The Detroit Lions had to open the campaign against a team it eliminated from the playoffs last season. The second week of the season will be no different.
Following a 26-20 overtime win against the visiting Los Angeles Rams, the Lions host Tampa Bay on Sunday. Detroit ended the Bucs’ 2023 season with a 31-23 win in the divisional round of the NFC Playoffs.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff doesn’t want to overemphasize last year’s playoff game while preparing for Sunday’s rematch with the 1-0 Buccaneers.
“You can look at it. You can play the game all day long of, ‘OK, we did this, and they did that, so how are we going to counter this and then we’ve got to counter that.’ And that’s a long rabbit hole you can go down,” he said.
“So you just try to prepare for it like it’s another game and watch that tape as if it’s another game and understand there are some certain things that they were trying to take away from us. But at the same time, I’m sure they’ll try to take away something else this game, so we’ll have to adjust as we go.”
The Rams did a good job of taking away some of the Lions’ offensive weapons in Sunday night’s opener. Goff was held to 217 passing yards, with 52 coming on a touchdown heave to Jameson Williams. All-Pro Amon Ra St. Brown was held to 13 yards on three receptions and Sam LaPorta also had a relatively quiet night (four catches, 45 yards).
Detroit coach Dan Campbell expects the Bucs, like the Rams, to challenge for their division title.
“They are certainly going to be competitive and be right there in the race, and so this is a chance to get an early one,” he said. “You get an early one and you just don’t know what this is going to mean down the road and if you can put some money in the bank early in the season, it will pay big dividends for you down the road. So, I think that’s the way you have to look at it.”
Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles says there’s “absolutely nothing” his team can take away from its last trip to Detroit.
“That was last year in the playoffs. They knocked us out,” he said. “We’re 1-0, we’re trying to win a ballgame to go 2-0.”
Bucs receiver Chris Godwin is looking forward to the challenge.
“Just more excited about the opportunity to go back there,” he said. “It’s a great environment. The fans, in that last game, they were rocking. They’re very excited about how good that team is, and they have a right to be. … As a competitor, it’s really fun to go into places like that.”
Godwin’s season got off to a strong start with eight receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown in the Bucs’ 37-20 win over Washington. Mike Evans added 61 yards and two TD grabs. Baker Mayfield completed 24 of 30 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns.
Mayfield passed for 349 yards and three touchdowns in the playoff game but was also picked off twice and sacked four times. The Lions didn’t have a turnover while St. Brown and LaPorta combined for 17 receptions.
“They’re talented all the way around, no question about it,” Bowles said. “They can hurt you in a lot of ways.”
Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. missed Tampa Bay’s practice on Wednesday with a foot injury. Offensive tackle Penei Sewell (ankle) and safety Kerby Joseph (hamstring) were among the Lions who didn’t practice.
–Field Level Media