Know Thy Enemy: Week 1: New York Jets vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Aug 29, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) on the sidelines during the first half against the Washington Redskins at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The road to MetLife Stadium for the Super Bowl begins, finally on Sunday afternoon, as the New York Jets take on Darrelle Revis and his new friends, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The schedule makers have a funny way of getting it right, having this homecoming occur on week one.

Anyway, time to begin the regular season version of “Know Thy Enemy”. This week’s discussion is with Leo Howell, editor of the Pewter Plank, our Fansided site for Tampa Bay.  Take a look at our discussion:

THE JET PRESS: How is Darrelle looking?  Do you think he will be ready for the game on Sunday as has been reported?

PEWTER PLANK: Yeah, Revis is going to be ready. He’s been ready for a couple of weeks, but was held back because the plan from day 1 was to be ready to play the Jets, not the Dolphins or Redskins in the preseason. There’s still a bit of unknown about him,but I the fact that there have been no setbacks is really encouraging. There’sonly 6 healthy corners on the Bucs roster right now, and one is an undraftedrookie. They would have more depth if Revis was a question mark at all.

TJP: Talk to me about Josh Freeman.  How has he responded to the competition fromMike Glennon?

PP: If there was a competition, Josh won it handily. During camp, Josh was runningevery play in the playbook in practice and slinging the ball around with ease.Mike Glennon had his ups and downs, but was not running the full offense. And asthe preseason wore on, Glennon proved that he’s definitely still a rookie.

Freeman is going to be fine. His worst season was the result of a team in themidst of one of the worst in-season collapses in NFL history. Otherwise, he’sbeen a bit of a roller coaster at QB but with a general knack for big plays andgame-winning drives.

TJP: Give our fans a name or two, that is new to the Bucs, that should have an impacton the game?

PP: You all know Darrelle Revis, and many will likely know Dashon Goldson. These twoAll-Pros need little introduction.

One guy who does need an introduction is Akeem Spence, a fourth-round rookiedefensive tackle from Illinois. He was brought in to replace Roy Miller, and atthis point I am ready to declare him more capable than Miller ever was. Spenceis insanely strong, like Miller was, but also has a nice bit of quickness thatgives him a much higher upside. He’ll be a headache for offensive lines who haveto focus on containing rising star Gerald McCoy on the other side of center.

TJP: What’s the most intriguing matchup to you onSunday?

PP: The Buccaneers’ linebackers and safeties against the Jets’ passing game. We allknow about Revis Island, but can the Jets find open receivers over the middleand control the tempo of the game using intermediate passes that attack youngsafety Mark Barron and questionable pass-defending linebacker Mason Foster? TheBuccaneers will be able to stop the run often enough, but can they stop theintermediate pass?

TJP: How about a game prediction?

PP: I believe the Buccaneers will control the game, but not post a blowout score. Iam predicting a 24-10 victory for Tampa Bay.

Thanks to Leo Howell for taking the time.  Check out his site, the Pewter Plank, as noted above.  For all things Bucs, he and his team do a great job.