Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws the balll into the stands after operating for a landing through the second half of the N.F.L. sport in opposition to the Detroit Lions at Ford Subject in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. Buccaneers gained 20-16. There are 4 undefeated groups within the NFC heading into Week 3 of the season and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stand out within the unique group.
Of the seven NFC playoff groups from final season, the Buccaneers are the one one to open 2-0 this season and can attempt to stay good once they play host to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
The Buccaneers earned a 20-16 highway victory final weekend in opposition to the Detroit Lions, delivering simply sufficient protection, and opportunistic offense behind quarterback Baker Mayfield, right into a 2-0 report for the fourth consecutive season.
“We’re not out to show all people unsuitable, we’re out to show ourselves proper,” Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles mentioned. “We’re hungry, we’re making an attempt to get to the playoffs and win the Tremendous Bowl. The identical folks which are patting us on the again are the identical those who had been speaking about us and anticipating us to win none.”
The frequent denominator in these earlier 2-0 begins is that none of them was a 3rd consecutive victory, together with a 25-11 house loss to the Philadelphia Eagles throughout Week 3 final season. The final time Tampa Bay went 3-0 was in 2005.
The Buccaneers exacted a measure of revenge with their win Sunday over the Lions, who eradicated Tampa Bay in final 12 months’s NFC Divisional spherical of the playoffs.
“We all know it is a lengthy season,” Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum mentioned. “We went 2-0 final 12 months and also you all noticed what occurred. So the management on this group has been holding us collectively and holding us grinding, staying humble and specializing in the Broncos.”
Humility is essential, particularly since Tampa Bay has the Twenty eighth-ranked protection in complete yards allowed at 381 per sport. They’ve offset that by permitting 18.0 factors per sport, tied for sixth finest within the league.
Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix will attempt to expose a Buccaneers protection that’s twenty ninth general in passing protection with 242.5 yards allowed per sport.
Denver (0-2) gave up simply 13 factors to the Pittsburgh Steelers final week on 117 passing yards, however scored on only a pair of fourth-quarter discipline targets from Will Lutz.
Nix had 246 yards passing final week however threw two interceptions and now has 4 in two video games, with no touchdowns. A kind of interceptions got here ultimately zone within the third quarter after Denver had superior to the Pittsburgh 6-yard line.
The empty drive was in any other case one to recollect, with Nix connecting on passes of 26 and 49 yards. Vast receiver Josh Reynolds caught the 49-yarder on a trick play and has 9 receptions for 138 of Nix’s 384 complete yards.
“(I am) happy with what he is doing,” Nix mentioned of Reynolds. “He performed rather well down the stretch. He (made) catches and (discovered) zones within the protection and received us some key conversions.”
Denver is twenty ninth in complete offense at 263 yards per sport and is one among 10 groups averaging fewer than 100 yards dashing per sport. The Buccaneers are also on that checklist.
The Broncos will lean right into a protection that’s ninth within the NFL with 277.5 yards allowed per sport. After Denver performs at Tampa Bay, it is going to keep on the highway and head to West Virginia to arrange for the New York Jets in Week 4.
“It is not a make-or-break, however we’ll have a greater thought of the place this group goes to be after these subsequent two weeks occurring the highway,” Denver head coach Sean Payton mentioned. “… Typically that may work as a constructive relative to your group being collectively the entire time.”
Broncos proper deal with Mike McGlinchey (knee) went on injured reserve Wednesday, whereas accidents have impacted the protection. Linebacker Baron Browning (foot), defensive finish John Franklin-Myers (concussion) and safeties Brandon Jones (foot) and JL Skinner (ankle) all missed apply Wednesday.
Gamers not practising for the Buccaneers on Wednesday: defensive lineman William Gholston (knee), deal with Luke Goedeke (concussion), defensive again Josh Hayes (ankle), defensive lineman Calijah Kancey (calf), nostril deal with Vita Vea (knee) and security Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot).
–Subject Degree Media