Bucs' Sean Murphy-Bunting on Saints' Michael Thomas' pregame challenge

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have something to prove this season and a little trash talking is just what cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting needed to fuel him in a big win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday night. 

Murphy-Bunting said after the game that he felt like Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas was challenging him during warmups, something he took that personally.

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"We just played ball, man," Murphy-Bunting said. "I’m not the type to be doing the back-and-forth, he said, she said thing."

But he was offended by the way Thomas was targeting him before the game.

"But I took it to heart when I’m in pregame and I’m sitting on the bench and (Thomas) walking down the sideline mean-mugging me three or four times," Murphy-Bunting said. "I don’t say much, but when you do something like that it’s like you’re trying me as a man"

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Unfortunately for Thomas, he would go on to make zero catches for the first time ever in his career, despite being targeted by Drew Brees four times. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting (23) intercepts a pass intended for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (13) during the first half of an NFL divisional round playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)

"Now with all that taunting stuff that he does, all that muscles up and all that, he didn’t do it one time this game," Murphy-Bunting added. "I’m not going to sit here and trash talk anybody because he’s a really, really good receiver, a really good catch radius, he’s very talented. But at the end of the day you’re not going to try me as a man, you’re not going to try any of my guys as a man. We’re going to battle and that’s it."

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Thomas didn’t have it much easier on social media with football fans going after him for his lackluster performance. 

Thomas missed nine games this season due to injury and a suspension for punching a teammate.