Denver Broncos vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After a rousing win in Detroit that signaled them as serious playoff candidates, the 2-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers return home in Week Three to take on the 0-2 Denver Broncos. The two teams will clash at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, September 22, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.

The Buccaneers held onto a 20-16 decision at Ford Field, turning back three Lions drives deep into their territory in the last half of the fourth quarter. The offense struggled to keep Aidan Hutchinson away from Baker Mayfield, but the Bucs quarterback still threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin and ran another one in himself for the game-winning score.

Denver tried to mount its own comeback at home in Week Two against Pittsburgh, kicking a pair of fourth-quarter field goals after going down 13-0. Will Lutz’s second three-pointer came with 1:56 left in regulation and the Broncos elected not to try an onside kick in favor of going for a defensive stop and getting one more shot on offense. Unfortunately, even after succeeding with a three-and-out on defense, Bo Nix and the Broncos offense had only nine seconds to work with after getting the ball back on their own 19-yard line. Nix threw his fourth interception of the season two plays later.

While the Broncos offense has struggled with the 12th-overall pick at the helm, scoring just 26 points through two games, the Denver defense has kept them in both games so far. Denver has allowed the 11th fewest points per game (19.5) and 10th fewest yards per game (277.5) and has been particularly stingy against the pass. The Buccaneers will counter with a passing attack that ranks 13th in the league and an offense that has averaged 28.5 points per game.

The Buccaneers are seeking their first 3-0 start since 2005, while the Broncos are trying to avoid a second straight 0-3 opening. Here are four major storylines and four head-to-head player battles to keep an eye on as the Bucs get ready for a visit from the Broncos in Week Three.

Seeking 3-0 – As noted above, the Buccaneers have gone nearly two decades since their last 3-0 start, but they have an opportunity to end that drought on Sunday. Tampa Bay has started four previous seasons with three consecutive wins (1979, 1997, 2000 and 2005) and all four have ended in playoff appearances. According to the NFL Football Operations website, teams that start a season 3-0 can expect to make the playoffs approximately 76% of the…