Buccaneers vs. Bengals Preview: Tampa Bay, Brady 'Ready for the Ballgame'
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said Thursday he likes where his team is at from a preparation standpoint ahead of Saturday night's preseason opener vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.
"Ready for the ballgame," Arians said. "Injury-wise we're in good shape. So, excited to see them play and see where we're at as far as that goes when the lights go on, especially the young guys. We're going to get a lot of reps and we'll see how it goes."
While the Bucs are taking the field at Raymond James Stadium for the first time since Super Bowl LV, the team has moved well past that win, turning their focus to the 2021 NFL season. For veteran quarterback Tom Brady, who is expected to start, it's the first taste of live-game action since he underwent knee surgery this offseason.
Arians made it clear that if there was any concern regarding Brady's knee, he wouldn't be playing vs. the Bengals. Brady spoke about what he gets out of the preseason, despite the fact that he's entering his 22nd year playing in the NFL.
“It’s real game speed and there are little unpredictable looks that you don’t necessarily have in practice," Brady said. "It’s been seven months or so since we’ve gone up against a team – not that everybody is game-planning, but everybody has different techniques and styles that everyone is working on."
"You kind of have the stuff you have been doing and see how it works against a new opponent," Brady added. "It’s a good opportunity for us and really a good opportunity for a lot of guys to play."
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While Brady will be making the start, the Bengals will be without their starting quarterback Joe Burrow, who is a healthy scratch for the game, the team announced. Aside from Burrow, the majority of Cincinnati's starters will be available, at least for the first drive or two, similar to Tampa Bay.
In place of Burrow, fifth-year pro Brandon Allen is expected to earn the preseason start. While Tampa Bay fans will miss out on Burrow, they will be able to see rookie Ja'Marr Chase make his debut in Cincinnati after the LSU product was selected fifth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Tampa Bay will be without a rookie of their own as offensive lineman Robert Hainsey, the team's third-round draft pick in April, will not play Saturday, Arians said this week.
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Although he'll likely only see the field for a drive or two, Brady said he would play the whole game if he was asked to do so by Arians.
"I’m kind of always ready to go," Brady said. "I love playing football. I love competing. If he said, ‘Hey, you’re going to play the whole game,’ I’ll be ready to play the whole game. It’s just kind of how I feel about what I need to do for my job and if he wants [me] to play, not play, five plays, 20 plays, or whatever he wants to do, we’ll be ready to go.”
Brady explained this first preseason game vs. the Bengals is a big opportunity to learn about his team.
“We’re really going to see where we are at after this game," Brady said. "Right now you have 32 teams that all think they’re going to be the team that wins it. You want to put yourself in a position to play well in training camp so you can be ready for the opener."
Stay tuned to AllBucs for further coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' preseason updates, and other news and analysis. Follow along on social media at @SIBuccaneers on Twitter and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.
