Miami Dolphins (0-0) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0)
Game Facts
DATE: Thursday, Aug. 9
TIME: 7 p.m. ET
SITE: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
TV: In Miami-Fort Lauderdale, WFOR-TV (CBS 4); in Fort Myers, WBBH-TV; in West Palm Beach, WTVX-CW; in Orlando, WDRQ
TV ANNOUNCERS: Dick Stockton, play-by-play; Bob Griese, analysis; Nat Moore, analysis; Kim Bokamper, sideline
TV REPLAY: NFL Network, Saturday, Aug. 11 at 6:30 a.m.; Tuesday, Aug. 14, 4 a.m.
RADIO: Dolphins Radio Network, KISS 99.9 FM, WQAM 560 AM, WQBA 1140 AM (Spanish)
RADIO ANNOUNCERS: Jimmy Cefalo, play-by-play; Joe Rose, analysis; Roly Martin, play-by-play (Spanish); Eduardo Martell, analysis (Spanish)
NFL GAME PASS: Fans can watch live out-of-market preseason games and replays of every game as part of the **NFL Game Pass package**.
The Series (Preseason)
SERIES RECORD: Miami leads 17-13
AT MIAMI: Teams tied 7-7
AT TAMPA BAY: Dolphins lead 10-5
AT ORLANDO: Bucs lead 1-0
LAST MEETING: 2015 at Miami; Buccaneers 22, Dolphins 17
SERIES TREND: The Buccaneers have closed the gap in the preseason series by winning four of the past five meetings. The one Dolphins victory during that stretch came in 2014 when they left Tampa with a 20-14 victory.
HISTORY LESSON: This will mark the eighth time the Dolphins have opened the preseason with a game against Tampa Bay, and for the sixth time that game will be in Miami. The last time it happened was 2012 when the Dolphins dropped a 20-7 decision.
Scouting Report
TAMPA BAY'S 2017 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 5-11 (no playoffs)
TAMPA BAY'S 2017 PRESEASON RECORD: 1-3
OVERVIEW: The Buccaneers are hoping to bounce back from last season when they were the only team from the NFC South to fail to make the playoffs. The Buccaneers used the draft hoping to address two glaring weaknesses: running the ball and stopping the run. On offense, the Bucs used a second-round pick on speedy USC running back Ronald Jones II, who figures to eventually take over starting duties after Doug Martin was let go in the offseason. The Bucs' first-round selection was used on Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea with the hope that he can team with perennial Pro Bowl selection Gerald McCoy to form a wall inside. The Bucs also added former New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who should help a pass rush that produced only 22 sacks in 2017. The biggest offseason story surrounding the Bucs, however, was the three-game suspension handed to quarterback Jameis Winston for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.
KEY NEW FACES: DT Vita Vea (draft-1st round), RB Ronald Jones (draft-2nd), CB M.J. Stewart (draft-2nd), CB Carlton Davis (draft-2nd), DT Beau Allen (Philadelphia), K Chandler Catanzaro (N.Y. Jets), DE Vinny Curry (Philadelphia), C Ryan Jensen (Baltimore), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (N.Y. Giants), DL Mitch Unrein (Chicago)
KEY VETERANS GONE: RB Doug Martin, K Patrick Murray, DT Chris Baker, G Evan Dietrich-Smith, CB Robert McClain, S T.J. Ward, DE Robert Ayers
