QB Baker Mayfield. His passer rating of 146.4 was the highest in the league in Week 1, leaving him and his teammates brimming with confidence about the direction of the offense under first-year offensive coordinator Liam Coen.
Lions player to watch
WR Amon-Ra. St. Brown. The All-Pro was limited three catches on six targets for 13 yards, his lowest total since Oct. 23, 2022, against Dallas. He had career highs last year with 119 receptions, 1,515 yards receiving and 10 TDs.
Key matchup
Mayfield against Detroit’s D. The 29-year-old Mayfield was 24 of 30 for 289 yards with four TDs and no INTs in Week 1. If he can put up those kinds of numbers again, the Bucs can pull off an upset. Lions rookie CB Terrion Arnold was called for pass interference twice in the second half last week.
Key injuries
Two starters of Tampa Bay’s DL, Calijah Kancey and Logan Hall, did not play last week. Three of four CBs who were active did not finish the opener and CB Bryce Hall (broken leg/dislocated ankle) likely was lost for the season. Starter Zyon McCollum (concussion) and his backup Josh Hayes (ankle) will be monitored as the week progresses. All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot) is on the injured list, too, and did not practice Wednesday. Detroit OT Penei Sewell (ankle), DE Marcus Davenport (groin), DBs Kerby Joseph (hamstring) and Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) were held out of practice. ... DT DJ Reader is expected to make his Lions debut after missing Week 1 with a leg injury.
Series notes
Jared Goff finished 30 of 43 for 287 yards and threw a second TD with 6:22 left in the most recent meeting, lifting the Lions to a win over the Bucs and into the NFC championship game for the first time in 32 years. ... The visiting team has won the past four regular-season meetings between the one-time NFC Central rivals, including Detroit’s 20-6 win last October when Goff threw for a season-high 353 yards and two TDs.
Stats and stuff
The Bucs are the NFC’s only team that has made the playoffs each of the past four seasons. ... Tampa Bay earned points on seven of nine possessions in the opener, trailing just two teams in the highest percentage of scoring drives. .... Bucs WR Mike Evans is the only player in NFL history to begin a career with 10 consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving. Tampa Bay scored on seven of nine offensive possessions against Washington. … Since the start of last season, RB Rachaad White ranks second among NFL running backs in receiving (624), third in receptions (70) and fourth in scrimmage yards (1,645). … Six rookies made their NFL debuts for Tampa Bay in Week 1, including WR Jalen McMillan, a third-round draft pick, who scored. First-round center Graham Barton also started against Washington. Fourth-round RB Bucky Irving came off the bench to average 6.9 yards per carry and finish with a team-high 62 on nine attempts. … The Lions are the fourth NFL team to open a season with two straight playoff rematches. The other three teams — 2007 Patriots, 1984 49ers and 1966 Packers — went on to win NFL titles. ... Detroit is coming off its first OT win since 2016, and its first at home since 2015. ... The Lions averaged 5.3 yards a carry, rotating RBs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. ... Since the start of last season, they have scored rushing and passing in a league-high 16 games. ... Lions WR Jameson Williams had five catches for a career-high 121 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown last week. ... Detroit was the only team in Week 1 with three players gaining 70 scrimmage yards: Gibbs, Montgomery and Williams. ... Since 2022, Kerby Joseph has nine INTs and Jessie Bates is the only NFL safety ahead of him with 10 INTs. ... The Lions acquired CB Carlton Davis from Tampa Bay for a third-round draft pick last March, adding a player who started 75 games over six seasons for the Bucs.
Fantasy tip
Evans has 22 receptions for 377 yards and three TDs in his past three outings against the Lions, including eight catches for 147 yards and a TD in the previous meeting. The previous time the Bucs visited Ford Field in the regular season four years ago, Evans had 10 receptions for 181 yards and two TDs.
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