Jason Pierre-Paul spent four seasons (2018-21) with the Buccaneers and won a Super Bowl in 2020 before signing with the Ravens last month.
Now he'll be facing the Bucs on Thursday Night Football and the veteran pass rusher isn't pretending that he's not stoked to face his former team.
"I'm going to be showcasing my talent as a Raven, and I'm going to show them why they chose me to be here, and get the job done," Pierre-Paul said. "I'm a great pass rusher, great run stopper. Somebody still believes in me – so at the end of the day, I've got to showcase my talent."
Pierre-Paul played through a shoulder injury last season with the Bucs, and they did not bring him back in free agency. Pierre-Paul said there was no animosity toward the Bucs, but facing a former team is often a matter of pride.
"I understand the business side of football, and it is what it is, but I have no hard feelings, no bad blood against Tampa," Pierre-Paul said. "I was there for four years and did my job there, and now I'm here. I'm just going to go out and show them what they don't have."
Pierre-Paul has a sack and five tackles in four games with Baltimore, but he's becoming more accustomed to playing with his new teammates and is getting his game legs back. Pierre-Paul feels strongly that his best is yet to come.
"I [came] here and didn't have a training camp or anything," Pierre-Paul said. "It was like a preseason to me. But I'm ready to go. I'm fired up and ready to go now. My body is feeling good, and this is how it's going to be for the rest of this year."
Tyler Linderbaum Will be Tested by Matchup Against Vita Vea
Tampa Bay Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea can be a disruptive force, a massive 6-foot-4, 347-pound presence who's a superb run stopper and already has a team-leading 3.5 sacks this year.
He'll be another test for Ravens rookie center Tyler Linderbaum, but Head Coach John Harbaugh has been very pleased with Linderbaum's play this season.
"He told me after Week 4, he said, 'Hey, it's only my fourth game. I'm going to keep getting better,'" Harbaugh said. "And I believed him, and it's been true. He's just that kind of guy; he's all business, he's all ball, he loves it, he works really hard at it. He's been playing well. He's already playing really well, so to say that he's going to keep getting better is quite a statement, and that's a good thing."
Patrick Queen Looks Forward to Facing Leonard Fournette
One of the key matchups in Thursday's game will be inside linebacker Patrick Queen keying on Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette, who leads the Buccaneers in catches (34) and rushing yards (362).
Tom Brady loves to swing short passes to his top running back, and he'll key in on Fournette if Queen isn't on top of his game.
"LSU, I know who Fournette is, I know what he brings to the table and I'm looking forward to the challenge," Queen said. "I know they get the ball to him a lot and try to stop him from doing his thing. It's a great matchup."
Queen is doing whatever he can to prepare himself during a short week.
"I'm not a big cold tub, hot tub guy, but this week I'm doing that stuff," Queen said.
John Harbaugh Trying to Help Parents Watch on Amazon
The benefit of playing on Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video is that Ravens fans everywhere can watch live.
The tricky part, however, is figuring out how.
"I'm not sure my parents are going to be seeing the game for the first time in 15 years. Hopefully, they will," Head Coach John Harbaugh said with a laugh. "They've gotten instructions. They've got good internet, so hopefully they'll see it."
As a reminder, fans living in the Baltimore area can still watch the game on local TV (ABC/Ch. 2).
Those living outside of the region can watch on Amazon Prime Video. For information on how to subscribe to Prime Video, which includes a free 30-day trial, step-by-step setup instructions, compatible devices and more, click here.
