This team clearly lacks direction and Morris might not make it past this season. His team has lost four straight and has not been competitive in many of its games.

This franchise is clearly in the midst of a youth movement. At 33, Morris is the youngest coach in the NFL. The new GM, Mark Dominik is only 37 and a number of his personnel moves reflect his relative inexperience.

Eleven-time Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks was shown the door as was running back Warrick Dunn. But the most costly loss could be longtime defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

Tampa’s defense is a shell of what it once was and Kiffin could have helped.

The Bucs rank 27th in the league in offensive yardage and 29th in scoring. Rookie quarterback Josh Freeman is experiencing the same growing pains as Mark Sanchez and his performance last week epitomized his struggles.

With eight trips inside the Panthers’ 30-yard line, the Buccaneers came away with only two field goals. Freeman threw five interceptions and consistently made bad decisions in the red zone.

Like Sanchez, he is struggling with his reads and accuracy. With one of the more confusing defenses in the league and a renewed pass rush, the Jets should be able to force Freeman into mistakes.

The Jets must disguise their coverages and attack him from different angles with their blitz. The Jets are one of the best teams in the league at using their DB’s to bring pressure off the edge and should continue this pattern against Freeman.

Pressure from different parts of the field from different players will force the rookie to speed up his decision-making and to release the ball faster than he would like. This should afford the Jets’ secondary some opportunities to make plays on the ball.

Morris will alter the offensive game plan to rely more on his running game but the change may not translate into more points. The Jets’ defense has been particularly stingy lately and has given up only one touchdown in its last 8 quarters.

Tampa Bay’s offensive line has some talent but it is undeveloped and will need more time together before it can control the line of scrimmage. Their average age is 26, which explains why this group is so inconsistent and error prone.

At 28, center Jeff Faine is the veteran of the group. He is quick off the snap and does a good job of pulling on traps and counters. He is also a brawler and can get it done in tight quarters.

The Bucs are strongest up the middle with Faine and RG Davin Joseph being their most consistent blockers. They really miss LG Aaron Sears who has been out with a concussion.

His replacement, Jeremy Zuttah, needs to get stronger and can be overpowered by bull rushers. This should favor Marques Douglas and the Jets’ rotation of defensive linemen on passing downs. Zuttah tends to play upright and will struggle versus stronger defenders.

RT Jeremy Trueblood tends to commit a lot of penalties so the Jets should have opportunities to throw him off his game with overloaded fronts to his side.

The Buccaneers’ feature back, Cadillac Williams, has only 572 yards on the season but that is due to a shortage of carries. Tampa Bay’s defense has been so bad that its offense must often play catch up and put the ball in the air more it they would like.

Williams averages 4.0 yards per carry, which equals the NFL average. Look for the Jets to crowd the line and force Freeman to beat them through the air. With the NFL’s best pass defense, the Jets can afford to dare the rookie QB to beat them with his arm.

Williams was one of the more celebrated backs to come into the NFL in recent years but injuries have slowed his progress. He missed most of the 2007 season with a knee injury then tore his patellar tendon after six games in 2008.

These injuries have affected his burst and acceleration, which were what made him such a dangerous back in the first place.

To complement Williams, the Bucs have former Giant (and Jet) Derrick Ward who has a more physical running style. Ward is averaging just under 8 touches per game and will be used to spell Williams and in short yardage situations.

Ward has great lower body strength and balance and gets a lot of yards after contact. He presses the hole quickly and reads blocks well.

Ward and Williams make a nice tandem but neither is a game breaker and the Jets should be able to keep them in check.

Antonio Bryant is the team’s best receiver but he has been inconsistent throughout his career. Off the field issues have undermined his talent which is considerable.

At 6-1, 205 Bryant has ideal size for the position and the speed to match. He has quick feet and good agility, which allow him to get off press coverage.

He presents a good challenge for Darrelle Revis who will be shadowing him all game. Bryant has a stellar 17.6-yard average per catch and can make the big play deep.

Fantasy football fans across the country will be sitting Bryant this week. With Revis defending him, that is the only information they will need in order to make a decision on his playing status.

Revis should have a clear advantage here and the only way Bryant has a big game is if Revis gets overconfident. Don’t bet on it.

Revis is so humble and hard working that he rarely has a letdown against a lesser opponent.

The Bucs' other playmaker is Kellen Winslow, Jr. who should be a key target for Freeman. The rookie will look to his tight end early and often, especially as a hot read when the Jets bring the blitz.

Winslow is probably the most talented player on this offense and can be used in a variety of ways. He can be lined up in tight, in the slot or even flexed out wide.

Look for the Buccaneers to move him around in the formation in order to get a mismatch and take advantage of his athleticism. He has excellent burst out of his breaks and creates separation when matched up with linebackers.

Winslow has been banged up throughout his career and this year is no different. He was limited in practice this week due to a knee injury but will play on Sunday.

His injury may level the playing field for the Jets’ linebackers who must to cover him. David Harris and Bart Scott are the Jets’ best cover ‘backers but neither matches up well against Winslow.

If both can be physical with him at the line he will have a tough time getting into his routes. His injury will limit his aggressiveness and make it easier to jam him at the line. This should throw off his timing with Freeman.

The Jets match up extremely well against this offense, which has a below average running game and does not score a lot of points.

Their offensive line is talented but inexperienced and error prone. The Jets’ blitz will be used early and often to disrupt Freeman and his young offensive line.

Tampa Bay has been able to generate yardage in some games but much of it has come between the 20’s. They simply do not have the playmakers to score a lot of points and many of their drives stall as a result.


Keys

• Confuse Freeman with disguised coverages and blitz him from all angles. He is making bad decisions and this should continue if the Jets can rush his throws.

• Overpower reserve guard Jeremy Zuttah with bull rushes. He is not strong enough and plays too upright to handle the Jets’ linemen.

• Harris and Scott must be physical with Winslow at the line. His injury should diminish his aggressiveness and make it difficult for him to get off the line.

• This seems to be a key every week – Revis must shut down his opponent. Antonio Bryant is Bucs’ most gifted wide receiver and without him, Freeman will have a tough time sustaining drives.