The ultimate fan’s guide for Commanders-Buccaneers game day

Game time: 4:25 p.m. Eastern.

Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa.

Forecast: The National Weather Service calls for showers and possibly a thunderstorm, with a high near 91.

TV and radio: Sunday’s game airs on Fox, with Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin on the call. After working on Fox’s No. 2 team with play-by-play man Joe Davis last year, Johnston will be paired with Kugler for the first time. Davis will now work alongside Greg Olsen, who was bumped from the No. 1 analyst spot by the arrival of Tom Brady. Bram Weinstein, London Fletcher and Logan Paulsen will call the game on the Commanders Radio Network, including flagship station 100.3 FM.

Line: Tampa Bay -3.5 | Over/under: 43.5

Neil Greenberg’s best bet: Washington +3.5

Uniforms: The Commanders will wear burgundy jerseys and white pants, opting to save the much-anticipated return of their beloved gold pants for a future (home?) date. Washington was 1-1 when wearing burgundy tops and white bottoms last season. Tampa Bay will go with a white-on-white look. The Bucs were 3-2 in their all-whites in 2023.

Washington’s offensive line vs. Tampa Bay’s defensive line

The Commanders overhauled their offensive line after finishing tied for second in sacks allowed (65) last season. Rookie third-round pick Brandon Coleman is expected to start at left tackle after being limited in training camp by a pectoral injury. Fellow offseason acquisitions Nick Allegretti and Tyler Biadasz will start at left guard and center, while returning players Sam Cosmi and Andrew Wylie will anchor the right side of a unit that must contend with a Tampa Bay front that tied for seventh in sacks (48) in 2023. Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea and edge rusher Yaya Diaby will provide an early test for Washington’s new-look line, whose performance this year will go a long way toward determining how much success Daniels has as a rookie. Expect Buccaneers Coach Todd Bowles to dial up the pressure on the young QB.

Commanders: Quarterback Marcus Mariota (chest) and defensive tackle Johnny Newton (foot/rest) did not practice Thursday.

Buccaneers: Defensive linemen Earnest Brown (ribs) and Logan Hall (foot) did not practice Thursday.

The Buccaneers won their third consecutive NFC South title and made their fourth straight postseason appearance last season, their second under Bowles. Quarterback Baker Mayfield had 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and his favorite target, wide receiver Mike Evans, posted the 10th consecutive 1,000-yard season of his career. Tampa Bay selected center Graham Barton and outside linebacker Chris Braswell with its first two picks in this year’s NFL draft, and both players are expected to make an instant impact. Evans has averaged five catches and 122 yards receiving in four regular season games against Washington. The Bucs have won three straight season openers.

Commanders beat reporter Sam Fortier recently tackled one of the biggest questions of the upcoming season: Will Daniels, Washington’s dual-threat quarterback, slide to protect himself when he runs? Be sure to also check out the Reddit AMA Sam and fellow beat reporter Nicki Jhabvala conducted with fans.

Game day trivia: The only previous time Washington opened the regular season against Tampa Bay was 2004, when Clinton Portis raced 64 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. Washington went on to win, 16-10, in Joe Gibbs’s return to the sideline after an 11-year hiatus. Who were the starting quarterbacks in that game?

Week 1 emoji rebus: The player represented by the rebus puzzle below played for both Washington and Tampa Bay. Can you name him? (Hint: He was a safety and active from 2013 to 2020.)

First name: 🎧 🎛️ 🎵

Last name: 🤬 💍 😠

You can find the answers at the bottom of this story.

Nov. 14, 2021: Washington 29, Tampa Bay 19

Antonio Gibson rushed for a pair of touchdowns, Taylor Heinicke passed for another score and Washington intercepted Tom Brady twice in a surprising win over the defending Super Bowl champions at FedEx Field.

Each week, we’ll recommend recipes related to the Commanders’ opponent.

With a nod to Tampa’s rich Cuban history, Cuban roast pork and fried sweet plantains (platanos maduros) make a great pair. Beverage-wise, beers from Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing, including the popular Jai Alai IPA, can be found throughout the area.

Trivia answer: Brad Johnson (Tampa Bay) and Mark Brunell (Washington). Johnson is one of four quarterbacks to start a game for both Tampa Bay and Washington in his career. The other three are Super Bowl XXII MVP Doug Williams, Josh Johnson and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Emoji rebus answer: D.J. Swearinger, who spent time with the XFL’s D.C. Defenders last year.