The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles last Monday 32-9 in the Wild Card round to advance in the playoffs. Their next test comes on Sunday as they travel to Detroit to take on the Lions, who defeated the Los Angeles Rams 24-23 to keep their Super Bowl hopes alive. Just like the Eagles, the Lions defeated the Buccaneers by 14 points early in the regular season. Obviously, both teams have experienced plenty since then and are in different forms than they were back then. Ahead of the matchup, there has been a bit of banter across social media and in press conferences as Lions defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson threw shade at Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Of course, not all press conferences and media appearances have gone this way, though. Lions head coach Dan Campbell offered analysis over the Buccaneers, which saw him break down their games. First, he shared that Chris Godwin is “dangerous” at the receiver position with his ability to thrive out of the slot.
This wasn’t the only offensive player Campbell complimented from the Buccaneers offense, either. He also gave props to Richard White, calling him “smart and crafty” when talking about his ability to impact the game both on the ground and as a receiver. Both of those players will be able to impact the matchup against the Lions as they’ll need all the offensive help as possible. The last time these two teams squared off, the Buccaneers posted six points in a 20-6 loss. The key to the Buccaneers defeating the Eagles was their variety of contributions offensively.
Of course, Campbell included some praise for Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David, too, citing he “plays with violence.” He iterated that he’s been having the same impact throughout his 12 seasons in the NFL, and praised him for “getting younger” with his play style.
