TAMPA, Fla. – The Bucs (7-6) face a Chargers (8-5) team Sunday in Los Angeles that is technically sound. Not fancy but they play hard for head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Tampa Bay has won three in a row and the offense has been putting up strong numbers. Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen believes this will be a strong test for the Bucs offense.
“They’re a salty crew, for sure,”Coen said. “They’re very well coached. They play the game the right way and are fantastic against the run in terms of how they squeeze blocks and they understand the scheme.”
Both teams are dealing with injuries which are common at this time of year. Chargers QB Justin Herbert is dealing with an ankle injury while the Bucs will be without Pro Bowl safety Antoine Winfield Jr as well as safety Mike Edwards.
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The thing that stands out to Bucs head coach Todd Bowles is how well the Chargers are coached and how they play with discipline.
“They are tough-minded,” Bowles said. “Huge up front-both sides of the ball. “They stop the run and run the ball.They do a very good job at time of possession.”
The Chargers are coming off a tough loss on a field goal to the Kansas City Chiefs while the Bucs beat the Raiders at home.
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Bucs QB Baker Mayfield.will be going up against the NFL’s top scoring defense.
“They play really, really hard, Mayfield said. “Obviously they have great players. It’s a good challenge for us based on how they’re playing right now. We have to bring our A game on Sunday.”
Kickoff is set for 4:25 Sunday at SoFi Stadium in LA.
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