History
The Ravens lead the all-time series, 4-2, and have a four-game winning streak over the Buccaneers. Their last meeting was in 2018, when Baltimore prevailed, 20-12, at M&T Bank Stadium. Lamar Jackson completed 14 of 23 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown while Gus Edwards had 19 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Stakes
Baltimore is tied with Cincinnati atop the AFC North at 4-3. The Ravens are looking to win two straight for the first time this year and build momentum with the season almost halfway over. Tampa Bay (3-4) has lost four of its last five, but is still tied with Atlanta for first place in the NFC South where every team is under .500.
Key Storylines
How will the Ravens play in the fourth quarter?
Baltimore has averaged just 3.6 points in the final quarter this season, tied for 26th in the NFL. The Ravens were held to three points in the final period during Sunday's 23-20 victory over the Browns and barely escaped. Baltimore has already lost three games after leading by at least 10 points entering the final 15 minutes. Giving Tom Brady an opportunity to steal a game late could be costly.
Can the Ravens put consistent pressure on Brady?
Brady is just two sacks away from being the most sacked quarterback of all time. The Ravens would love to put him over the hump. He's already been sacked 10 times this season, and even if the Ravens don't sack Brady often, they hope to throw off his timing with pressure. Baltimore's pass rush had five sacks against Cleveland with a variety of players generating pressure. Brady is outstanding at anticipating blitzes, so Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald will have to be creative to keep Brady off balance.
Will the Ravens win back-to-back for the first time this season?
The best teams stack wins and the Ravens haven't done that yet. The Bengals seem to be hitting their stride in the AFC North, and Baltimore may have to keep winning to keep pace. Winning a second game in five days would build momentum as the Ravens approach the second half of the season.
Here are the players to watch for the Ravens' Week 8 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
QB Lamar Jackson
After starting the season hot against the blitz, Lamar Jackson has cooled against different variations of it in recent weeks. The Ravens need to get their passing game humming again, and now Jackson goes against a defense ranked No. 7 overall that likes to blitz a lot.
CB Pepe Williams
Williams played 62% of the snaps against the Browns as the third cornerback. The third corner is particularly important against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers because he's so adept at reading defenses and attacking the weakest link.
CB Marlon Humphrey
Humphrey will have the challenge of going against one of the NFL's premier wide receivers in Mike Evans, who has eight 1,000-yard seasons in eight years in the league. Evans dropped an easy, long touchdown pass last week and he'll be looking to atone for that on Thursday Night Football.
RB Gus Edwards
The Bucs run defense is their weak spot, as they rank tied for 16th in the league. The Carolina Panthers running backs D'Onte Foreman and Chubba Hubbard combined for 181 rushing yards against them last week. The "Gus Bus" got rolling against the Browns in Edwards' debut, and now it could be ready for more that it's warmed up.
C Tyler Linderbaum
The Ravens' rookie center has gotten off to a good start, but now he'll face his biggest (literally) test yet. Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea is a monster standing in at 6-foot-4, 347 pounds and he leads the Bucs with 3.5 sacks. This will be a test of Linderbaum's ability to overcome a size disadvantage.
Top Matchup
LB Patrick Queen vs. RB Leonard Fournette
Fournette leads the Bucs in pass receptions (34) and Brady looks for him quickly when other options are covered. Queen led Baltimore with 11 tackles in Week 7 and has been playing perhaps the best football of his career. He will be keying on Fournette as both a runner and receiver, and this will be another test for Queen's pass coverage and open field tackling. The more Queen neutralizes Fournette, the better Baltimore's chances to win.
