The Tampa Bay Buccaneers barely escaped Atlanta with a 23-20 win over the Falcons, and now will get another tough test when they face off against the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football.
The last time these two teams met was in a thriller back in 2023, Baker Mayfield’s first year as the Bucs’ starting quarterback, but it resulted in Tampa Bay dropping the contest 39-37 thanks to a coming-out party by then-rookie QB C.J. Stroud.
Both teams have something to prove in this one, and for Mayfield, he knows that the biggest threat to the Bucs’ plans of emerging victorious is the Texans’ defense.
Nov 5, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
“It starts with DeMeco Ryans,” Mayfield told team reporter Casey Phillips. “Just the type of guy he is, the type of leader, a guy who was a successful NFL linebacker– he’s going to demand that his guys play extremely hard, and that’s the one thing I remember [from 2 years ago]… They [Texans defense] fly to the ball… It presents a tough task for us, but we’ll see what we can do.”
Mayfield is well aware of the damage that a DeMeco Ryans defense can do. However, it was Stroud who stole the show in his first matchup against the Texans.
Houston’s defense might have been strong a couple seasons ago, but they have only gotten stronger since then. Edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. has only improved now that he is entrenched in his NFL career, and Mayfield will have his first chance of seeing Derek Stingley Jr. who missed the 2023 game with an injury. Add in that legendary edge Danielle Hunter is also now coming off the line for the Texans, and Ryans’ defense could cause a number of issues for Mayfield and the Bucs’ makeshift offensive line.
The game will likely come down to which defense can get a stop on the opposing offense. The Bucs might have the advantage defensively over the Texans as they deal with several injuries and a maligned offensive line. The real struggle will be offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard getting the ball out of Mayfield’s hands early while establishing the run game if they hope to combat the Texans’ swarming defense.
