The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are back at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday afternoon for a Week 3 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, and the stakes are already glaringly obvious for Tampa Bay.
The Bucs enter at 0-2, sitting as the only team in the NFC South without a win. With less than 3% of teams in NFL history making the postseason after an 0-3 start, Sunday has the feel of a game Tampa Bay has to have if it wants to keep its season from slipping away early.
Kickoff is set for 4:05 pm ET on Sunday, September 27, in Tampa, Florida. AccuWeather.com is calling for a hot, sunny afternoon, with temperatures expected to be 86 degrees at kickoff under mostly sunny skies before dipping to 81 by the end of the fourth quarter.
There are a few injury notes to keep an eye on as well. For Tampa Bay, OLB Rueben Bain Jr. (groin) and LB Josiah Trotter (shoulder) are out. For Minnesota, LB Ivan Pace Jr. (personal) is questionable, while P Brett Thorson (hamstring) and C Nick Samac (knee) are out.
If you’re watching on TV, the game will air locally on FOX. Kenny Albert will handle play-by-play, Jonathan Vilma will be the analyst and Megan Olivi will report from the sidelines.
Streaming options include NFL+ for in-market viewers and NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV for fans outside the market.
For radio listeners, the flagship broadcast will be on WXTB 97.9 FM with Tony Castricone on play-by-play, Dave Moore as the color commentator and Jay Recher on the sideline. The radio stream is also available nationally on SiriusXM Ch. 380.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Fans Have A Week 3 TV Map Problem To Watch
Week 3s TV map is one of those Sundays that can make Buccaneers fans do a little channel surfing before kickoff. The NFLs broadcast slate is spread across CBS and FOX with different early and late windows, and the leagues regional assignments mean what shows up on the screen can depend as much on where you are watching as on who you are hoping to follow. Add in the international matchup between Baltimore and Dallas in Rio de Janeiro, and the day has the kind of odd setup that can leave viewers checking listings more than once.
For Tampa Bay fans, the wrinkle is in the regional coverage, where market shifts can change which game is easiest to find and which one gets bumped to the background. CBS has the bulk of the early and late action, while FOX carries a single window, and each network has its own set of broadcast teams attached to the games. It is the sort of Sunday that rewards a quick look at the map before settling in, especially for anyone trying to keep tabs on more than one NFC storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers May Have Found A Defensive Difference-Maker Faster Than Expected
Josiah Trotter has wasted little time turning himself into one of the early stories of Tampa Bays season. The rookie linebacker has piled up 24 total tackles through the first two weeks, putting him among the league leaders right away, and hes already made an impression far beyond simple production. His debut was memorable enough on its own, and the Buccaneers have reason to feel encouraged by how quickly he has fit into the defense.
Trotters opening act has been strong enough to keep him in the weekly awards conversation, with Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week nominations in both of the seasons first two weeks. He has also drawn positive grades from PFF, a sign that the impact is showing up on the tape as well as the stat sheet. For a Tampa Bay defense looking for reliable difference-makers, the bigger question now is whether the rookies rapid rise is just the start of something even more disruptive. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Need One Offensive Change Fast To Avoid An 0-3 Hole
The Buccaneers have already put themselves in an early-season bind by starting 0-2 for the first time since 2014, and now the schedule quickly turns into a test of whether they can stop the slide. Minnesota is next, which makes the timing especially tricky for a Tampa Bay offense that has not yet found the kind of balance it needs to settle in and control games.
The biggest issue remains the ground attack, where the Bucs need a meaningful step forward to help offset what the Vikings do well on defense and take some pressure off the rest of the offense. Tampa Bays passing game has shown enough to keep the conversation alive, but without a more dependable run game, this matchup has the feel of one that could push the team into a much deeper early hole. [Read more 🡒]