Saturday, 4 a.m.
Another below average team.
Another rookie quarterback.
Another chance to play in front of disappointed fans.
Can the Tampa Bay Bucs help themselves?
The Bucs try to stop a four-game tailspin Sunday when they face the Tennessee Titans, who are in a slump themselves. They’ve lost four of five and find themselves in the AFC South basement.
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In a lot of recent years, the Titans have been a playoff team, but they’re in a year and a half slump. It has led them to the door of rookie quarterback Will Levis.
Often, that would give an advantage to the Bucs. But another rookie, C.J. Stroud, went nuts against Tampa Bay. Play after play, the corners got lost in coverage as if they — not Stroud — were the beginners.
Now comes Levis, who has thrown for 500 yards in two games.
Despite Levis, the Titans are having trouble scoring. In their five losses, they have yet to score more than 16 points in a game.
Can the Bucs, who gave up 39 last week, slow the Titans down?
Maybe not.
Prediction: Tennessee 24, Tampa Bay 20.
In other NFL games:
Cincinnati 30, Houston 23.
San Francisco 27, Jacksonville 17.
Atlanta 16, Arizona 13.
Minnesota 26, New Orleans 20.
Detroit 31, L.A. Chargers 24.
And in the college games:
USF 22, Temple 21.
FSU 27, Miami 24.
LSU 29, Florida 23.
Michigan 24, Penn State 14
Georgia 33, Ole Miss 20.