Buccaneers vs. Giants: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info, Game Time and More

Week 2 of the 2012 regular season kicks off Thursday night, but the real meat of the competition is Sunday. That’s where you’ll find this epic matchup between the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Giants are coming off a devastating loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but the Buccaneers come into the game ready for a fight after beating the tough Carolina Panthers. Both teams want this win, but something has to give.

If you love watching hard-nosed football that is won in the trenches and on the ground, you can expect a hefty load of that style Sunday between these two teams.

Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.

When: Sunday, September 16 at 1 p.m. ET

Watch: FOX

Live Stream: NFL Sunday Ticket

Listen: Online at NFL Audio Pass 

Betting Line (via Covers)

Over/Under: 44

Spread: New York Giants -7.5

As much as this game has the potential to be a defensive showcase, New York’s banged-up secondary will yield plenty of yards to Josh Freeman and the Buccaneers Sunday. That will force Eli and the Giants to go pass heavy, resulting in the over  fairly easily. This is going to be a dogfight, so I would take Tampa Bay with the 7.5 points.

What’s At Stake?

While Week 2 is far too early to be looking at playoff implications in almost every sport, the NFL is a different animal all together. With just 17 weeks to the NFL season and 16 games for each team, it’s never too early to talk playoff implications.

The Giants need a win here to keep pace in what could be an extremely tough NFC East this season, and the Buccaneers need to do the same to keep up with the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints in the NFC South. Neither team can afford a loss here.

Injury Report (Via ESPN)

Giants

Michael Coe, CB, Questionable

Marvin Austin, DT, Questionable

Prince Amukamara, CB, Questionable

Buccaneers

Arrelious Benn, WR, Questionable

E.J. Biggers, CB, Questionable

Giants Player to Watch: Victor Cruz, WR

While there is no question that Victor Cruz has become Eli Manning and the New York Giants’ go-to man, several dropped passes in key moments will not help him keep his job as the wide receiver the team goes to in the clutch.

Cruz needs to prove his consistency on the field Sunday to redeem himself from the Dallas game. While six catches for 58 yards isn’t terrible, it could have easily been 10 catches for well over 100 yards and at least one touchdown if he could’ve hauled in the passes he dropped.

The young Giants’ star better haul in everything thrown his way this week or risk getting knocked down the third-down pecking order.

Buccaneers Player to Watch: Josh Freeman, QB

There is no denying that the Buccaneers defense has improved greatly from last year with Greg Schiano handling the personnel, but it was the Tampa Bay offense that makes experts and fans alike nervous.

With just 16 completions for 138 yards and one touchdown, it looked like Tampa Bay was concentrating on keeping its young QB from making a mistake by limiting his reps and keeping his pass plays short.

Freeman will have to air it out to beat the Giants, but lucky for him that the New York secondary is in shambles.

Prediction: NY Giants 27, Buccaneers 24

The battles in the NFC are always fierce, but this is a war between two teams that could be fighting for wild card spots later in the season. With so many postseason implications, the game on Sunday will be an all-out brawl.

If you love old-school football with hard-hitting defenses and close scoring, look no further than the pigskin showcase in New Jersey this Sunday.

Check back for more on the National Football League as it comes, and don’t miss Bleacher Report’s NFL page to get your fill of all things football.

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