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Thomas Bassinger - Former Times Staffer

Former Times Staffer

  1. The Bucs posted a video Tuesday that teases changes to the team's uniforms.
  2. Titans running back Derrick Henry is the first player to gain 377 rushing yards in his team’s first two playoff games.
  3. Running back Jacques Patrick is one of 30 Tampa Bay Vipers players who had ties to Florida before they joined the team. He played college football at Florida State for four seasons.
  4. Carson Palmer and Jameis Winston played against each other twice, once in 2016 (a 40-7 Cardinals win) and once in 2017 (a 38-33 Cardinals win during which Winston suffered a shoulder injury).
  5. The XFL begins its 10-week regular season Feb. 8, one week after the NFL's Super Bowl.
  6. Madden's forecasts are pretty spot-on. Its portrayals of NFL coaches? Not so much. Is that Bruce Arians or Benjamin Button?
  7. Linebacker Shaquil Barrett is one of 25 Bucs players who are set to become unrestricted free agents in March. Re-signing him is one of Tampa Bay's top offseason priorities.
  8. No matter where he is playing next season, Jameis Winston is likely to see his salary increase to about $25 million.
  9. Jameis Winston threw a team record 33 touchdown passes this season, but he also threw an NFL record seven pick-sixes.
  10. Linebacker Lucas Wacha, now with the XFL's Tampa Bay Vipers, played for Wyoming from 2013 through 2016, for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys during summer of 2017 and for the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2018.
  11. Bucs safety Andrew Adams returns an interception Sunday against the Lions. Over the past month, Tampa Bay has recorded the third-most takeaways (10) in the NFL.
  12. On Sunday, Jameis Winston became the first quarterback in NFL history to gain 450 yards in back-to-back games.
  13. Peyton Manning threw 26 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions in 2001, his age-25 season. Jameis Winston has thrown 26 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions through 13 games this season, which is his age-25 season. What does it mean? Probably nothing.
  14. Last season, Jameis Winston threw the ball away five times. This season, he has thrown it away 23 times. “One of the hardest things to do is to throw the ball away — trust me,” Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich said.
  15. With Oklahoma State in 2018, Taylor Cornelius threw for 3,978 passing yards (fifth most in program history) and 32 touchdowns (fourth most). The Tampa Bay Vipers drafted him in October.
  16. The XFL isn't a developmental league, but it is a "league of opportunity," commissioner Oliver Luck said Tuesday. "Bust your butt, play hard, have a chance to get great game tape and you’ll get a shot in the NFL."
  17. In Sunday's win, Jameis Winston finished with four passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, three interceptions and more than 400 passing yards. He’s the only quarterback in NFL history to hit those marks in a single game.
  18. Bucs receiver Breshad Perriman caught the game-winning touchdown pass Sunday.
  19. Frank Reich's Colts go for it on fourth down roughly 20 percent of the time.
  20. Tampa Bay Vipers quarterback Aaron Murray tosses the ball during practice Thursday in Plant City. "It's grind time," he said.
  21. Tampa Bay Vipers coaches and players had their first team meeting Tuesday. Workouts and football activities begin Thursday.
  22. This is what we in the business call a "tease." See the full Bucs uniform mockup below.
  23. Ndamukong Suh and the Bucs defense held the Jaguars to 11 points Sunday, the fewest points Tampa Bay has allowed in a game in more than a year.