Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face off against Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Kickoff is set for 8:20 PM. This matchup will mark the start of the 2021-22 NFL Season. The Bucs will also raise their Super Bowl banner.
Preview
Tampa Bay
The reigning NFL champs will look to continue their success with 44-year-old Tom Brady at the helm. Thursday’s game will mark the start of Tom Brady’s 22nd season. It will also be Brady’s 300th regular season game (an NFL record).
Luckily for Brady, Head Coach Bruce Arians supplied some major weapons so age won’t get in the way. Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones, and Giovani Bernard highlight Tampa Bay’s backfield. And Pro-Bowlers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Rob Gronkowski highlight Tampa Bay’s weapons through the air.
On defense, the Buccaneers are a force to be reckoned with. Ndamukong Suh, Vita Vea, Jason Pierre-Paul, Devin White, Lavonte David, and Shaquil Barrett are all threats to opposing teams.
Dallas
Dak Prescott had a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle during a Week 5 game that ended his 2020 season. Now, on September 9, Prescott will play his first game in 340 days.
Ezekiel Elliott, meanwhile, is coming off his least productive season as a Dallas Cowboy. Certainly, facing a touch Bucs defense in Week 1 won’t help. Furthermore, Zeke didn’t take a snap this preseason, so we don’t know what to expect.
Through the air, Prescott will have Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and Blake Jarwin to throw to. Lamb, who enters his second season in the NFL, recently overcame Covid-19.
Injuries
Dallas Cowboys OG and six-time Pro Bowler Zack Martin tested positive for Covid-19. Dallas will be without Martin for Thursday’s opener, despite being vaccinated. It’s a tough loss for Dallas as QB Dak Prescott will need protection against a Buccaneers run defense that was the best in the NFL last season. Connor McGovern, who started eight games last season, will likely start at right guard.
Other Notes
- Tom Brady is 5-0 in his career versus the Cowboys. No QB has more regular seasons wins versus Dallas without a loss.
- Dak Prescott only played in five games last season. Yet, he had three games with over 450 yards passing. That led the NFL.
- Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis has 34 forced incompletions since 2019. That’s the most in the NFL. Also, Davis recorded a career-high four interceptions last year.
- Buccaneers LB Shaq Barrett has 157 pressures since 2019. That’s the most among edge defenders.