TD
11:30
Bucky Irving 2 Yd Rush (Chase McLaughlin Kick)
6 jocuri, 57 de metri, 3:15
FG
9:15
Brandon Aubrey 49 Yd Gol de teren
5 jocuri, 39 de metri, 2:15
TD
1:45
Ezekiel Elliott 1 Yd Rush (Brandon Aubrey Kick)
9 jocuri, 80 de metri, 2:29
TD
0:48
Jalen McMillan, pasă de 11 Yd de la Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin Kick)
7 joacă, 71 de metri, 0:57
FG
0:00
Brandon Aubrey 58 Yd Gol de teren
6 jocuri, 30 de metri, 0:48
There is a team lurking in the NFC that nobody will want to play come playoff time.
It’s the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
I thought the Bucs could be a playoff team this season. In fact, I picked them to win the NFC South. But after watching them do what they did to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, I am even more impressed by what they are as a team.
After falling behind, 17-10, in the second quarter, looking like a team that would flounder on the road, the Bucs scored 30 unanswered points in the second half on their way to a 40-17 blowout.
The Bucs had 505 total yards, 222 on the ground, and Baker Mayfield threw four touchdown passes against the league’s top-ranked scoring defense. The Tampa Bay defense harassed Justin Herbert all day long and limited him to 195 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. In the second half, he couldn’t do much of anything.
The Bucs are now 8-6 heading to the final three games, leading the NFC South. Mayfield is a big reason why. He has 32 passing touchdowns, the most of his career. He threw two to Mike Evans on Sunday, both on big plays for the veteran receiver. When you combine a tough, bruising running attack with Mayfield’s right arm, the offense is tough to stop.
The defense has had injury issues all season, but getting their corners healthy and getting defensive lineman Calijah Kancey going has been big for that unit. The starting safeties are still out, but the backups held up against Herbert.
Tampa Bay is up to 12th in my Power Rankings this week. It closes the season with a road game at Dallas this week, followed by home games against the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints. Those teams have a combined record of 14-28, which means the Bucs have a real shot to run the table.
If they do, they’ll win the NFC South, clinch the third or fourth seed in the playoffs and play a home game. Like I said, nobody will want to play this team in the postseason. They can score on anybody and when the defense is healthy, that unit can be really good — a great mix of young and old on that side of the ball.
Tampa Bay showed last year it could win with Mayfield and gang in the playoffs. Now they are seasoned some, which should make them even more dangerous this time around. That’s why they have to be considered a team that can go on a run in the playoffs and seem to be getting hot at just the right time.
Biggest Movers
|
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
They are back in the top spot with the Detroit Lions losing. The injury to Patrick Mahomes could impact whether they get the top seed in the AFC, especially with three games in 10 days. | 1 | 13-1-0 |
2 |
|
They keep on rolling in the NFC East, and the passing game came alive against the Steelers. But they do face a tough game on the road against the Commanders this week. | 1 | 12-2-0 |
3 |
|
Winning at Detroit against the Lions was a big statement game. The past two weeks have showed that to beat this team, you might need to score 40 or more. Josh Allen is the MVP right now. | 2 | 11-3-0 |
4 |
|
The defense just isn’t good enough. That could be the undoing for this dynamic offensive-led team. The loss to the Bills exposed that defense, and now they have more injury losses with defensive tackle Alim McNeill and corner Carlton Davis. It’s a shame. | 3 | 12-2-0 |
5 |
|
It was a little disjointed against the Bears, but they just keep on winning. They face a tough road game at Seattle this week as they eye the potential division title. | 1 | 12-2-0 |
6 |
|
They showed a physical brand of football in beating up on the Seahawks on Sunday night. This team is a real threat in the NFC. | 1 | 10-4-0 |
7 |
|
The offense was lifeless in the loss to the Eagles. That opens up new questions about Russell Wilson as they head to Baltimore to play the Ravens. | 1 | 10-4-0 |
8 |
|
They came out of their bye with an impressive beatdown of the Giants. Now comes a monster divisional game with the Steelers. | — | 9-5-0 |
9 |
|
Bo Nix had a rough outing against the Colts, but they still found a way to win a game where he didn’t play well. The defense makes a lot of big plays. | 2 | 9-5-0 |
10 |
|
They looked dominant for much of the game against the Saints, but wilted late and made it a close game. They can’t do that this week against the Eagles or they will pay. | 2 | 9-5-0 |
11 |
|
They now lead the NFC West, which is amazing. Sean McVay deserves a ton of credit for getting this team to this position. | 2 | 8-6-0 |
12 |
|
As they get healthier, they get better. Baker Mayfield is having his best season yet. | 2 | 8-6-0 |
13 |
|
That was a horrible showing against the Bucs. They have lost two straight and now face a big Thursday game on the road against the Broncos. | 4 | 8-6-0 |
14 |
|
They have clinched the AFC South, but the next three weeks have to be about getting right for the playoffs. It’s still not like we expected so far for their offense. | 1 | 9-5-0 |
15 |
|
They got pushed around by the Packers and now face a tough final three games with Geno Smith banged up. Their playoff chances don’t look great. | 5 | 8-6-0 |
16 |
|
They impressed in beating up on the Patriots to keep their playoff hopes alive. Kyler Murray bounced back after a few tough games. | 1 | 7-7-0 |
17 |
|
The Jonathan Taylor mistake of dropping the ball as he went into the end zone could end up costing them a chance to make the playoffs. What a horrible play that turned a victory into a loss against the Broncos. | 1 | 6-8-0 |
18 |
|
It’s a shame they probably won’t make the playoffs because the offense is dynamic. Joe Burrow has been MVP good all year. | 2 | 6-8-0 |
19 |
|
They are basically done now after losing to the Texans. Tua Tagovailoa had a rough day on a stage where they needed him to be better. | 1 | 6-8-0 |
20 |
|
Brock Purdy came up small in a big game against the Rams. They have an outside shot at the playoffs, but they can’t afford another loss. | 1 | 6-8-0 |
21 |
|
They stayed alive in the division race by beating the Raiders on Monday night, but it sure wasn’t pretty. Kirk Cousins still doesn’t look right. | — | 7-7-0 |
22 |
|
They showed some fight in beating up on the Panthers. The defense played really well as Dallas’ slim playoff hopes remain alive. | 4 | 6-8-0 |
23 |
|
This season continues to spiral downward. The offense just isn’t very good right now, and it’s time to start looking to 2025 and a new coach. | 1 | 4-10-0 |
24 |
|
Jameis Winston still makes way too many mistakes, which is why he was benched against the Chiefs. They have quarterback issues heading into next season. | — | 3-11-0 |
25 |
|
A season that started with so much hope is ending on a downer. They have a challenging offseason for whoever is coaching this group. | 2 | 5-9-0 |
26 |
|
So much for the strides Bryce Young was making playing quarterback. He wasn’t good in the loss to the Cowboys. | 1 | 3-11-0 |
27 |
|
Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams was the difference in beating the Jaguars last week. It’s a bit of a tease for Jets fans since they expected to see so much more of that. | 3 | 4-10-0 |
28 |
|
They have a star in receiver Brian Thomas Jr., which is good for the future. He is going to be special for whoever coaches this team and for Trevor Lawrence. | 1 | 3-11-0 |
29 |
|
Will Levis could be done as their starter. It just didn’t work. They need to get a quarterback in the offseason. | 1 | 3-11-0 |
30 |
|
Drake Maye didn’t do much in the Pats’ loss to the Cardinals. They need to loosen things up a bit and let him throw it around in the final three games. | 1 | 3-11-0 |
31 |
|
Things are so bad that it’s hard to imagine there won’t be changes — big changes. Can Brian Daboll keep his job? | — | 2-12-0 |
32 |
|
With Desmond Ridder at quarterback, they have no chance. They are on their way to getting their quarterback in the draft next April. | — | 2-12-0 |
Deion Jones cunoaște bine NFC South. Odinioară vedetă a apărării Atlanta Falcons, fostul linebacker de la Pro Bowl a fost văzut cel mai recent cu Carolina Panthers. Acum se află la a treia echipă din divizie, reaparând marți ca cel mai nou membru al echipei de antrenament a Tampa Bay Buccaneers, potrivit ESPN.
Jones, în vârstă de 30 de ani, sosește în Tampa Bay în timp ce Buccaneers se luptă cu rănile mai multor linebackeri, inclusiv veteranul titular KJ Britt și rezerva JJ Russell. El a petrecut o parte a extrasezonului din 2024 cu Buffalo Bills, dar nu a ajuns în lista finală a echipei și a rămas neînscris până în acest moment. Ca parte a echipei de cercetași a lui Bucs, el va fi eligibil pentru până la trei creșteri în zilele de joc în timpul sezonului regulat.
O alegere a LSU din a doua rundă a draftului din 2016, Jones a fost odată considerat unul dintre cei mai buni sprijinitori ai jocului. El a atras atenția pentru Defensive Rookie of the Year în timpul debutului său în Atlanta, în care a acumulat 108 tacleri, 11 rupturi de pase și 165 de yarzi, lider în ligă, la retururi de interceptare, în timp ce i-a ajutat pe Falcons să avanseze la Super Bowl LI. El a fost chiar mai bine un an mai târziu, afișând 138 de tacleri și alte trei alegeri ca piesa centrală a apărării clubului.
O accidentare la picior l-a costat pe Jones toate, cu excepția celor șase meciuri, în 2018, iar relația lui cu Falcons s-a deteriorat în sezoanele următoare, ducând la un schimb cu Cleveland Browns în 2022. El a petrecut doar un sezon cu Browns, începând cu cinci jocuri. , înainte de a apărea în 13 concursuri cu Panthers în 2023.
Cea mai nouă echipă a lui, Buccaneers, conduce în prezent NFC South cu 7-6.
Austin Peay Governors @ ETSU Buccaneers
Recorduri curente: Austin Peay 4-3, ETSU 5-2
ETSU Buccaneers se vor înfrunta cu guvernatorii Austin Peay la ora 16:00 ET sâmbătă la Freedom Hall. Buccaneers se luptă cu ceva mușchi ofensiv, deoarece au înregistrat o medie de 78 de puncte pe meci în acest sezon.
Austin Peay speră să facă ceea ce Charlotte nu a putut miercuri: să pună capăt seriei de victorii ale ETSU, care acum se ridică la trei jocuri. ETSU a fost clar învingător cu o marjă de 75-55 față de Charlotte. Buccaneers și-au făcut obiceiul să-și măture adversarii de pe teren, câștigând acum trei jocuri cu 20 de puncte sau mai mult în acest sezon.
ETSU a obținut victoria în spatele mai multor jucători cheie, dar Karon Boyd a fost în față care a marcat 14 puncte, împreună cu șapte recuperări și două furări. În plus, Boyd a strâns și trei pase decisive, cel mai mult pe care l-a avut din noiembrie 2023. Quimari Peterson a fost un alt jucător cheie, înscriind 16 puncte plus cinci recuperări și două furări.
ETSU a spart paharul ofensiv și a încheiat jocul cu 16 recuperări ofensive. Acea performanță puternică nu a fost nimic nou pentru echipă: acum au retras cel puțin 13 recuperări ofensive în trei meciuri consecutive.
Între timp, Austin Peay a fost scurt împotriva UT Arlington miercuri și a căzut cu 68-58.
ETSU a avut performanțe bune în ultima perioadă, deoarece au câștigat patru din ultimele cinci meciuri, ceea ce a oferit o creștere bună recordului lor de 5-2 în acest sezon. Cât despre Austin Peay, înfrângerea lor a scăzut recordul la 4-3.
ETSU și Austin Peay au fost copleșiți în meciul lor precedent în noiembrie 2020, dar ETSU a venit cu mâinile goale după o înfrângere cu 67-66. Va avea ETSU mai mult noroc acasă decât pe drum?
Austin Peay a câștigat singurul meci pe care l-au jucat aceste două echipe în ultimii 4 ani.