If Josh Freeman is to have time to throw this week against the Giants, he wil need his offensive line to handle New York's stout pass rush. (US Presswire)

Of the many challenges a young Tampa Bay team expects to face when it takes on the defending Super Bowl champions this Sunday, slowing down the New York Giants' pass rush might top the list.

The Giants are known for their stout defensive line, with Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora terrorizing opposing quarterbacks in the NFC East with regularity. If that wasn't a daunting enough test for the Buccaneers' offensive line, they get to face the Giants at a time when the champs are likely surly after taking a Week 1 loss against Dallas.

"They've got freaks of nature over there," Bucs T Donald Penn told Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune.  "Pierre-Paul is a beast and I've got a double dose with a little bit of him and a little bit of Osi. It's going to be a tough one … a lot of hitting in the mouth.'' 

If that wasn't enough, T Jeremy Trueblood -- expected to also have to deal with Pierre-Paul, did not participate in the Bucs' practice on Thursday. Trueblood, according to Stephen F. Holder of the Tampa Bay Times, was seen riding an exercise bike during practice and was walking with a noticeable limp. 

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But coach Greg Schiano still is holding out hope that Trueblood might play Sunday, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times:

  • Barber picks up defensive player of the week honors: It was quite a week for Ronde Barber, who started his 200th consecutive game on Sunday and turned in a vintage performance, intercepting a pass and registering a sack of Cam Newton in the Bucs' win over the Panthers. For his efforts, Barber was named NFC defensive player of the week when the NFL announced its weekly awards on Wednesday. It was the 10th defensive player of the week award of Barber's 16-year NFL career. All told, Barber finished the opener with five tackles (two for loss), a sack, interception and two passes defensed. 
  • RB Blount returns to practice: After sustaining a mysterious injury in the season opener, RB LeGarrette Blount went to see a specialist in Charlotte, N.C., in the hopes of determining exactly what was ailing him. The results, the Bucs said, were positive, and Blount returned to action for Thursday's practice. "He's fine," general manager Mark Dominik told Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. "He felt a stinger and it just made us nervous, the way he felt. That's part of the reason why you saw him (shaking his arms as he came off the field), because he lost some strength." 
  • Martin shouldering the load: The player who replaced Blount as the Bucs' starting RB, rookie Doug Martin, touched the ball 28 times in the opener and took the hits that come along with all those touches, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. There were only two games during his college career at Boise State where he had more touches, leading to concerns that the punishment might prove to be too much to handle. Schiano indicated the team would monitor that situation closely. "I do think it's a feel thing game to game," Schiano said. "But 28 touches … that's a lot of touches. Now, has it been done? Sure. Has it been done by rookies? So it's not unheard of. But we'll go one game at a time, and then you've just got to keep an eye on him as the season rolls on. He's a finely conditioned athlete. He's very muscular, he works out a lot, which is going to help him … handle some of the load. But at the end of the day, that's a tall order. So we'll see." 
For more from Tampa Bay Bucs blogger Patrick Southern, follow @CBSBucs on Twitter.