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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to hit the road this weekend, as they prepare for an away matchup against the Detroit Lions.
In Week 1, the Buccaneers played a dominant game in which they routed the Washington Commanders 37-20 at home.
Tampa Bay was led by quarterback Baker Mayfield, who had 289 yards with four touchdowns on 24-for-30 passing. Nevertheless, the Bucs defense will also be a big component of the team’s success this season.
On the other side of a Week 2 matchup, the Detroit Lions are also coming off a win. Theirs came against the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 26-20.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff had a solid game against his former team, as he put up 217 yards on 18-for-28 passing. Detroit’s offense looked well-balanced and poised to make a long postseason run.
What’s At Stake
With both teams coming off a Week 1 win, the Buccaneers will have to play their best football against the Lions, who are looking to go 2-0 to start the season for the first time since 2017.
The Lions are among a rare group of teams in NFL history that have started their seasons against two straight playoff opponents from the previous season. Interestingly enough, this pattern seems to tie into a potential trip to the Super Bowl.
The #Lions are only the 4th team in NFL history to start with 2 playoff rematches from the previous season, and the first 3 teams all at least reached the Super Bowl that szn, per @ESPNStatsInfo.
Dan Campbell says it doesn’t matter who you play, you have to find a way to win. pic.twitter.com/qiKBY6lxX7
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) September 11, 2024
The Buccaneers will be short-handed, as starters Calijah Kancey, Luke Goedeke and Antoine Winfield Jr. will all miss Sunday’s game.
While this is an early regular season game, the Buccaneers have not forgotten about the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season, where they were eliminated by these same Lions. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield went on to talk about the team’s thoughts going into this weekend’s game.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield said you “can definitely sense it already” in their game prep this week vs the Lions, that this isn’t just another game — it’s the team that ended their season last year. “The memories instantly pop up and our guys are ready.” pic.twitter.com/7kvNRvrCR9
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) September 11, 2024
The Bucs also lost to the Lions in the regular season at home last year, adding on some extra fuel to the team’s fire.
Another storyline of the game comes from Lions cornerback Carlton Davis III. He will face the Buccaneers for the first time since he was traded to Detroit this past offseason. However, he doesn’t seem to have hard feelings for his former team.
Lions cornerback Carlton Davis III is facing the Buccaneers for the first time since they traded him.
"They’re just the next opponent in our way," he said. "I do have a lot of love for those guys over there, but on Sunday, it’s football." pic.twitter.com/SmdC1KaWPg
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) September 12, 2024
The Lions are currently favored by -7.5 and have a 65% chance to win the game, according to ESPN. However, the Buccaneers are ready to give them a challenge.
