Tampa Bay @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 27, 2016 ) Seattle 5, Tampa Bay 14

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson is the mix for NFL MVP honors at the midway point of the season and looks to continue his stellar campaign when the Seahawks host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Wilson leads the NFL with 17 touchdown passes and has been intercepted only once in 250 attempts while posting a league-best 115.5 rating.

Wilson has completed at least 70 percent of his passes in five different games and has tossed two or more scoring passes six times in a spectacular campaign but he is fearful of the Tampa Bay front seven. "Their whole front is a really tough, tough front to face - they're physical, they're big, they're fast," Wilson said during a press conference. "We got our hands full. We have to be great. We've got to execute our game plan and do what we do best." Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians saw a lot of Wilson when he faced him twice per year as coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2013-17 and remains impressed. "Russell's a really smart guy and he doesn't take many chances," Arians told reporters. "He doesn't take a lot of chances, but he is a great deep ball thrower. When he throws it, it's coming down over the outside shoulder."

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Seahawks -5. O/U: 52.5

ABOUT THE BUCCANEERS (2-5): Tampa Bay is mired in a three-game slide and quarterback Jameis Winston has thrown seven interceptions in the past two games to sabotage performances of 400 and 301 yards. "If you're going to get beat, let them beat us," Winston, who has passed for 2,072 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, told reporters. "We don't want to beat ourselves, and I have to do a better job of living that up. ... It's just a standard." The Buccaneers rank 30th in scoring defense at 30.3 points per game and 31st in passing defense (285.9 yards per game) but have been superb against the run, allowing an NFL-low 68.6 yards per game.

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (6-2): Receiver DK Metcalf caught two touchdown passes in last week's 27-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons and his 402 receiving yards rank second among NFL rookies. Running back Chris Carson has become a workhorse with five straight games of 20 or more carries and his 659 rushing yards ranks fifth in the NFL. Seattle continues to have trouble keeping players in the back end healthy as safety Tedric Thompson (shoulder) will undergo season-ending surgery, and recent acquisition Quandre Diggs (hamstring) is unlikely to play but starter Bradley McDougald (back) will be back at full strength after sitting out two weeks ago and playing just 11 defensive snaps last week against Atlanta.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Buccaneers have won four of the past five meetings, including a 14-5 victory Nov. 27, 2016 in the most recent matchup.

2. Seattle WR Tyler Lockett caught six passes for 100 yards against Atlanta, his second-highest yardage effort of the season.

3. Tampa Bay LB Shaquil Barrett is tied for the NFL lead with 10 sacks in his first season with the team after having 14 in four seasons with Denver.

PREDICTION: Seahawks 34, Buccaneers 21