TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — As you can imagine — one of the biggest challenges going into Sunday’s Divisional Round against the Detroit Lions, who just won its first playoff game in 32 years, is the atmosphere
“Just talking to some of those Rams guys, they said it was the loudest thing they’ve ever heard. So, we have to be completely ready for that. It just comes down to everybody knowing exactly what our game plan is — all the calls,” Bucs’ quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “Two and from because there could be certain times they might not hear certain things. They might plug and play some of the words. So, just everybody doing the mental work to prep for that, but it should not be a surprise to us. It’s going to be a great atmosphere.”
“We saw them against the Rams. It was a pretty cool video. There were like 16,000 people singing ‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem. I’m like, that’s pretty cool, but just being locked in, we’re gonna have a good week dial of the silent cadence and everything. It’s going to be tough, but that’s part of it. That’s playoffs on the road,” Bucs’ offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs said.
Another challenge the Bucs will face is Detroit’s high-powered offense led by quarterback Jared Goff. He threw for 353 yards and two touchdowns in Week 6 against the Bucs earlier this year.
Linebacker K.J. Britt says he is the best he has seen on film.
“We just have to make sure we get the throwing windows and make sure we’re taking away what he’s really good at, and he knows what he’s good at, so we’re just gonna try and make sure that we limit him because he’s a really good quarterback,” Britt said.
“We’re gonna have to get pressure on him when we can. When we cover in the backend, and like I said, we just have to execute as a whole on all three levels to get it done because he’s a good player, and if you’re not on the same page, he’s a guy that’s going to take advantage and cash in on his opportunities,” linebacker Anthony Nelson said.
Buccaneers’ head coach Todd Bowles says the Bucs’ mental toughness has been a key element in winning on the road this season and that this game comes down to who makes fewer mistakes.
