TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The first game of the 2021 NFL schedule will feature the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 9.

It is rapidly approaching but, at this point in time, the starters for the Buccaneers have only been on the field in a preseason game for about four minutes, which equates to six plays for quarterback Tom Brady and his offense.

Consequently, the Buccaneers head coach, Bruce Arians, stated the starters could play, at the very least, the entire first half of the third and final preseason game against the Houston Texans on Saturday.

Arians shared what he hopes to see from his players in that game.

“I want to see game speed, real game speed,” he said, “which we have not really had yet. Six plays does not get it for you.”

He added, despite the starters on both offense and defense facing the Tennessee Titans’ starters in back to back joint practices last week, those practices are still drastically different from a game.

“It is still practice. Nobody is hitting it, those type of things so we need to go out there and play game speed and play to our potential,” said Arians, “which I have not seen especially in the first quarter. I want to see us get off to better starts.”