Once a year, every NFL team has the quick turnaround from a Sunday afternoon to a Thursday night, but as the Bucs prepare for a national spotlight against the Patriots, safety T.J. Ward isn't happy about it.
"I despise Thursday night games," Ward said in the locker room Tuesday. "They talk about how they want to keep us healthy, and all these rules to protect the quarterback and protect the receivers, but overall, this is probably the worst thing for a 53-player roster that you can have. In terms of keeping everyone on the field safe, this is probably the worst thing you can do, making us play back-to-back on a Thursday night after a Sunday game.