Tampa Bay came away with a convincing win over the Eagles this past Monday night to earn the right to face off against the Detroit Lions in the Divisional round of the playoffs. Detroit was in a neck-and-neck battle with the Los Angeles Rams in their Wild Card game before clinching the game for Detroit’s first playoff win in what seemed like forever. With the two now set to face off at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, they have turned their attention to preparation for their opponent, and with it comes quotes from the players and coaches that could make for some interesting headlines.
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That means giving the Buccaneers’ wide receivers their roses, even comparing them to players like Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, according to Detroit defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson. But Gardner-Johnson also chose to take a shot at Bucs QB Baker Mayfield in the same sentence. “Aside from that Tampa group, this group is probably one of the better groups we have faced all year,” Gardner-Johnson remarked. “Tampa is a great team if you give them a good quarterback.” What a fantastic group Evans, Godwin, and (Russell) Gage are. I actually competed against them.
content for bulletin boards. Nothing compares to it, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who played eight games against the Buccaneers throughout his tenure with the Saints and Lions, is no stranger to harboring particular animosity for them. It’s intriguing to say that the quarterback position is vacant for the Bucs, given that Mayfield is enjoying the finest season of his career and recently became the first quarterback in Bucs history to record 300+ passing yards and three touchdowns in a postseason game.
Detroit’s defense is prone to huge plays and points, and Baker and the Bucs’ offense are currently on a roll. Now that they are aware of how the Lions players perceive them, the Bucs and Baker will probably enter this game seeking retribution for their Week 6 loss to the same Lions club. They will probably also be carrying a chip on their shoulder.
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