At the start of the season, it seemed unimaginable that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be able to travel to Lucas Oil Stadium at the end of November and win a game against the Indianapolis Colts. But now, that's exactly what many expect will happen Sunday.
Tampa Bay has won four of its last six games, including a 45-17 rout of the Philadelphia Eagles last week. No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston enjoyed his best game as a professional, completing 19 of 26 passes for 246 yards and five touchdowns. Doug Martin was nearly unstoppable out of the backfield, rushing for 235 yards on 27 carries. The Buccaneers are riding a two-game winning streak and are only one game behind the sputtering Atlanta Falcons for the final wild card spot in the NFC.
Though this is a road game for the Bucs, Winston seems primed to have a big day. The Colts' pass defense is the fourth-worst in the league and struggles to get to the quarterback. Indianapolis is 30th in the NFL in sacks.
On the other side of the field, 40-year-old Matt Hasselbeck will aim to keep the 5-5 Colts atop the AFC South standings. He's 3-0 in games he's started this season and will probably be under center for several more weeks. Andrew Luck is expected to miss up to six weeks with a lacerated kidney.
The Colts' defense has played well in all of Hasselbeck's starts, not allowing opponents to score more than 21 points. Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson returned an interception for a touchdown to tie up last week's contest against the Falcons early in the fourth quarter, and Adam Vinatieri followed with a game-winning 43-yard field goal towards the end of the period.
Hasselbeck isn't nearly as dynamic a passer as Luck, but the Colts still have a number of offensive weapons the Bucs should look out for. T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief are tough covers down the field for any pass defense, especially one that ranks 15th in the league. Ahmad Bradshaw has emerged as a red zone threat in recent weeks as well, catching three touchdowns over his last two games.
There's no consensus on his matchup between two playoff bubble teams, but Tampa Bay has a bit of an edge among the experts. ESPN's 13-man panel is favoring the road team by a 9-4 margin while CBS Sports' analysts are split down the middle.
Here at SB Nation, the Bucs are slight favorites as well, though three of our experts think the Colts will get the win at home.
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