THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PREVIEW:
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT ST. LOUIS RAMS
Week 15 begins on Thursday night on NFL Network (8:25 PM ET) with the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-7) hosting the ST. LOUIS RAMS (5-8) at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
A look at the previous 10 matchups between the clubs, including the postseason, six of which have been decided by one score:
DATE
WINNING TEAM
OPPONENT
FINAL SCORE
January 23, 2000^
St. Louis*
Tampa Bay
11-6
December 18, 2000
Tampa Bay*
St. Louis
38-35
November 26, 2001
Tampa Bay
St. Louis*
24-17
September 23, 2002
Tampa Bay*
St. Louis
26-14
October 18, 2004
St. Louis*
Tampa Bay
28-21
September 23, 2007
Tampa Bay*
St. Louis
24-3
October 24, 2010
Tampa Bay*
St. Louis
18-17
December 23, 2012
St. Louis
Tampa Bay*
28-13
December 22, 2013
St. Louis*
Tampa Bay
23-13
September 14, 2014
St. Louis
Tampa Bay*
19-17
*Home team
^NFC Championship Game
St. Louis aims for its second consecutive win following a 21-14 victory over Detroit.
Rams rookie running back TODD GURLEY (Round 1, No. 10 overall) rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. It was Gurley’s fifth game this season with at least 125 rushing yards, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer ERIC DICKERSON (seven in 1983) for the most such games by a rookie in NFL history.
Gurley ranks fourth in the league and first amongst rookies with 975 rushing yards. He has also rushed for eight touchdowns in his past eight games.
On defense, cornerback TRUMAINE JOHNSON had a 58-yard interception-return touchdown in the second quarter against the Lions. Defensive tackles AARON DONALD (three) and MICHAEL BROCKERS (one) combined for all four of the Rams sacks.
“It was a total team effort,” says Brockers. “You saw performances from special teams, defense, and the offense today. It just shows how well we prepared we were and we put it all together.”
Donald is second in the NFC with 11 sacks and has led a defensive unit that has recorded 36 sacks this season, the second most in the NFC. Since entering the league in 2014, Donald leads all defensive tackles with 20 sacks.
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The defensive tackles with the most sacks since 2014:
PLAYER
TEAM
SACKS
Aaron Donald
St. Louis
20
Gerald McCoy
Tampa Bay
15.5
Kawann Short
Carolina
12.5
Ndamukong Suh
Detroit, Miami
12.5
Marcell Dareus
Buffalo
12
Tampa Bay aims to rebound following a 24-17 loss to New Orleans.
“When you lose, you want to play and get back on the field as soon as possible,” says Buccaneers head coach LOVIE SMITH. “We get our wish with the Thursday night game. The Saints are behind us with the Rams up next.”
Tampa Bay rookie quarterback JAMEIS WINSTON passed for 182 yards and a touchdown against the Saints. Winston now has 3,059 passing yards this season, the most by a rookie in franchise history. Buccaneers running back DOUG MARTIN added 86 scrimmage yards (81 rushing, five receiving) and a touchdown against New Orleans.
“The good news is we have a game on Thursday,” says Winston. “We have a quick turnaround. We are absolutely still in the playoff race. That’s how my mind works. I am going to make sure our guys know that as well.”
Entering Thursday’s game, Martin has scored six total touchdowns (five rushing, one receiving) in his past 10 games. He has also recorded at least 75 scrimmage yards in 10 of his 13 games this season. Martin (1,214 rushing, 199 receiving) currently ranks third in the NFC with 1,413 scrimmage yards.
The NFC players with the most scrimmage yards this season:
PLAYER
TEAM
SCRIMMAGE YARDS
SCRIMMAGE YARDS PER GAME
TOTAL TDS
Adrian Peterson
Minnesota
1,457
112.1
9
Julio Jones
Atlanta
1,426
109.7
6
Doug Martin
Tampa Bay
1,413
108.7
6
WEEK 15 – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2015
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-7) AT ST. LOUIS RAMS (5-8)
SERIES
BUCCANEERS
RAMS
THURS. RECORD
2-4
6-8
SERIES LEADER
12-8
STREAKS
4 of past 6
COACHES VS. OPP.
Lovie Smith: 4-1
Jeff Fisher: 7-1
LAST WEEK
L 24-17 vs. Saints
W 21-14 vs. Lions
LAST GAME
9/14/14: Rams 19 at Buccaneers 17. St. Louis K Greg Zuerlein kicks game-winning 38-yard FG with 38 seconds remaining. Rams RB Zac Stacy rushes for 71 yards & TD.
LAST GAME AT SITE
12/22/13: Rams 23, Buccaneers 13. St. Louis RB Stacy rushes for 104 yards & TD. Rams DE Robert Quinn records six tackles and three sacks.
REFEREE
Jerome Boger
BROADCAST
NFLN (7:25 PM CT): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson (field reporter). Westwood One: Bob Wischusen, Tony Boselli. SIRIUS: 88 (WW1), 83 (TB), 93 (StL). XM: 88 (WW1), 225 (TB), 226 (StL).
STATS
PASSING
Winston (R): 239-409-3059-18-11-85.4
Keenum: 26-48-260-1-1-68.1
RUSHING
Martin: 238-1214-5.1-5
Gurley (R): 189-975-5.2-8
RECEIVING
Evans: 57-889-15.6-3
Austin: 41-386-9.4-4
OFFENSE
363.8
297.9
TAKE/GIVE
+1
-1
DEFENSE
341.1
354.3
SACKS
McCoy: 7
Donald: 11
INTs
David: 3
Johnson: 5
PUNTING
Schum: 42.4
Hekker: 48.5
KICKING
Barth: 76 (19/20 PAT; 19/23 FG)
Zuerlein: 64 (19/20 PAT; 15/23 FG)
NOTES
BUCCANEERS: Rookie QB JAMEIS WINSTON reached 3,000 pass yards (3,059), most by rookie in team history…RB DOUG MARTIN has 1,215 scrimmage yards (121.5 per game) & 6 TDs in past 10. Had 119 scrimmage yards in last meeting. RB-PR-KR BOBBY RAINEY rushed for 144 yards in last year’s meeting…WR MIKE EVANS has 889 rec. yards & needs 111 for 2nd consecutive 1,000-yard season. WR VINCENT JACKSON had 5 catches for 98 yards in last game at StL. Rookie WR ADAM HUMPHRIES had 1st career TD catch last week…LB LAVONTE DAVID has 3 INTs (1 TD) in past 4. Since 2013, is only NFL player with 400+ tackles (406), 10+ sacks (10) & 5+ INTs (8). Leads team with 118 tackles. DT GERALD MC COY has 2.5 sacks in past 3. Had sack in last game at StL.DE WILLIAM GHOLSTON had sack in last meeting…
*
RAMS: QB CASE KEENUM has won 3 of his past 4 starts…RB TODD GURLEY leads NFL rookies with 975 rush yards & 8 rush TDs. Has rushed for 8 TDs in past 8. Rushed for 140 yards & 2 TDs last week. Has 5 games with 125+ rush yards…WR-PR TAVON AUSTIN has 17 career TDs (8 rec., 6 rush, 3 PR)…Are 2nd in NFC with 36 sacks led by DT AARON DONALD (11) & DE ROBERT QUINN (5). Donald leads NFL DTs with 11 sacks & has 13.5 sacks in past 12 at home, incl. 3 last week. Quinn had 3 sacks in last meeting at home. CB TRUMAINE JOHNSON had 58-yard INT-TD last week. Aims for 3rd in row with INT & has INT in 3 of past 4. Since 2009, LB JAMES LAURINAITIS is 1 of 2 in NFL with 15+ sacks (16.5) & 10+ INTs (10). S MARK BARRON was drafted in 1st round (No. 7) by TB in 2012.
