Patriots vs. Bucs: TV Schedule, Radio and Online Live Streaming Info

Where: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida

When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EST

Watch: Games is blacked out in Tampa Area, WBZ-TV Boston; online at NFL.com (must pay $19.99 for league-wide package), live look-ins on NFL Network; game replay: 11 p.m. EST Thursday, NFL Network.

Hear: 98.5 The Sports Hub and Sirius 93 and 94 Boston, 620 WDAE Tampa Bay

Two playoff hopeful teams are going to square off down in Florida on Thursday night. Even though the preseason Week 2 in the NFL is far from playoff time, how you preform in the early going does say a lot about your team.

The Patriots are going to look to keep their offense on track, and hopefully they will get Chad Ochocinco some playing time. Watching him catch passes from Tom Brady alone is worth the price of admission, so hopefully coach Belichick will allow the two to see the field for a period of time.

The Buccaneers narrowly missed the playoffs last season, so any wins they can get in 2011 will be valuable, even preseason ones. New England is a benchmark for most teams, so i'm sure Tampa Bay will be very interested to see how they stack up against the Patriots.

I'd expect Josh Freeman to get at least one series of offense, and defensively it will be good to see how their young defensive front has grown with another week under their belts.

What they're saying: Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston reports that we should see a few more of the Patriots starters this week, and that list includes Ochocinco. He is also excited and intrigued to view the chemistry, or lack there of, between Tom Brady and his newest receiver.

Roy Cummings of SportingNews writes about the depth of the Buccaneers offensive line, and how much deeper they have gotten since last season. He also reports on a position battle at linebacker between Tyrone McKenzie and rookie Mason Foster

What's Worth Watching:

Anytime you get to watch Tom Brady throw the football is entertaining enough, but there are a few other interesting storylines to keep your eye on during this matchup.

The biggest will be Chad Ochocinco and his first looks for the Patriots. Will he come out firing and ready to go, or will we see a sluggish start from a receiver some think is washed up.

Josh Freeman is one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, and the Buccaneers are gearing up to take the next step into the playoffs. Watching their growth as a team will be an interesting point for me.