This Sunday, the Buccaneers continue their road trip with a 4:05 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Here, we preview the game and tell you where to watch and listen to it.
When the 2016 schedule came out, it was clear that Tampa Bay had a tough five-game stretch to open the season. The Buccaneers handled their week one matchup in Atlanta very well. As a result, they stand at 1-0 for the first time since 2012. The Cardinals are coming off of a 23-21 home loss to the Patriots last week, so they will be looking to rebound against the Bucs.
Jameis Winston got his season off to a hot start, tossing four touchdowns against the Falcons. The performance earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career. Mike Evans had a big day of his own, catching five passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. The numbers weren’t big for Doug Martin or Charles Sims, but both came up big as receivers out of the backfield.
The Buccaneer defense did a good job of getting after Matt Ryan, but the Atlanta offense still put up 24 after a late run. Robert Ayers, Gerald McCoy and Kwon Alexander came up with one sack each. Alexander was all around the field for the Bucs, making 17 tackles (15 solo). Roberto Aguayo was accurate in his regular season debut, making four extra points and a field goal.
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Now, Tampa Bay is set to square off with a perennial NFC West contender. The Cardinals boast one of the league’s top defenses in addition to a strong veteran offense. Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald will anchor the Arizona attack, looking to feast on the Bucs’ new-look secondary. On the other side of Fitzgerald, John Brown is another threat. David Johnson, who had a solid 2016 debut last week, will be the man to stop out of the backfield. Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu lead the way for Arizona’s secondary, which is one of the toughest in the league.
Bruce Arians has proven himself to be one of the top coaches in the NFL, and he will have his team ready for this week’s game. The Cardinals lost a winnable game to New England last week, so they will be looking to bounce back in a big way against the Bucs.
The last time these two teams met was in 2013, with the Cardinals picking up a 13-10 win at Raymond James Stadium. Larry Fitzgerald made his 80th career touchdown catch in the game, which is significant considering he just grabbed No. 100 last week. The Bucs had a lead late in the game, but Arizona scored the game’s final 10 points to steal a win. In the all-time regular season series, the two teams are tied at nine wins apiece.
WHERE TO WATCH: Fox will be broadcasting Sunday’s game, with Thom Brennaman taking the play-by-play duties. Charles Davis and Chris Spielman will have the analysis in the booth, while Pete Schrager will provide reports from the sideline.
WHERE TO LISTEN: 103.5 FM and 620 AM will broadcast the game in the Tampa Bay area. Gene Deckerhoff will assume his usual play-by-play duties, joined in the booth by Dave Moore and on the sideline by T.J. Rives. For other options around Florida, check here. Buccaneers.com and the Buccaneers’ mobile app will have the broadcast as well.
Satellite radio subscribers can find the Tampa Bay broadcast on Sirius 134. The Arizona broadcast will be on Sirius 81.
Next: Buccaneers at Cardinals: Five Game-Changing Players
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