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Week Two: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) @ Detroit Lions (1-0)


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LIONSLOGOGDT.png.e5c6043c87de2a8e0ccccccb2712e801.png          vs.          BUCSGDT.png.517249e717d1cf25f6c3fefb02e53188.png

Setting: 09/15/2024 1:00pm EST on FOX

Site: Ford Field in Detroit, MI

Weather: Climate Controlled

Opening Spread: Lions -6.5

All-Time Series Record: Lions lead, 33-29

Last Meeting: 01/21/2024, Lions won 31-23 (2024 NFC Divisional Round)

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)

Head Coach: Todd Bowles (7th Season: 42-57)

Projected Starting QB: Baker Mayfield (7th Season: 41-46)

Last Week: 37-20 W v. Washington Commanders (0-1)

Looking Ahead to Week #3: Sunday vs. Denver Broncos (0-1)

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Your Detroit Lions (1-0)

Head Coach: Dan Campbell (4th Season: 25-26-1)

Projected Starting QB: Jared Goff (9th Season: 67-50-1)

Last Week: 26-20 W in OT vs. Los Angeles Rams (0-1)

Looking Ahead to Week #3: Sunday @ Arizona Cardinals (0-1)

BucsGDT2.jpg.6778661951e38a4133143326549ebe6a.jpg

 

Elsewhere in the NFL

Primetime: Bills @ Dolphins (TNF), Bears @ Texans (SNF), Falcons @ Eagles (MNF)

1:00pm: Raiders @ Ravens, 49ers @ Vikings, Chargers @ Panthers, Saints @ Cowboys, Colts @ Packers, Browns @ Jaguars, Seahawks @ Patriots, Jets @ Titans, Giants @ Commanders

4:05/4:25pm: Rams @ Cardinals, Steelers @ Broncos, Bengals @ Chiefs

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13 hours ago, MichiganCardinal said:

I think this is just injury insurance, unless Bates falls off a cliff. Bates was perfect on Sunday and without that we would have lost. He’s our kicker.

It's like picking up a 3rd string running back and stashing him on your bench in fantasy football "just in case." 😅

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On 9/9/2024 at 5:06 PM, gehringer_2 said:

I miss Tampa being a divisional rival. 4 team divisions are too small.

I actually have the exact opposite opinion. I LOVED when they went down to 4 team divisions. I thought when it was 5 teams in a division way too much of your season was spent on divisional opponents. When it was just 16 games a season combined with 4 opponents you had to play twice, half the season was just your division.

When half the playoff slots were decided by total record (3 division winners + 3 wild card slots) that meant playing in a weak division could give a team a HUGE advantage. Team A, in a weak division, might win 6 of 8, then win only 4 of the other 8 games giving them 10-6. Team B, in a touch division, might win just 4 of 8 games, but even having a better record outside of the division, say 5 of 8 still only ends up with 9-7 and Team A gets the Wild Card.

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12 minutes ago, RedRamage said:

I actually have the exact opposite opinion. I LOVED when they went down to 4 team divisions. I thought when it was 5 teams in a division way too much of your season was spent on divisional opponents. When it was just 16 games a season combined with 4 opponents you had to play twice, half the season was just your division.

When half the playoff slots were decided by total record (3 division winners + 3 wild card slots) that meant playing in a weak division could give a team a HUGE advantage. Team A, in a weak division, might win 6 of 8, then win only 4 of the other 8 games giving them 10-6. Team B, in a touch division, might win just 4 of 8 games, but even having a better record outside of the division, say 5 of 8 still only ends up with 9-7 and Team A gets the Wild Card.

this is all true, but an alternate solution to the valid problem you raise would as easily have been to play each division rival once, half home, half away each season. To me a football season is too short to play anyone twice.

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6 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

this is all true, but an alternate solution to the valid problem you raise would as easily have been to play each division rival once, half home, half away each season. To me a football season is too short to play anyone twice.

BUT... there's also the matter of the division winner getting an automatic playoff spot and home field advantage to take into consideration. So you kinda wanna make sure the division winner is really the best team and didn't get lucky in a game or two or have the advantage of playing the good teams at home and the easy teams in the division away.

So I don't mind, so much, having a melding of some emphasis on division without too much divisional games.

That said I know a lot of people aren't a fan of divisional winners automatically getting a playoff spot so another obvious solution is to simply award playoffs to the best teams in the conference regardless of divisional standing, and then getting some luck in the divisional games becomes meaningless.

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1 hour ago, Motown Bombers said:

Barnes has quietly developed into a solid player. 

 

It was also 20 more snaps than Jack Campbell saw. They’re at the point talent wise where that’s likely more an endorsement of Barnes than an indictment of Campbell, but all the same I’d probably like to see an 18th overall pick at linebacker be playing more than 56% of snaps in his sophomore debut.

I’m sure he’s developing fine though. It takes linebackers a while.

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2 minutes ago, MichiganCardinal said:

It was also 20 more snaps than Jack Campbell saw. They’re at the point talent wise where that’s likely more an endorsement of Barnes than an indictment of Campbell, but all the same I’d probably like to see an 18th overall pick at linebacker be playing more than 56% of snaps in his sophomore debut.

I’m sure he’s developing fine though. It takes linebackers a while.

I suspect part of this also might simply be the fact that we're a better, more talented team that we're used to seeing as Lions fans. In the past early draft picks for the Lions = starters their first year because the veterans regularly weren't that great and/or weren't developed/coached well. The new guy was thrust in the position, maybe before he should be been developmentally, because even as a rookie he was better than what we had.

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Marcus Davenport is now doubtful for Sunday's game. I get Holmes liking to take chances on injured players because of the contractual value they provide but come on, they gotta be on the field at some point. Availability is a skill. Two of our biggest free agent acquisitions aren't going to be on the field now if Reader is also going to be out. I really wanted Danielle Hunter and was bummed when we weren't even after the guy. Now our guy meant to be the pass rusher opposite Hutch is already hurt.

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4 minutes ago, sagnam said:

You don’t win it all in September and he was generating pressure.

Davenport hasn't played a full season in his entire career. He played in 4 games last year and in 3 different seasons he played 11 games and missed 5. True, you don't win it all in September, but if you're not on the field, you're not generating pressure. Davenport has a history of never being on the field.

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18 hours ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Marcus Davenport is now doubtful for Sunday's game. I get Holmes liking to take chances on injured players because of the contractual value they provide but come on, they gotta be on the field at some point. Availability is a skill. Two of our biggest free agent acquisitions aren't going to be on the field now if Reader is also going to be out. I really wanted Danielle Hunter and was bummed when we weren't even after the guy. Now our guy meant to be the pass rusher opposite Hutch is already hurt.

Reader is going to play.  That will kick Levi to the outside.  I would love to have Davenport due to impressive power but having Levi out there is going to be great.  When Levi needs a breather Paschal will go in and provide edge support.  

We leaned on Davenport a lot in the first game.  Ideally with Reader back there will be more of a rotation to reduce Davenports snaps, hopefully reducing injury.

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