Are The Bucs Already Preparing For The Cowboys?

The start of the Bucs’ 2022 season is still three months away, but is it ever too early to start game planning for your opponent?

Tampa Bay just finished up its mandatory mini-camp and will have about six weeks off before training camp gets started. Before the Bucs took off for summer vacation, head coach Todd Bowles had one more conversation with the media. 

Of course, Tampa Bay starts the season on the road in a Week 1 rematch with Dallas. Does Bowles already have the Cowboys on his mind? Or is that still down the road? Has any preparation begun?

“It’s always started,” Bowles said. “But how deep you go into it depends on the week or the day. If you start thinking about it, we played them last year – they played us last year. So, you start looking at things you can do different and those type of things. Still trying to get your team together – I think the preparation doesn’t start until some time in training camp.”

Last year, the Bucs opened up the NFL season with a thrilling 31-29 win at home over the Cowboys. Tom Brady orchestrated a drive with 1:24 remaining to set up a game winning 36-yard field goal by Ryan Succop. That win was Tampa Bay’s ninth straight dating back to Week 14 of the 2020 season. 

Things will look a little bit different when the Bucs visit the Cowboys this time around. Tampa Bay still may not have injured wide receiver Chris Godwin for the game, but it will be the team’s first game with free-agent signing Russell Gage out wide. Dallas, on the other hand, traded wide receiver Amari Cooper to Cleveland this offseason. 

One part that’ll remain similar is that their matchup is once again in primetime. These teams will play the first Sunday Night Football game on the schedule.

The post Are The Bucs Already Preparing For The Cowboys? appeared first on Pewter Report.