The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Broncos at Raymond James Stadium in Week Three. Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. ET. Broncos head coach Sean Payton will be making his first trip to Tampa with Denver. He has coached 15 games against the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay – more than any other opposing head coach in the team’s history. After a thrilling 20-16 road win over the Lions in Week Two, the Bucs will look to improve their record to 3-0 on Sunday. Conversely, rookie quarterback Bo Nix and his team will look to get back on track after an 0-2 start to the 2024 season. Here are five Bucs players to keep an eye on after kickoff:

Zyon McCollum passed concussion protocol and had his best game as a Buccaneer in Week 2 at Ford Field. The Sam Houston State product intercepted Jared Goff on the Lions’ first play, setting the tone in enemy territory. He was targeted five times and had four passes defended and six tackles. McCollum added another near-interception in the third quarter on a deep in by Amon-Ra St. Brown, but St. Brown broke it up. Todd Bowles said the mental aspect of the game has worn off for McCollum, and the results are evident. McCollum has refined his tackling technique, and the speedster has made a name for himself in the run game and limiting YAC yards in Motown. During the offseason, the Broncos signed former Lion Josh Reynolds, and he has emerged as a serious threat for Denver. In 2023, Reynolds averaged 15.2 yards per catch and is a threat from deep with long strides. Thanks to his outstanding ball skills, Reynolds is climbing the career ladder with ease.

Future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans is trying to do the same in 2024. He is the only receiver in NFL history to have over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 10 seasons, and after a double-touchdown performance in Week One against the Commanders, the jump-ball specialist will look to continue that trend on Sunday. Evans uses his physicality to fight through sticky situations and is a cheat code when it comes to making over-the-shoulder catches. In Week Three, he will face one of the league’s best cornerbacks when the Broncos’ Patrick Surtain II lines up at the line of scrimmage. Surtain has redefined the cornerback market, becoming the NFL’s highest-paid defensive back on Sept. 4, passing Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jaire Alexander. He was named to the 2022 All-Pro team and has made the Pro Bowl in the previous two seasons. Surtain has defended 37 total passes since being selected by the Broncos with the ninth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Surtain checks all the boxes defensive coordinators value: excellent ball skills, tenacious press coverage, and the ability to phase routes at all three levels of the field. Surtain has smooth reverse skating and quick acceleration out of transitions.

Liam Coen stressed the need to “get the running game going again” against the Broncos, saying the noise at Ford Field affected the running game against the Lions. He cited miscommunication in the forward defense as the Lions had different running structures and some were missed. Rachaad White, the club’s main workhorse, suffered a groin injury in Detroit and practiced on a limited basis on Wednesday. Bucky Irving, the change-of-pace runner, has excellent contact balance and is capable of leaving defenders running into empty space with lateral cuts in the mid or outside zone. With a deadly pivot move and downhill attack, he will look to revive the running attack in Week Three. Alex Singleton leads the Broncos in tackles through two games and is good at diagnosing plays. He has improved at finishing plays and will look to improve his tackle mark against Tampa Bay.

The Broncos will be without right tackle Mike McGlinchey on Sunday, as he is expected to miss a month with a severe MCL sprain. Todd Bowles’ defensive front will be licking its fingers, especially Yaya Diaby. Diaby took the NFL by storm in 2023, leading the Bucs with 7.5 sacks and all rookies with 12 tackles for loss. During the offseason, Diaby worked to rein in his power and added new moves to his arsenal. Diaby has yet to record a sack in 2024, but he did collect three quarterback hits in week two and collapse the pocket around Jared Goff, pushing the signal-caller out of his spot and disrupting the Lions’ rhythm on offense. Diaby is effective at getting blockers into position on twists/stunts and is quick to break free at the point of attack with a deadly strike.

Bucs tight end Cade Otton played a selfless role in week two. He was tasked with chipping Aidan Hutchinson and assisting as a blocker in the trenches. While his performance on the stat sheet isn’t “wow,” he played a critical role in the offense’s ability to sustain offense and create opportunities for teammates. With more teams likely dedicating resources to Chris Godwin, the team’s slot weapon who is off to a monstrous start, Otton could have a game-changing game against Denver. Otton is adept at underhanded play and can adjust to catch balls without breaking stride/disrupting tempo. He is effective at finding the weak spots in the zone and blocking out defenders by opening his hips to secure the ball. In 2023, the Broncos defense was the second-worst in the league when it came to covering tight ends, and the Bucs will certainly look to take advantage of safeties and linebackers in coverage by creating advantageous matchups with Otton.