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DETROIT — Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles didn’t offer much of an answer when asked if he thought his team would face the Detroit Lions in a rematch for a second consecutive postseason showdown in January. His focus is on getting his team there first, as he’s sure the Lions will be.
William Gholston, however, had no issues answering the question directly following the Bucs’ 20-16 win over the Lions at Ford Field on Sunday.
“Definitely, man,” Gholston told MLive. “You see how hard they fight. You see the coaches that he’s created over there. I wouldn’t be shocked if we had to play these guys again.”
After meeting last year during the regular season, when the Lions picked up a 20-6 victory over the Bucs in Week 6 in Tampa Bay, both teams met again during the divisional round. The result was the same, with the Lions securing a 31-23 victory to advance to the NFC title game against the San Francisco 49ers.
As a native Detroiter who played high school football at Detroit Southeastern and collegiately at Michigan State, Gholston said his loved ones poured salt in his wounds following the Bucs’ playoff loss in Detroit. Being able to return home and avenge last season’s defeat made the win that much sweeter for him.
“You know how many family members I had to talk to for that whole year up until now, even last night?” Gholston said. “So it’s huge to be able to come back and get a win, especially against an opponent like that. A great offense and great team.”
Tampa Bay’s defense frustrated Detroit throughout most of Sunday’s game. Along with intercepting Lions quarterback Jared Goff twice, they were effective in limiting Detroit’s ability to capitalize in the red zone, where they went 1-for-7.
“I think it was being able to trust our technique, trust our fundamentals, and trust what we saw on film,” Gholston said when asked what made Tampa Bay’s defense successful. “I can’t give it away because we’re probably going to play these guys again, but I think trusting our keys, locking in on the game plan, and executing.”
“I said it a little bit earlier, man — those guys, everybody on our team, our defense, is hungry. So when they get in, they’re trying to eat, and it showed. And it’s really, really enjoyable for me. I see how hard they work in practice. I see ‘em. I think I appreciate it a little bit more than they do, but I think it’s a testament to the coaches, the players, and just executing the scheme — and it worked.”
Gholston, a two-time Second-team All-Big Ten honoree (2011 and 2012) while playing a Michigan State, was selected by Tampa Bay in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft. He won his first Super Bowl in 2020, when the Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
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