Weather Moves Washington-Tampa Bay Game to Wednesday

If you love your football, and I mean really love your football, you probably don’t enjoy having all 16 games on the same day in the fourth week of NFL preseason.

The packed schedule makes it infinitely harder to follow which undrafted rookie made the practice squad, which punter won the starting job, and who to take in the final rounds of your fantasy football draft that with have all your friends laughing with pity in week one but weeping in defeat come January.

Well worry no more, because at least one game will get the spotlight all to itself in a week where just about everyone is ready to turn their attention to the regular season. The NFL has agreed to move the clash between the Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Wednesday night in hopes to avoid the ominously named Tropical Depression Nine sweeping through Florida.

“We have been in regular communication with administrators from the Tampa Sports Authority, Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa and the National Weather Service over the past day as it has become apparent that the most severe weather associated with Tropical Depression Nine will likely make landfall on Thursday,” explained Buccaneers Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford said. “This decision was made by both teams in conjunction with the National Football League and local authorities in an effort to ensure the safety of our fans, players and stadium staff.”

The move probably wasn’t welcomed by Jay Gruden and Dirk Koetter – as coaches are typically creatures of habit that despise sudden change – but it’s certainly better than the prospect of not playing a game at all.

At any rate, the contest is unlikely to feature any recognisable names from either team. The final go-round before the real thing is almost exclusively reserved for backups and rookies before a 53-man roster is finalized on September 3.