The defending Super Bowl champions will prepare for the 2013 season. They will put their title on the line for 16 games in the regular season. They have the highest paid player in the NFL, but first, they have to prepare by playing a couple of preseason games. It's the Baltimore Ravens vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If you can't watch the game, check out live scoring updates, brought to you by NFL.com.
The Ravens completed the inevitable. They went into the Super Bowl as the underdogs as they were facing a high powered San Francisco 49ers team that had blown out the competition after turning the page on Alex Smith. With Collin Kaepernick in control, the Ravens' defense, led by Ray Lewis, took the field at the Super Dome and walked out as champions.
But all of this is now in the past. As the New York Giants, when you win a championship, opponents play you twice as hard. Will the Ravens fail to make the playoffs in 2013 or can Joe Flacco lead them to victory. He's always been in the playoffs with the Ravens since becoming a pro and the team's everyday quarterback.
They will face a Buccaneers team that is young and athletic, possibly in the mix for the best in the NFC South. Josh Freeman came of age in 2012, proving that all he needed was a weapon on the receiving end. Doug Martin was a revelation at the running back position. The Bucs will now look to work on their defense after acquiring Darrelle Revis from the New York Jets.
Game time is at 7:30 p.m. ET. Click here for live scoring updates with stats and play-by-play from tonight's game.