Game 1

Commandos (0-0) at Bucs (0-0) 

Kickoff: 4:25 p.m.

TV: FOX (WTVT-TV Channel 13 locally) with Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin.

Streaming: NFL Sunday Ticket (YouTubeTV) and NFL+. (Geographic restrictions apply; subscription may be required).

Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network WXTB-FM 97.9 in the Tampa-St. Petersburg region (Transmisiones de radio en español en WTMP-FM 96.1 y WMGG-AM 1470 en Tampa). Additional stations throughout Florida on the Buccaneers Radio Network can be found here. The game also will be broadcast on SiriusXM Channel 226 (Buccaneers Radio Network feed).

Weather: Could be a wet one for tailgaters and fans at the stadium. From 11 a.m. until kickoff, rain chances bounce from 34-64 percent. Temperatures will range from low 80s to 90 degrees during that same stretch. At kickoff, look for the temperature to be 88 degrees with a 40 percent chance of rain. Per AccuWeather.com, this will remain fairly consistent until late in the game when the temperature dips to 82 degrees with a 61 percent chance of rain.

Odds: Per HardRockBet, as of midnight, Bucs -3.5; over/under 43.

Referees: Bill Vinovich and his gang will work today’s game. He’s a solid referee as back in February he worked the Super Bowl.  However, per VSiN.com, road teams are 58 percent against the spread historically. Vinovich and his outfit don’t like flags. Back in 2023, Vinovich and his gang threw the fewest flags in the league. In 2021 the same group had zero roughing-the-passer flags. So if you enjoy watching football with less penalties, Vinovich is your guy, per Sharp Football Analysis.

Injuries: Commandos — Out: QB Marcus Mariota  (chest). Doubtful: DT Jer’Zhan Newton (foot). Bucs — Out: DL Logan Hall (foot), DT Calijah Kancey (calf). Questionable: WR Trey Palmer (concussion).

Outlook: A Bucs team that has been to the playoffs four straight seasons and has a Super Bowl win and three division titles during that same span — trying for a fourpeat NFC South crown — that type of team should not get rolled by a rookie quarterback making his first start. It’s one thing for this to happen to a bad coach who conned his way into too many jobs like lousy Lovie Smith (“Tennessee-Ready!”). It’s quite another for a well-respected coach like Todd Bowles to get tripped up by a second-overall pick of a quarterback starting the season. Simply put, Bowles is not lousy Lovie (thankfully). So the only way Joe can see Jayden Daniels going nuts is if the Bucs play Santa Claus and give him a bunch of turnovers and short fields. If the Bucs do one thing right today, this should be enough to win the game: New Commados coach Dan Quinn is expected to rotate left tackles, one of which is a rookie. On face value, this is all sorts of asinine. You’ve heard the phrase, “If you have two quarterbacks you have none?” You could say the same about left tackle. This tells Joe that Quinn has zero respect for the Bucs’ edge rush and frankly, why should he? Until proven otherwise, it is the weakest element of the Bucs and sadly, it’s the most important position on a defense. So if one of the following four can rise up and at least for one game pretend they are a stud NFL edge rusher, this game ought to be a Bucs win. YaYa Diaby, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson and Chris Braswell, the fact Quinn announced he will rotate left tackles should be a call to arms. Quinn called you guys out. What are you going to do about it? How about putting Daniels on the ground so much and so often and so hard that Daniels is going to wish he was back in Baton Rouge hitting on Olivia Dunne. Joe is going to say that if Daniels is sacked three times (or more?) today, the Bucs win this game.

Fun facts: If Commandos QB Jayden Daniels starts, he will become only the second quarterback selected second overall by Washington to start Week 1 in the 92-year history of the Washington franchise. Robert Griffith II was the first. … RB Austin Ekeler needs 405 scrimmage yards to surpass Fred Jackson (8,643) for third-most scrimmage yards by an undrafted running back since 1967. …  WR Terry McLaurin can become the fourth player ever with 75 or more catches and 1,000 or more receiving yards in 5 of his first 6 seasons. … TE Zach Ertz is 41 catches from being the sixth tight end in NFL history with 750 or more catches. … If Bucs QB Baker Mayfield can replicate his numbers from his only previous start against Washington, Joe is confident all Bucs fans will take it. Back as the Browns quarterback in 2020, Mayfield threw for two touchdowns without a pick in a 34-20 Browns win. … WR Mike Evans averaged 121 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in each of his four games against Washington. … RB Rachaad White last season was one of five running back who average at least 50 scrimmage yards a game (minimum 15 games). …  ILB Lavonte David ranks second among active players in tackles (1,478) and forced fumbles (28). David is also third among active defenders in tackles for loss (160). … S Antoine Winfield last season had career highs in set career highs in tackles (122), passes defended (12), forced fumbles (6), sacks (6), fumble recoveries (4) and interceptions (3) last season.

How many forced fumbles will Lavonte David add to his highlight reel in 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣?

🔜 #WASvsTB 4:25 p.m. ET Sept. 8 on FOX pic.twitter.com/taZCCAvTZi

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) August 31, 2024