The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play host to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11 as they square off on Monday Night Football at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers, fresh from a 46-23 win over the Carolina Panthers, are a 3.5 -point favorite overt the Rams, who recently stunned the Seattle Seahawks 23-16. The Buccaneers have a 7-3 record while the Rams have a 6-3 mark, good for second in their respective divisions. The Rams have a grudge to hold against Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, who defeated Los Angeles in Super Bowl LIII when he was with the New England Patriots.
However, Brady will be in a different uniform now after signing a two-year deal worth $50 million with the Buccaneers in the offseason, leaving the Patriots after a 20-year stay with the team.
Staley remembers facing Brady
Despite Brady playing in a different uniform, Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said the feeling was the same when he faced the veteran quarterback when he was the outside linebackers coach for the Chicago Bears in 2018. "Stressful," Staley said when asked about what he remembered about when the Bears played the Patriots, as transcribed by the author from the video of the press conference posted on the team's official website. In that game, Brady completed 25 of 36 passes for 277 yard and three touchdowns with an interception to lead the Patriots to a 38-31 win over the Bears.
Staley said Brady's familiarity with the Patriots system due to his long tenure in New England and his vast experience stood out. "He does a good job of controlling the game and keeping himself well," said Staley, adding that Brady is an accurate thrower and can elevate people around him.
Staley wary of Buccaneers' offense
Staley said the Rams defense will have a hard time against Brady, especially now that he's surrounded with enormous talent, led by Pro Bowl wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
"It's a great challenge," Staley said, referring to Brady and his bunch of offensive weapons. Aside from Evans and Godwin, Staley said the defense has to focus on tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Cameron Brate and has to contend with the Buccaneers' rushers Ronald Jones Jr. and Leonard Fournette. "I think this is the best collection of skill group players that we've faced," Staley admitted.
Brady threw for 341 yards on 28-of-39 passing for three touchdowns with no interceptions in their win over the Panthers. The veteran quarterback also ran for the third rushing score of the season, matching Baltimore Ravens dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jones, for his part, ran the ball 23 times for a career-high 192 yards, including a 98-yard run in the third period. In that long run, Jones made history as only the fourth player in NFL history to accomplish the feat. Tony Dorsett first accomplished it in 1983, while Ahman Green and Derrick Henry followed suit in 2003 and 2018, respectively.
News on the injury front
The Buccaneers official website reported that only two players were limited in Thursday's practice ahead of their clash with the Rams.
Safety Mike Edwards and outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul were limited due to quad and knee issues, respectively. After suffering a concussion in Week 8, left guard Ali Marpet was a full participant in practice, which is a good indication for the Buccaneers. Marpet is not yet out of the concussion protocol, but he's heading in the right direction.
