TAMPA -- When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head for Detroit this weekend for their divisional round NFL playoff game, they'll have to cope with an energized Lions team, a loud and revitalized fanbase, and a powerful offense led by quarterback Jared Goff.
One thing that won't give them much trouble is the weather.
One of the reporters at the Bucs' Tuesday news conference mentioned that weather had been a factor in several games, and that Detroit was expecting 13-degree temperatures Tuesday, ending by asking Todd Bowles whether he had taken steps to make sure players could "not only endure but perform" under those conditions.
"You do know we play indoors, right, and they've got a dome?," the Buccaneers head coach responded, followed by several seconds of silence as he smiled and rolled his eyes. "Nothing planned. We're indoors, and we only have to be outside for 20 seconds, getting off the bus going under the (entrance to Ford Field), so we'll be OK," Bowles finished.
Bowles says the Buccaneers team that will face the Lions Sunday is "mentally tougher" than the one that lost 20-6 when the two last played each other October 15th at Raymond James Stadium. He says the young team has "a lot of puppies" on the field who are growing up fast. "The maturity of the guys, from all the lumps we took, is really coming through." Bowles says low expectations in the post-Tom Brady era became fuel for the team's growth. "It's been embraced... we don't expect any compliments, we don't expect anybody to give us anything. We're going to go out and earn everything that we want."
The Bucs and Lions kickoff Sunday at 3 p.m. The game is on 98 Rock in the Tampa Bay area.