his arrival with the team as a rookie. He is a primetime player and the Sunday Night Football stage will be his playground. Antoine Winfield, Jr. will be involved in a turnover, record a sack and have 5+ tackles.