The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't expecting Joe Burrow to shy away from testing their secondary in Week 1. Zyon McCollum wouldn't want it any other way.
Tampa Bay opens the season Sunday against Cincinnati, putting McCollum and the Bucs' secondary across from one of the NFL's toughest receiving duos in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Buccaneers.com staff writer Brianna Dix spoke with McCollum following Wednesday's practice about the challenge waiting for Tampa Bay at Paycor Stadium.
McCollum isn't approaching the matchup cautiously. He sees Cincinnati's willingness to put the ball in the air as an opportunity for Tampa Bay's defensive backs to make their own plays.
"You are going to have guaranteed opportunities," McCollum said. "They want to get
their season started off right, and they are looking to get into a rhythm early so the ball is guaranteed to go into the air and a ball in the air belongs to us."
That's a confident approach considering who Tampa Bay will be trying to slow down. Chase caught 125 passes for 1,412 yards last season, while Higgins gives Burrow another dangerous option who can create problems downfield and in the red zone.
McCollum won't be handling that assignment alone. Jacob Parrish earned the other starting cornerback spot heading into Week 1, giving Tampa Bay a young pairing against Cincinnati's established receiving duo.
The Bucs know the targets are coming. McCollum made it clear their goal isn't simply to survive those opportunities, either.
"That is the mentality that we have, and we are going into the game thinking, and we know that we are going to get tested early," McCollum said. "This is an incredible opportunity for us, and there will be no better feeling than when you take away three, four interceptions."
Getting three or four picks against Burrow would be quite the way to start the season. Whether Tampa Bay can come anywhere close to McCollum's goal remains to be seen, but there isn't much doubt about how the Bucs' secondary feels about getting its first test against Chase and Higgins.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs CB sends warning to Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins ahead of Week 1
