Bucs ready for revenge match with Lions on Sunday

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Published  September 11, 2024 6:01pm EDT
FOX 13 News

TAMPA, Fla. - It's one they've had circled on their calendar for a while.

"You can definitely sense it already within our building," said Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The Bucs' Week 2 game is, in fact, less a game and more a reminder of what could have been a season ago.

READ: Bucs fans celebrate victory in season opener against Commanders

"Every season is a new season, but looking back at the shots we missed, it's frustrating," Mayfield said.

Sunday's meeting between the Bucs and Lions in Detroit serves as a chance for those wearing Pewter and Red to exact revenge on the team that didn't just beat them twice last season, but eliminated them in the divisional round of the playoffs.

"The memories instantly pop up and our guys are ready," said Mayfield. "It's obviously a topic of conversation that they ended our year, so it's been one that we've been looking forward to."

DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 21: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers covers his ears to hear a play call during the second quarter of an NFL divisional round playoff football game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 21, 2024 in Detr …

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Others, however, are cautious to build up this marquee matchup as anything more than another game on the Bucs' schedule.

"To be honest, I don't know if we think of it as a measuring stick of anything because at the end of the day it's Week 2," said receiver Chris Godwin. "Let's say we win. We still have 15 more games to play. This is not going to be the one that makes or breaks our season."

With these two teams meeting for the third time in the last calendar year, meanwhile, the Bucs will try to lean on those past experiences to leave Detroit with a win.

"It comes down to us handling it," said Mayfield. "Their mentality is always to be the most physical, so we have to be ready for that, be the more physical team and bring that early and often."

By taking lessons learned from the past, the Bucs hope to learn a little more about themselves by the end of the weekend.

"It's a long season, but we can learn a lot from this one," admitted Mayfield.

The Bucs and Lions kickoff at 1 p.m. on FOX 13 with both teams looking to stay perfect on the season.

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