After two rough rides on the road, it's home sweet home for the Bucs.  I don't need to elaborate that point.    6-0 at Ray Jay tells the story.

     For some reason, and it could be warranted, but I don't subscribe to it; San Diego has a chance to come into Tampa and upset the boys.  Really now.  I grant you Quarterback Philip Rivers has improved by leaps and bounds, you can never take your eye off Chargers running back LaDanian Tomlinson, or Darren Sproles for that matter, and their venerable tight end Antonio Gates is a handful.  Last week, San Diego was down 11 to KC on the road and came back in the fourth quarter.  Nice, but so did the Bucs, by an even bigger margin.

     I fully expect this Bucs defense to do it's usual bend but don't break routine, especially at home where they are significantly more productive.  I do have concerns with the Gates matchup vs. Bucs secondary.  There is one way to help combat that; disrupt him at the line of scrimmage.  I also expect the Bucs will be thinking about San Diego testing their anemic run defense early.  On the contrary, I think San Diego will throw the ball early and test the Bucs secondary.  If successful, my pick this week is in serious jeopardy. 

     I am also growing a bit tired of hearing the same red-zone rhetoric from the Bucs.  Again, receivers are openly begging to be the go-to-guy....ala let the playmakers make plays.  We've visited this rodeo earlier in the season.  IT IS TIME TO DELIVER!  ENOUGH TALK! DELIVER!  San Diego's pass defense is suspect, so to borrow the slogan from that famous shoe manufacturer: "Just do it!" 

     We all know this week's playoff scenerio:  Bucs need to win, Atlanta needs to lose, plus Dallas and/or Philly needs to lose or tie and the Bucs are in.  Let's not worry about ATL, DAL, and PHL right now.  First things first.  Chargers 12-game December win streak ends.

                                              TK's Bucs Pick:  Bucs -3

                                              TK vs. Spread  9-2-2