Part of the 0-7 mark are two setbacks this season -- a 30-29
loss to the Washington Football Team on a Thursday in September
and a 20-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on a Monday earlier
this month.
"I really haven't thought about it," Jones said of the dubious
streak. "I didn't realize it until recently, but we're preparing
for this week. Each game is different. Each game is a different
opportunity, so we'll look to prepare for this one."
Overall, New York has lost nine consecutive night games -- five
on Mondays, three on Thursdays and one on Sunday -- since Eli
Manning guided the Giants to a 27-23 victory over the San
Francisco Giants on Nov. 12, 2018.
The Giants had a chance for a victory over Tampa Bay last season
when the teams played on a Monday night. New York led 14-3 late
in the first half before the Buccaneers rallied for a 25-23
victory.
Tampa Bay leads the NFC South by one game, but the mood is a bit
uneasy after consecutive losses to the New Orleans Saints and
Washington.
The Buccaneers gave up 65 points in the two outings to see their
ranking in scoring defense (23.6 points per game) slide to a tie
for 17th.
Outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, who has a team-best 5.5
sacks, said the focus this week has been on fixing what's wrong.
"Start by looking in the mirror and just get back on track and
get back to the mindset that we have to go out there and earn
every play," Barrett said. "We have to grind it out. Nothing is
going to be given to us. Nothing is going to be easy, so we have
to work for everything that we want."
The offense continues to be solid as Tampa Bay ranks third in
scoring (31.0 points per game). Quarterback Tom Brady leads the
NFL with 27 touchdown passes and has thrown for 2,870 yards and
seven interceptions.
Receiver Mike Evans is second in the NFL with nine touchdown
catches this season and has 70 in his career.
The 28-year-old Evans' next score will tie him with team legend
Mike Alstott (71 from 1996-2006) for the most total touchdowns
in franchise history. Alstott, a fullback, rushed for 58 scores
and had 13 as a receiver.
"For Mike (Evans) to do it, it shows an unbelievable level of
consistency and availability," Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians
said of the eighth-year pro. "He doesn't miss many games. When
you put those two together, with seven years of 1,000 yards,
it's availability and consistency at a very high level."
As for New York, the Giants had a bye last week after beating
the Las Vegas Raiders 23-16 on Nov. 7. The team also is hopeful
running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) can return after a four-game
absence.
Barkley was hurt during a 44-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on
Oct. 10. He has rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns this
season.
Barkley was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. Giants
coach Joe Judge wasn't ready to say the Giants can count on
having Barkley against Tampa Bay, but offensive coordinator
Jason Garrett is surely eager to call Barkley's number.
"He's just a great football player," said Garrett, the former
head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. "I was on the other side of
this for a couple of years against him, and he's one of those
players that can just really impact a game."
Among the Giants who sat out Thursday was receiver Sterling
Shepard (quadriceps).
Receiver Antonio Brown (ankle) sat out for the Buccaneers and
could miss his fourth straight game. Tight end Rob Gronkowski
(ribs) was a full participant and is on track to return after
missing five of the past six games.
Tampa Bay placed cornerback Richard Sherman (calf) on injured
reserve earlier this week.
--Field Level Media
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