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Playoff preview: Bucs face Rams again in quest for repeat title

Photo of giant pirate ship at Raymond James Stadium

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are continuing their quest to repeat as Super Bowl Champions, and we have everything you need to be ready for the next game. After an impressive (and seemingly easy) 31-15 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild card round, the Bucs have advanced to the divisional round and host the 12-5 Los Angeles Rams this Sunday.

How to watch: Kickoff is at 3 pm this Sunday and will be aired by NBC and Universo, also available to stream on Peacock, or tune in via radio on 98ROCK.

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Storylines to watch:

Can LA beat TB again? The Rams are considered one of the best teams in the NFL when playing at the top of their game, and the Bucs know that a little too well. The two faced off at the beginning of the season and LA came away with an impressive 34-24 win over Tampa Bay, putting on its best performance of the season. But Tom Brady and the Bucs are playing better now, and the Rams have shown some possible deadly flaws since.

Injuries piling up on both side: This season even more than most, it seems that injuries have played a big factor across the NFL. This Sunday, the most interesting matchups pit strength vs weakness when the Bucs are on the field. Tampa Bay’s offensive line took a beating against Philly and the availability of star linemen Tristan Wirfs and Ryan Jensen is still up in the air. They’ll likely play, but the Rams have a stellar pass rush that will be eager to press the advantage if they aren’t at 100%.

Meanwhile, the Rams themselves are playing with a depleted secondary, giving Brady and his many weapons even more opportunity to move the ball through the air. Whichever banged up unit performs best may very well decide who advances to the NFC Championship game.

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