After suffering through poor quarterback play for the past five seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hopeful they now have their franchise signal-caller. Top draft pick Jameis Winston takes his first NFL snaps when the Bucs take on the upstart Vikings, who haven’t lost a preseason game under head coach Mike Zimmer.
ODDS
No surprises in the opening line here with Minnesota a 3.5-point favorite and a total of 36. The Vikings get the edge being the home team and are 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS during the preseason in head coach Mike Zimmer’s tenure.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
The Buccaneers are excited to see first overall pick Jameis Winston take his first NFL snaps but it’s unclear what head coach Lovie Smith’s plans are for him. He’s been named the team’s starter and comes in as the savior for a franchise that has won just six games in the past two seasons. That’s a lot to ask of a young man and many have failed under similar circumstances. It’s imperative that Smith get his young signal-caller as many reps without hindering the development of other players. The good news is that the Bucs quarterback spot is set with Mike Glennon the backup and Seth Lobato the third-stringer. Glennon started 13 games for the Bucs as rookie in 2013 and had five starts last season.
An extra preseason game allows coaches to further evaluate their talent and Mike Kafka and Taylor Heinicke got valuable reps in Sunday’s Hall of Fame Game. Both completed 7 of 10 attempts in their battle for the No. 3 job after starter Teddy Bridgewater was 5 of 6 on the team’s opening drive. We’re likely to see the Vikes’ starter for a series against the Bucs before backup Shaun Hill takes over. Last year in St. Louis, Hill filled in competently for an injured starter but shouldn’t be mistaken for a first-stringer. He didn’t play Sunday and will likely get a few series in against the Bucs before Kafka and Heinicke continue their battle.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
It’s obvious on a number of fronts that Vikings’ head coach Mike Zimmer cares about the preseason and how his team performs. An angry coach ended the team practice early on Thursday after a lackluster effort from his players. He called it a “terrible practice” saying it wasn’t up to his standards. Asked what he didn’t like about practice, Zimmer responded, “Everything.” He even had the players run a lap. The Vikings are a trendy postseason pick with the return of Adrian Peterson and a youthful roster and Zimmer was happy with Sunday’s 14-3 win over Pittsburgh in the Hall of Fame Game, but still he knows his club can’t afford to take days off in camp. Sunday’s win kept Zimmer’s straight up record perfect at 5-0 in preseason games.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“He’s got a short memory,” Bucs quarterback coach Mike Bajakian said of Winston. “We use the term snap-and-clear all the time. Every snap is an independent event. No snap, whether good or bad, determines the outcome of the next snap. So he does a good job of putting the previous snap behind him.”
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
There are plenty of positions open on a team that won just two games a season ago and the Bucs are open for business. In today’s NFL most teams have several running backs split carries depending on the situation. The Bucs have three experienced backs with all expected to have a role in the team’s offense. But who the “starter” is has yet to be determined. Doug Martin has the inside track now that he’s healthy, but it remains to be seen if he can get back to the form of his rookie year when he rushed for 1,454 yards. Bobby Rainey and Charles Sims are also competing for snaps. Mike James has moved up the depth chart in camp and is getting a longer look after totaling 332 yards in limited carries over the last two seasons.
INJURIES
With Adrian Peterson back in the NFL, fans of the Vikings’ stud running back will have to wait until the real season begins before getting a glimpse. Peterson has not had a preseason carry in the NFL since 2011 and clearly doesn’t need the reps, even though he missed 15 games last season. He sustained a thigh injury in practice and was likely to sit anyway.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Head coach Mike Zimmer believes every time you play a game it’s important and puts a lot of emphasis on the preseason games with his record proving that. The Vikings are undefeated in the preseason under him and a recent explosion at practice will likely spark a fire under the team. Zimmer scolded his players after a recent practice and with guys fighting for jobs that has to be motivating.
Minnesota 22, Tampa Bay 15
The NFL betting lines for this Saturday game were first available at BookMaker sportsbook. The Vikings were pegged as 3.5-point chalk while the total opened at 36. Live wagering during commercials offers adjusted moneylines, totals and spreads. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
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