The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the more challenging schedules in the NFL in 2024, a slate that includes games against all four teams that made it to the Conference Championship round of the playoffs last year. And matters are getting serious quickly, as the Buccaneers' first road trip of the season doubles as a rematch with the Detroit Lions, who eliminated them in the Divisional Round last season.

The Buccaneers played Detroit tough in a very raucous Ford Field environment in January, taking a 17-17 tie into the fourth quarter before falling, 31-23. In Week One, both teams signaled that they are serious playoff contenders in 2024, as well, with the Bucs easily taking care of the Washington Commanders, 37-20, and the Lions holding off a very game Los Angeles Rams squad in overtime, 26-20. On Sunday, both teams will have an opportunity to demonstrate where they stand in the NFC hierarchy.

Detroit got the victory over Los Angeles with a relentless drive to start overtime, with their powerful offensive line forcing the ball down the Rams' throat. The Lions ran for 163 yards, including 45 by David Montgomery on the fateful possession. Quarterback Jared Goff, who got a well-deserved contract extension in the offseason, has multiple dangerous weapons in the passing game at his disposal, including All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, second-year tight end Sam LaPorta and 2024 breakout candidate Jameson Williams.

"They're very balanced, they're very strong up front," said Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles. "They can beat you both ways – running the ball or throwing the ball. They're a very physical team, very fast on the outside, very fast in the backfield, very athletic at tight end. They can beat you a bunch of ways. They don't have one way to beat you. You've got to be sharp on all accounts."

The Buccaneers are similarly loaded on offense, with Baker Mayfield throwing touchdown passes in the opener to Mike Evans (two), Chris Godwin and rookie Jalen McMillan. The team's backfield tandem of Rachaad White and rookie Bucky Irving helped the Bucs stay ahead of the sticks and convert nine of 13 first downs by combining for 182 yards from scrimmage.

Tampa Bay's defense also limited Washington in most areas beyond the electric scrambling of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. However, the Bucs are likely to be covering for the loss of multiple starters in Detroit due to injuries suffered before and during the Washington game. The defensive front could still be without starters Calijah Kancey and Logan Hall, both of whom missed the opener, while the secondary has fresh issues due to cornerbacks Zyon McCollum, Bryce Hall and Josh Hayes all going down against the Commanders. In addition, All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield sustained a foot injury late in the game and is also a question mark for the game on Sunday.

The Buccaneers and Lions have a long shared history due to the 25 years they shared in the former NFC Central Division (more on that series history below). They no longer play each other twice a season but, lately, when they do get together it is one of the NFL's marquee matchups.

GAME AND BROADCAST DETAILS

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) at Detroit Lions (1-0)

Sunday, September 15, 1:00 p.m. ET

Ford Field (capacity: 64,500)

Detroit, Michigan

Television: FOX (Local WTVT Channel 13)

TV Broadcast Team: Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Daryl Johnston (analyst), Laura Okmin (reporter)

Radio: 98Rock (WXTB, 97.9 FM), Flagship Station

Radio Broadcast Team: Gene Deckerhoff (play-by-play), Dave Moore (analyst), T.J. Rives (reporter)

Spanish Radio: 96.1 Caliente

Spanish Radio Broadcast Team: Carlos Bohorquez (play-by-play), Martin Gramática (analyst)

ALL-TIME HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

Sunday's game is a rematch of the final contest of 2023 for the Buccaneers, as the Lions prevailed in a Divisional Round playoff contest last January at Ford Field by a 31-23 margin. Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns but was picked off twice, including on his last pass of the season as the Buccaneers were attempting one final comeback. The game was tied at 17 apiece entering the fourth quarter but the Lions scored twice in the final period and a 16-yard touchdown catch by Mike Evans, who had eight catches for 147 yards on the day, wasn't enough to stave off elimination.

The Bucs and Lions are tied 1-1 in their postseason rivalry, as Tampa Bay won a Wild Card round contest at Tampa Stadium in 1997, 20-10. That was the Buccaneers' first foray into the playoffs after a 14-season drought, and their first postseason victory since 1979. The Bucs and Lions, who were both in the NFC Central at the time, had split during the regular season but the playoff game in Tampa on December 28 was all Tampa Bay. RB Warrick Dunn and FB Mike Alstott combined for 140 rushing yards and Alstott's 31-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave the Bucs a 20-0 lead that was enough to send them to the next round of the playoffs at the home of yet another NFC Central team, the Green Bay Packers.

The Buccaneers-Lions series dates back to 1977 and is one of the more even ones on Tampa Bay's list of won-loss records against various opponents. The Bucs had pulled to within three on the all-time ledger with wins in both 2019 and 2020, but Detroit fired back with a 20-6 win earlier this season to increase its lead to 32-28. The Bucs' regular season record in Detroit is also nearly even, at 15-16.

Detroit's win in Tampa in Week Six of last season included a strong performance from quarterback Jared Goff, who threw for 353 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, hitting All-Pro wide receive Amon-Ra St. Brown 12 times for 124 yards and a score. Detroit's defense limited the Bucs to 251 yards of offense and Mayfield was intercepted once, marking the only game all season in which he threw an interception but no touchdowns.

Prior to this year's game, the Bucs two recent wins in the series were both blowouts, at least in terms of the final score. In 2019, Tampa Bay left Detroit with a 38-17 win in Week 15, and almost exactly a year later went back to the Motor City for a dominant 47-7 rout. In the former game, the Bucs ran out to a quick 21-0 lead on three long touchdown passes by Jameis Winston, two to Breshad Perriman and one to Scotty Miller. Detroit rallied behind fill-in quarterback David Blough, eventually pulling to within seven points in the fourth quarter, but Detroit native Sean Murphy-Bunting ended any comeback thoughts with a 70-yard pick-six. In the latter game, Tom Brady had four touchdown passes by halftime so he ceded the second half to Blaine Gabbert, who threw two more. Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski were both on the receiving end of two of those scoring passes. The Lions avoided a shutout thanks to a 74-yard Jamal Agnew punt return touchdown, but the Bucs finished the game with a yardage advantage of more than 400 yards, 588-186.

The Bucs have a deep shared history with the Lions because of the quarter century they spent together in the NFC Central. Then the NFL realigned in 2002 and the five-team NFC Central became the four-team NFC North, with only the Buccaneers departing to start over in the more geographically accurate NFC South. Despite that split, the Buccaneers and Lions still saw each other frequently in the years that followed. In fact, from 2005-17, the two teams met eight times, with the Lions holding a 5-3 edge in that span. That included the two most recent meetings before the 2019 rematch, a 24-21 Detroit win in Tampa in 2017 and a 34-17 Lions decision in Detroit in 2014. Tampa Bay's best run in the series spanned that 2002 divisional divorce, with the Bucs winning six of the eight games played between 1999 and 2005.

The Buccaneers and Lions spent most of their shared 25 years in the NFC Central punting the series lead back and forth. The head-to-head record was tied at 5-5 after the first 10 games, 11-11 after the first 22, 15-15 after the first 30, and so on. Detroit did pull away a little bit in the first half of the 1990s by winning five straight, at a time when the great Barry Sanders was often tormenting the Buccaneers, but the aforementioned 1999-2005 run evened things back up a bit.

Even though last year's Divisional Round game was just the second time Tampa Bay and Detroit met in the postseason, it wasn't the first time they played what was essentially an elimination game. The Buccaneers visited Detroit in the final week of the 1981 regular season, with each team owning an 8-7 record. The winner would take the NFC Central crown and a playoff berth; the loser would be eliminated. The Buccaneers won, 20-17, keyed by an 84-yard Kevin House touchdown catch and a 21-yard fumble return by David Logan after a sack by Lee Roy Selmon.

The situation was very similar a year later when the Bucs and Lions matched up in Tampa in the penultimate week of the regular season. Due to a players' strike that shaved seven games out of the middle of the season, the Bucs and Lions were each 3-4 with two games to go. Tampa Bay rallied from a 21-6 deficit to win 23-21, then won again the next weekend against Chicago to sneak into the playoffs. This time, however, the Lions also won their last game and made the playoffs, too, at 4-5.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

• The Lions acquired cornerback Carlton Davis in a trade with the Buccaneers in March. Davis was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the second round in 2018 and he played in 76 games with 75 starts over six seasons with the Buccaneers. Davis recorded 324 tackles, nine interceptions and 73 passes defensed during his Buccaneer tenure. The trade netted Tampa Bay a third-round pick in this year's draft, which was used on Washington wideout Jalen McMillan, and also sent two sixth-round picks back to the Lions.
• Defensive lineman Patrick O'Connor, who is currently on Detroit's practice squad, appeared in 68 games for the Buccaneers from 2017-23. O'Connor actually began his career in Detroit as a seventh-round draft pick in 2017 and had a brief stint on Detroit's practice squad to start his rookie season but later that year ended up on the same crew with the Buccaneers.
• Tampa Bay Pass Game Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Coach Larry Foote played 13 seasons in the NFL, including one with the Lions. Foote started all 14 games in which he appeared for Detroit in 2009, recording 99 tackles and two sacks.
• Buccaneers Senior Offensive Assistant Tom Moore has spent more than four decades coaching in the NFL, and unsurprisingly that included a stint in Detroit. From 1994-96 he served as the Lions' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Wayne Fontes' staff, working with the likes of Barry Sanders, Herman Moore and Scott Mitchell. The Lions made the playoffs in two of his three seasons with the team.
• John Spytek is in his first season as the Buccaneers' assistant general and his eighth season overall with the team. His first job in the NFL was as an operations intern with the Lions in 2004.
• Lions Wide Receivers Coach Antwaan Randle El began his NFL coaching career in Tampa, serving as an offensive assistant for two years (2019-2020) and winning a Super Bowl championship ring to pair with the one he won as a player with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

SENIOR COACHING STAFFS

Tampa Bay:

• Head Coach Todd Bowles
• Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen
• Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach Kacy Rodgers
• Pass Game Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Coach Larry Foote
• Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey

Detroit:

• Head Coach Dan Campbell
• Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson
• Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn
• Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp

KEY 2024 ROSTER ADDITIONS

Buccaneers:

• C Graham Barton (1st-round draft pick)
• OLB Chris Braswell (2nd-round draft pick)
• G Ben Bredeson (UFA)
• TE Devin Culp (7th-round draft pick)
• CB Bryce Hall (UFA)
• RB Bucky Irving (4th-round draft pick)
• WR Kameron Johnson (UDFA)
• G Elijah Klein (6th-round draft pick)
• WR Jalen McMillan (3rd-round draft pick)
• G Royce Newman (W-GB)
• S Tykee Smith (3rd-round draft pick)
• CB Tavierre Thomas (UFA)
• S Jordan Whitehead (UFA)

Lions:

• CB Terrion Arnold (1st-round draft pick)
• DE Marcus Davenport (UFA)
• CB Carlton Davis (T-TB)
• G Christian Mahogany (6th-round draft pick…currently on NFI list)
• T Giovanni Manu (4th-round draft pick)
• LB Ben Niemann (FA)
• CB Ennis Rakestraw (2nd-round draft pick)
• DT D.J. Reader (UFA)
• CB Amik Robertson (UFA)
• RB Sione Vaki (4th-round draft pick)
• DT Mekhi Wingo (6th-round draft pick)
• G Kevin Zeitler (UFA)

ADDITIONAL 2024 CHANGES/DEVELOPMENTS OF NOTE

Buccaneers:

• As Todd Bowles enters his third season as the Bucs' head coach he'll be working with his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons. Last year, Bowles picked former Seattle Quarterbacks Coach Dave Canales to replace Byron Leftwich, but Canales departed this offseason to take over as the head coach of the Panthers. Bowles then turned to Liam Coen, who comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree with the Rams and most recently was the offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky. Three members of the Bucs' 2023 staff followed Canales to Carolina – Brad Idzik, Harold Goodwin and Joe Gilbert, which led to some other new additions on Bowles staff in 2024. Those include Offensive Line Coach Kevin Carberry, Pass Game Coordinator Josh Grizzard, Wide Receivers Coach Bryan McClendon and Assistant Offensive Line Coach Brian Picucci. In addition, long-time Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong retired in the offseason, so the Bucs brought in Thomas McGaughey as his replacement.
• Under Coen, the Buccaneers' offense is expected to employ quite a bit more pre-snap shifts and movement than it had in 2023, and Coen also plans to widen the variety of the types of runs the ground game employees. One of Coen's other key initiatives in an attempt to get a moribund rushing attack going is to give quarterback Baker Mayfield multiple plays to choose from in the huddle and at the line so that the offense runs into unfavorable looks less often.
• Despite having tight salary cap restrictions, the Buccaneers made it a priority to retain key players from the 2023 season who were scheduled to hit free agency. General Manager Jason Licht and his staff successfully checked off every item on their list of priorities, beginning with a new two-year deal for franchise icon Mike Evans. That helped bring the team's negotiations with quarterback Baker Mayfield to a conclusion. After Mayfield played the 2023 season on a one-year prove-it deal, his resurgence landed him a lucrative new multi-year contract. The Bucs were also able to re-sign linebacker Lavonte David and kicker Chase McLaughlin. With the other deals in the works, the Bucs used the franchise tag on safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and later inking him to a new contract making him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL.
• All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs didn't need a new contract for 2024 but he was entering the final year of his rookie deal and the Buccaneers were highly motivated to lock him in to a new long-term pact. That lengthy process came to a head on August 1, when the two sides agreed on a five-year extension that runs through the 2029 campaign and makes him the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL.
• In March, the Buccaneers traded cornerback Carlton Davis, who had started 75 games over six seasons with the team, to the Detroit Lions for a third-round pick in this year's draft. The Buccaneers eventually used that pick to select Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan.

Lions:

• Detroit largely overhauled its secondary for the second year in a row, with the additions noted above of Davis, Arnold and Rakestraw. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and cornerback Cam Sutton each spent just one season in Detroit after signing as free agents in 2023, with Gardner-Johnson going back to Philadelphia and Sutton being released and heading back to Pittsburgh. In addition, safety Tracy Walker was released by the team after six seasons and subsequently signed with the 49ers. If Rakestraw, a second-round pick out of Missouri, can take over in the slot, the Lions will be able to use 2023 rookie sensation Brian Branch more at safety, his original position.
• The Lions also saw one free agency defection from their highly-rated offensive line, as guard Jonah Jackson, a Pro Bowl selection in 2021, landed a three-year deal with the Rams. Zeitler, another addition noted above, has slid into that open spot on the line. Wide receiver Josh Reynolds, who had 78 receptions for 1,087 yards and eight touchdowns over the past two seasons in Detroit, signed with the Broncos.
• One noteworthy non­-departure for the Lions this offseason was Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson, who was a prominent candidate in the head coach hiring cycle. Johnson interviewed with the Chargers, Seahawks and Falcons and at one point appeared to be the favorite to land the Commanders job before he pulled himself out of consideration.
• After finishing last season with a 12-5 record and making it to the NFC Championship Game, the Lions spent the 2024 offseason locking up some of the core players on its roster to new long-term deals. First wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and left tackle Penei Sewell landed lucrative new contracts that run through the 2028 and 2029 seasons, respectively. That was followed by an even bigger deal, as quarterback Jared Goff sign a four-year extension worth $212 million.
• Kicker Michael Badgley was re-signed after he replaced Riley Patterson in December and finished the season in Detroit. However, Badgley suffered a torn hamstring while warming up for a training camp practice in July and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. That left the job to Jake Bates, who had signed with the Lions midway through June. Bates spent about two weeks in the Houston Texans' training camp as a rookie out of Arkansas last summer.

INJURY REPORT

Key:

DNP: Did not participate in practice

LP: Limited participation in practice

FP: Full participation in practice

NL: Not listed

Buccaneers:

• LB K.J. Britt (illness) – WEDS: LP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Not listed.
• LB Lavonte David (rest) – WEDS: NL; THURS: NL; FRI: LP. Game Status: Not listed.
• WR Mike Evans (rest) – WEDS: NL; THURS: NL; FRI: LP. Game Status: Not listed.
• DL William Gholston (elbow) – WEDS: LP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Not listed.
• T Luke Goedeke (concussion) – WEDS: LP; THURS: DNP; FRI: DNP. Game Status: Out.
• DL Logan Hall (foot) – WEDS: LP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Questionable.
• CB Josh Hayes (foot) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: DNP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Out.
• DL Calijah Kancey (calf) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: DNP; FRI: DNP. Game Status: Out.
• CB Zyon McCollum (concussion) – WEDS: LP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Questionable.
• S Tykee Smith (illness) – WEDS: NL; THURS: DNP; FRI: DNP. Game Status: Questionable.
• S Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: DNP; FRI: DNP. Game Status: Out.

Lions:

• DL Marcus Davenport (groin) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: DNP; FRI: DNP. Game Status: Doubtful.
• CB Carlton Davis (chest) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Not listed.
• S Kerby Joseph (hamstring) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: LP; FRI: LP. Game Status: Questionable.
• S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: DNP; FRI: DNP. Game Status: Out.
• DL D.J. Reader (quadriceps) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Not listed.
• T Penei Sewell (ankle) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: DNP; FRI: LP. Game Status: Questionable.
• S Loren Strickland (thumb) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Not listed.
• WR Isaiah Williams (abdomen) – WEDS: NL; THURS: LP; FRI: DNP. Game Status: Out.
• WR Jameson Williams (ankle) – WEDS: LP; THURS: LP; FRI: LP. Game Status: Questionable.

WEATHER FORECAST

Domed stadium. Outside: Mostly sunny. High of 84, low of 62, 5% chance of rain, 56% humidity, winds out of the SE at 5-10 mph.

GAME REFEREE

Head referee: Clay Martin (10th season, 7th as referee)

BETTING LINE

• Favorite: Lions (-7.5)
• Over/Under: 51.5

INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS (final 2023)

Buccaneers-

Points Scored: K Chase McLauglin, 120

Touchdowns: WR Mike Evans, 13

Passing Yards: QB Baker Mayfield, 4,044

Passer Rating: QB Baker Mayfield, 94.6

Rushing Yards: RB Rachaad White, 990

Receptions: WR Chris Godwin, 83

Receiving Yards: WR Mike Evans, 1,255

Interceptions: S Antoine Winfield Jr., 3

Sacks: OLB Yaya Diaby, 7.5

Tackles: LB Lavonte David, 134

Lions-

Points Scored: RB David Montgomery/K Riley Patterson*, 80

Touchdowns: RB David Montgomery, 13

Passing Yards: QB Jared Goff, 4,575

Passer Rating: QB Jared Goff, 97.9

Rushing Yards: RB David Montgomery, 1,015

Receptions: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, 119

Receiving Yards: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, 1,515

Interceptions: S Kerby Joseph, 4

Sacks: DL Aidan Hutchinson, 11.5

Tackles: LB Alex Anzalone, 129

(* no longer with the team)

TEAM STAT RANKINGS (final 2023)

Buccaneers-

Scoring Offense: 20th (20.5 ppg)

Total Offense: 23rd (313.0 ypg)

Rushing Offense: 32nd (88.8 ypg)

Passing Offense: 17th (224.2 ypg)

First Downs Per Game: 25th (17.6)

Third-Down Pct.: 10th (41.5%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed: 14th (7.04%)

Red Zone TD Pct.: 30th (45.8%)

Scoring Defense: 7th (19.1 ppg)

Total Defense: 23rd (334.2 ypg)

Rushing Defense: 5th (95.3 ypg)

Passing Defense: 29th (248.9 ypg)

First Downs Allowed Per Game: 21st (19.8)

Third-Down Pct. Allowed: 23rd (40.9%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt: 17th (7.86%)

Red Zone TD Pct. Allowed: 3rd (42.6%)

Turnover Margin: 9th (+8)

Lions-

Scoring Offense: 5th (27.1 ppg)

Total Offense: 3rd (394.8 ypg)

Rushing Offense: 5th (135.9 ypg)

Passing Offense: 2nd (258.9 ypg)

First Downs Per Game: 5th (22.1)

Third-Down Pct.: 11th (41.5%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed: 3rd (5.12%)

Red Zone TD Pct.: 3rd (64.1%)

Scoring Defense: 23rd (23.2 ppg)

Total Defense: 19th (336.1 ypg)

Rushing Defense: 2nd (88.8 ypg)

Passing Defense: 27th (247.4 ypg)

First Downs Allowed Per Game: 22nd (19.9)

Third-Down Pct. Allowed: 12th (37.1%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt: 22nd (6.97%)

Red Zone TD Pct. Allowed: 29th (66.0%)

Turnover Margin: t-16th (0)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

• After catching two touchdown passes in the season opener, wide receiver Mike Evans has now scored 590 points in his career. That leaves him just two behind former kicker Martin Gramatica (592) for the all-time scoring lead in Buccaneers history.
• With those two touchdown catches, Evans leap-frogged the Raiders' Davante Adams into 12th place on the NFL's all-time list in that category with 96. Evans needs three more scoring grabs to tie Don Hutson (99) for 11th place on that list.
• When linebacker Lavonte David takes his first snap on Sunday in Detroit he will have played in 183 regular season games for the Buccaneers. That will tie him with former tackle Paul Gruber for the fourth most games played in franchise history. Assuming he starts the game as usual, David will also tie Gruber for the third most games started in team annals.
• David also has 33.5 career sacks and needs 1.5 more to pass Chidi Ahanotu (34.5) for seventh place in franchise history.

NOTABLY QUOTABLE

• Head Coach Todd Bowles on what makes Detroit quarterback Jared Goff difficult to defend: "He makes plays. I mean, he's got a lot of weapons to go to, he understands the offense, he knows when to check it down, when to throw it deep, he's very comfortable in the system. Like I said, he's talented and he has a lot of talent around him."
• Quarterback Baker Mayfield on Lions cornerback Carlton Davis, who was traded to Detroit after six seasons with the Buccaneers: "He provides the game changing plays and the ability to do that. Obviously, he [has] good ball skills and he's very familiar with our guys, Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin]. He's covered them a lot in practice and whatnot, so we just have to be on the same page, give him some different looks, and not let him get a chance to make plays on the ball."
• Wide receiver Chris Godwin on returning to the site of the Bucs' final game of 2023: "I think we're more excited about the opportunity to go back there. It's a great environment. The fans in that last game, they were rocking. You could tell that they were excited about how good their team is and they have a right to be. From a competitive standpoint, it's fun to go and play in places like that."
• Outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka on trying to get pressure on Goff: "The biggest thing is stopping the run. They've got an identity [with that], so we've got to set our tone and understand what kind of game it's going to be. Getting after the quarterback is always part of the plan. Jared Goff has a good O-Line protecting him and they've got a good scheme, but like I said that run game is hard to step."
• Bowles on Buccaneers defensive back Christian Izien, who played outside corner against Washington but may be needed at safety this week: "He was a safety in college. He's the same way. He's feisty, he's tough, he's going to be around the ball and he's going to compete."