The New England Patriots have made a lot of headlines, but this one focuses on their schedule as they get ready to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday evening. Want to watch the game? Here's all you have to know about television coverage for this Week 2 NFL Preseason matchup.
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV- Channel: FOX
The Patriots had a successful Week 1 in their preseason meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles. They won 31-22, thanks to two quick touchdowns in the first quarter. Tom Brady was responsible for the the only TD pass for the Patriots, while Stevan Ridley kicked off the game with a 1-yard TD run. However, the Patriots have to be very excited about their four-year back, LeGarrette Blount, who rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns in this game. Along with his TD, Ridley ran for 92 yards in eight attempts.
This is good news for the Patriots. If their running game is decent, they will still put a hurting on their opponents. There's no Aaron Hernandez. There is no Rob Gronkowski. There is no Wes Welker. Danny Amendola and will be the No. 1 receiver and Julian Edelman will have to step his game up in 2012. Anybody who can catch a ball will be useful for the Patriots in 2013.
The Patriots face a solid Buccaneers team that got the eye patches rocked out of them in their Week 1 battle against the Baltimore Ravens. The Buccaneers lost 16-44. However, their receiving core is looking mighty decent in 2013. Vincent Jackson was one of the NFL's top receivers in 2012 and he will be joined by Mike Williams and Kevin Ogletree, who had a booming start to his 2012 season with the Dallas Cowboys, showing a lot of potential. The Buccaneers also have one of the better running backs in Doug Martin, but they are wondering how he will fair in his second season in the league.
The Buccaneers' troubles in Week 1 were passing related. They committed four turnovers; three interceptions and a fumble. It just wasn't a solid performance for the Bucs. They will look for talented additions as Tampa Bay envisions itself as a competitor in 2013.
Word around Patriots' camp is that Brady will play on Friday despite reaggravating a previous knee injury.
We hope you enjoy your Friday evening of football on FOX!