The Tampa Bay Bucs and New England Patriots are getting ready to face off in the second game of the preseason for both clubs, in what should be a healthy test for both clubs. While the Patriots are annually one of the best teams in the NFL, the Bucs are trying to convince people that last season’s 10-6 record was no joke. They dominated the Kansas City Chiefs in the first game of the season, rolling past them 25-0, and they appear pumped about making a statement against the Pats.
There are a wide range of game previews already written around the web, so if you’re looking for information on today’s game, here’s the link dump for you:
Five Things To Watch — The Tampa Tribune
Five Things To Watch — St. Pete Times
Offensive Players To Watch — Bucs Nation
Game Preview — SB Nation Tampa Bay
The Times and Tribune both highlight Gerald McCoy, as he’ll be playing in his first preseason game tonight after missing a large chunk of last season due to injury. Another player to watch is rookie Mason Foster, who will be getting his first try in a nickel formation.
Bucs Nation points to Legarrette Blount and Davin Joseph as key players to watch, as they both looked good in the preseason opener but will need to continue to prove themselves against the tougher New England defense. And of course, Josh “Starship 5” Freeman will be watched closely; he was superb against Kansas City, but if we had to nitpick, his timing was off on a few throws and he started off the game not terribly crisp.
Even if it means nothing in the standings and likely has little predictive value on how the season will unfold, tonight’s game should be an exciting one. Too bad Bucs fans won’t be able to watch it at home. Great job, NFL.
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