Way back in April when the Buccaneers’ schedule dropped, a few things jumped off the page to me. A Thursday night match-up versus Tom Brady, three divisional games to close the season, and a date in Lambeau with Aaron Rodgers were some examples. But the match-up that jumped out most of all was week three, against the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings themselves didn’t interest me all that much, but their all-pro cornerback Xavier Rhodes certainly did.
For those unfamiliar with the former Florida State corner, Rhodes has emerged over the last few seasons as one of the top defensive backs in all football, a true shut-down player that can take away a teams’ best receiver.