Buccaneers vs. Jaguars 2017: Start time, TV channel, and how to watch online

The Jaguars are coming off a win in their preseason opener, but they won’t have Leonard Fournette for this game.

Aug 17, 2017, 2:00 PM UTC

NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals

David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers face an in-Florida rival when they travel across the state to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second preseason game. Both teams sport young rosters looking to make some noise in the NFL playoff picture this season, but they’re still trying to answer some questions before the regular season begins.

As the featured team on this year’s season of Hard Knocks, the Bucs are getting the national TV treatment for their second preseason game. It will be televised on ESPN, with the Monday Night Football crew of Sean McDonough and Jon Gruden calling the action. Fans can stream it online at WatchESPN.

The Jaguars opened their preseason with a 31-24 win over the New England Patriots, thanks to a handful of massive plays from their second-teamers. Chad Henne hooked up with Keelan Cole on a 97-yard touchdown, while Corey Grant had a 79-yard score and Dede Westbrook pitched in with a 42-yard touchdown of his own.

Unfortunately, the team is dealing with more injury problems this week. Marqise Lee went down in practice with a high-ankle sprain and could miss the rest of preseason, while prized rookie Leonard Fournette is sitting out this game with a foot injury. The Jaguars selected Fournette with the No. 4 overall pick and plan to build the offense around him, so his absence will be felt. Fournette had nine carries for 31 yards and a touchdown in his preseason debut last week.

The other big concern is the lack of progress from Blake Bortles. He didn’t play much in last week’s preseason game, completing only 3 of 5 passes for 16 yards, and his practice performances have drawn poor reviews. During Tuesday’s joint practice with the Bucs, Allen Robinson audibly yelled “keep that s*it in bounds, bro” while head coach Doug Marrone acknowledged that Bortles had “some good throws and some horses*it throws.” The No. 3 pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, Bortles is possibly running out of rope with a new coaching staff that didn’t draft him.

The Bucs at least have their franchise quarterback in Jameis Winston, although their preseason opener left something to be desired. The team lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-12, with the big story being Roberto Aguayo’s continued struggles. After he missed a field goal and an extra point, the Bucs quickly pulled the plug on Aguayo, releasing him just one year after trading up to draft him in the second round. They’ll move forward with Nick Folk as the new kicker.

The good news is that Winston did well in his preseason reps, completing 9 of 13 passes for 99 yards. The backup QB situation is a little more tenuous, though. Ryan Fitzpatrick went just 6-of-13, threw an interception, and fumbled the ball. Ryan Griffin left the game after injuring his shoulder, and rookie Sefo Liufau played well in his one series late in the game. In the running game, Doug Martin got the start despite being suspended for the first three games. Jacquizz Rodgers and Charles Sims are expected to fill in for him during that time.