Preseason Week 4 Preview: Buccaneers at Cowboys
3 min read
Preseason Preview: Week 4
If you’re looking to see the established starters and the big names get any playing time, don’t even think about it. With the regular season just over a week away, neither team is going to risk losing a key player to injury. While it’s always nice when a player can get some reps in no matter the time of year, the risks of injury far outweigh those 3 extra plays they might see in a quick drive. Instead, this is the game when everyone given the chance to play has to leave it all out on the field as their job is literally between the hash marks. You’ll see a few names that you’ll recognize, but unless you’ve been watching the previous three preseason games, there will be a lot of names you won’t recognize. This is the game when they can make sure you recognize their name and look to be one of the players that make that final 53 man roster.
Every team around the league will be playing their final preseason game on the same night and then they all must turn around and whittle the roster down to the final 53 by no later than 4:00 EST on the 31st of August. When you have 90 players and in 48 hours have to reduce that number by almost 50%, there will be a lot of players who find themselves looking for another team or another job, and that’s what makes this game not only intriguing but also extremely important for everyone involved.
Will your favorite underdog make the final cuts? Tune in this week as the Buccaneers travel to Dallas to face-off against the Cowboys and evaluate their performance yourself.
For me personally, I’m going to be paying very close attention to a few players as they have a lot to contribute to the team and would be a great addition to the team. Among them, are Brock Ruble (T), Stevie Tu’ikolovatu (DL), and Salesi Uhatafe (G). If all three are able to make the final roster, that will give some much-needed depth and size to the offensive and defensive lines, and that’s NEVER a bad thing. We should also know by the end of the game who will be named kicker for the Bucs and who will be trying out for another team, and given the kicking performances last season, this cut down could literally have games riding on it.
Preseason Week 4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys
Ruled Out –
With this being the final week of the preseason and the final chance for players to either make the team or showcase their skills for another team, you can throw the injury list out the window. If a player is an established starter, they’re not going to play, and if a player’s job is on the line and they can get medically cleared, they’re going to be in that game.
When/Where/How To Watch
Thursday, August 29th 8:00 pm
AT&T Stadium (Retractable Roof) – Arlington, Texas (Temps in the high 80’s with a 15% chance of rain)
Television:
WFLA – Tampa
WESH – Orlando
WFTX – Ft. Myers
WZDX – Huntsville
WOGX – Gainseville
WFNA – Mobile/Pensacola
WTLH – Tallahassee
WPBF – West Palm Beach
WMBB – Panama City
Prediction
It’s the last game of the preseason, and there is no way to really predict how this game is going to go as we don’t know who will and won’t be playing, or how much they’re going to play. The Las Vegas bookmakers have the Cowboys as a 5 point favorite, but save your money this week and buy yourself a gallon of gas to help make it to the season opener against the 49ers week 1.
Hopefully, we see a great game, and for those of you in the path of what’s coming (Hurricane Dorian), take precautions and stay safe.
