Buccaneers
Sep 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) celebrates after beating the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Buccaneers VS Lions NFL Preview

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 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.

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.

 

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.

About Ava Baccari

Ava Baccari is a senior at the University of Florida studying sports journalism. She is from the Philadelphia area, and her favorite sport is basketball.

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