However, Buffalo's red zone defense is tied for fourth best in the NFL, allowing touchdowns on just 50.00% of such possessions. The Bucs have not been daunted by third downs when in those tight quarters, converting on 61.1% of their tries, which is not only significantly better than their overall third-down success rate of 48.0% but also the best rate in the NFL. Overall, Tampa Bay has scored a touchdown on 66.67% of their red zone possessions this season, which is tied for the fifth-best mark in the NFL. When and if the Buccaneers penetrate Buffalo's red zone on Sunday it will become a battle of heavy strengths. With the Bills defense drastically suppressing big passing plays, Fournette could once again play a big role Sunday on both the ground and in the quick passing game. Fournette came into Week 14 leading all NFL running backs with 58 catches (Pittsburgh's Najee Harris passed him and got to 60 on Thursday night) and his nine touchdowns are his most since his rookie season in Jacksonville. However, because he has emerged as such an important part of Tampa Bay's passing attack, Fournette is already into four digits in yards from scrimmage, with 1,067. Leonard Fournette needs to average 67 yards on the ground per game down the stretch to get his first 1,000-yard rushing season as a Buccaneer. His record in home games against number-one pass defenses is a shiny 8-0. This will be the 15th time he's matched up against the NFL's top-ranked pass defense, and he went 12-2 in the first 14. However, Tom Brady has been up for these sorts of challenges throughout his career. Buffalo has surrendered the fewest passing first downs (98) and the fewest completions of 25 or more yards (8). The Bills' defense also ranks first in yards allowed per pass attempt (5.66), opponent passer rating (62.9) and passing touchdowns allowed (8). Buffalo has the best pass defense in the NFL by a number of measures, including their league-leading mark of 165.3 yards allowed per game. Tampa Bay has not had a game yet in which it blitzed on fewer than 20% of the opposition's dropbacks. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Bucs have blitzed at a rate of 36%, which is the second highest of any team in the league. Would the Bucs consider adopting that strategy, given the results? It would be a major departure from their approach. In five of Buffalo's 12 games so far the opposing defense has blitzed fewer than 20% of the time, and the Bills have lost all five of those games. Overall, Allen has been blitzed on just 19% of his dropbacks, which is the second-lowest rate faced by any quarterback this season. This year, the opposition has taken a decidedly different approach, at least some of the Bills' opponents have done so. In each of Josh Allen's first three seasons, he ranked among the top three quarterbacks in the NFL in terms of how often opposing defenses blitzed him. The big tight end's ability to work the middle of the field gives Brady another ready option when facing two-safety shells trying to keep a lid on the outside passes. The Buccaneers have succeeded against defenses scheming to take away big shots downfield by having Tom Brady get rid of the ball quickly and distribute it to a wide variety of weapons, and that approach has worked particularly well since the return of Gronkowski in Week 12. On Thursday, Brady called Gronkowski the greatest tight end of all time and said that his long-time teammate is still catching, running and blocking as well as he ever has. His connection with Tom Brady, honed over many, many, many games together, manifests itself with subtle alterations at the line that lead to big plays, like his second touchdown in Atlanta last Sunday. He's done a lot of that this season not counting a Week Eight game in which he left after just six snaps, Gronkowski has played in six games and he's had two touchdowns in three of them. When Gronkowski is in the lineup, he's almost always one of the most entertaining players on the field, whether he's loping down the seams and through the secondary or grabbing back-corner throws over smaller defenders in the end zone.
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