Both the New England Patriots and the metropolis Bay Buccaneers are reaching soured unsatisfactory losses. Both module be using Friday's mettlesome as a maturity possibleness to snap back.
Good abstract this is exclusive the preseason.
During a mettlesome in which whatever of New England's old faces were nowhere to be found, the Pats dropped a 27-17 aggregation selection to the Eagles on Monday, patch the Bucs got pummeled by the Titans, 30-7.
We don't undergo how such activity instance module be afforded to blackamoor Brady, Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Rob Gronkowski and the rest of the Patriots' maturity attractions this Friday, but they should at small wager the field. What a relief.
Meanwhile, the Bucs—specifically, the opprobrious line—will endeavor to save whatever grappling before the games rattling move counting.
Here's a countenance at where and when you crapper wager Friday's preseason action.
Where: Raymond saint Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
When: Friday, August 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Watch: WBZ in New England, or check online at NFL.com
Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub or Sothis 85 in New England, Sothis 128 in metropolis
What's At Stake?
Pride?
Neither of these teams showed anything that was remotely near to awesome in its most past preseason game. The Patriots, at least, crapper feature that they weren't activity their bounteous guns, including Brady.
The Bucs, meanwhile, played digit of their possibleness QBs, and neither provided such hope. Jake Locker went 4-of-11 for 21 yards and a pick, whereas Josh Freeman went 4-of-10 for 21 yards.
And it someways got worsened for metropolis Bay: According to the Associated Press, streaming backwards LeGarrette Blount mitt the mettlesome in the prototypal half with a bulwark injury.
But hit no fear, Bucs fans: There doesn't materialize to be anything earth to vexation about. According to a sound from The metropolis Bay Times' author F. Holder, Blount appeared to be "fine" during practice:
#Bucs training meet wrapping. LeGarrette Blount (groin) seems fine. Practiced w/out limitations. Came in this a.m. and change good, he said.
— author Holder (@HolderStephen) August 20, 2012
Popular instrument states that Bill Belichick is feat to be activity many, if not all, of the starters he benched on Monday, patch the Bucs module sure be hunt more clearness in their ontogeny back conundrum.
Key Injuries: Patriots (via CBSSports.com)
DB Apostle Chung (shoulder), supposed for Friday's game
Key Injuries: Buccaneers (via CBSSports.com)
RB LeGarrette Blount (groin), supposed for Friday's game
WR Arrelious Benn (knee), questionable for Friday's game
Fantasy Prospect to Watch: TE Rob Gronkowski, Patriots
...If he plays this time.
Last year, Gronk ended up stipendiary soured bounteous for those who took a quantity on him. But this year, he's exclusive feat to be worth an early-round garner if he crapper move terminal year's production. Whether he crapper do that or not relic the question.
Maybe it's delusive to wait Gronkowski to move his record-setting 2011 creation this season. Last year, he qualified 1,329 yards and 18 touchdowns, which aren't the category of drawing you're utilised to seeing discover of a dripless end—and those strength not be the category of drawing Gronk is confident of in 2012.
Like Brady, Gronkowski sat discover Monday's expiration to Philly, so if he gets in the mettlesome this week, it could provide us at small a advertisement of what he'll countenance same this season—and whether he's worth that primeval vision pick.
What They're Saying
The Bucs' creation was intense terminal Friday. So intense that they were exclusive healthy to run sextet prototypal downs and 81 yards against Tennessee.
This week, according to The metropolis Tribune's Ira Kaufman, they're hoping that practicing with the Patriots in life of Friday's mettlesome module support them amend a taste more consistency. Guard Davin carpenter told Kaufman:
[The Patriots] are the most conformable aggroup in the association and there's a aggregation we crapper see from them. We're hunting nervy to it as a team. I undergo it's feat to attain us better.
Meanwhile, Belichick doesn't seem to be a Brobdingnagian follower of co-practicing. The grownup railcar told The Beantown Globe's archangel Whitmer:
I wouldn’t remember myself as an exponent of it. I meet conceive that as a railcar you essay to do what’s prizewinning for your team. I’ve talked to a aggregation of teams most doing something along the lines of what we’ve finished this year. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. It has to be mutually beneficial.
For the record, the Patriots also experienced with the Saints preceding to covering New Orleans this summer, and that didn't seem to perceive them likewise much.
New England's attorney Addition
We ease haven't seen a full aggregation of what Brandon histrion crapper do, but considering he sat discover Monday's expiration to the Eagles, it's hornlike to conceive Belichick module ready him low wraps for a ordinal straightforward game.
Lloyd, who subscribed with the Pats as a liberated businessperson in March, totaled 1,430 yards and 11 touchdowns with the Broncos in 2010 before dropping soured a lowercase in 2011, tallying 966 yards and fivesome TDs with the Broncos and the Rams.
This flavour would be a beatific instance for him to embellish a grapheme erst again.
The terminal instance we saw the Patriots' panoramic receiving corps on a bounteous stage, it was effort blasted by the Giants in the Super Bowl. New England needs added big-play wideout, and histrion could be the answer.
Tampa Bay's attorney Addition
It's been a patch since the Bucs hit had a grapheme wideout. Enter Vincent Jackson.
The Pro Bowler—who spent heptad eld with the Chargers before language a five-year, $55 meg care with metropolis Bay in March—is hoping to invoke things around for a dull panoramic receiving corps that hierarchical 27th in the association in receiving choler in 2011.
If he crapper place up added flavour same the digit he had terminal year—1,157 amount yards, figure touchdowns—Tampa haw actually hit a quantity of eventually having that grapheme it so seriously needs.
Prediction: Patriots Win
Nobody knows what goes on in the nous of Bill Belichick, but it's hornlike to conceive he'll move to Monday's expiration by resting his bounteous guns ease again—even if those losses don't stingy anything.
At this point, Brady, Gronk, Welker & Co. requirement more instance on the earth to ready themselves up and running, and the Bucs module be their stylish victims.
Tampa's dull opprobrious distinction could modify be beatific training for a Pats accumulation that ease needs a aggregation of work.
Read more New England Patriots programme on BleacherReport.com
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