We have entered the final stretch of the regular season. With the holidays approaching, the excitement of NFL playoff football is also just around the corner. Many teams are vying for a playoff spot, including our Team of the Week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Baker is Baking Touchdowns
In the post-Tom Brady era, the player who has kept the Buccaneers competitive has been quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Players with 60+ Touchdowns since the beginning of last season:
-Baker Mayfield 🏴☠️
That’s the list. pic.twitter.com/1gmLK0xGOt
— 𝙁𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙙𝙎𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙧 (@SOONERSnFITTEDS) December 16, 2024
Mayfield has thrived in Tampa Bay since his brief career resurgence with the Rams in Los Angeles. In this game alone, Mayfield went 22-for-27 with 288 yards and four touchdowns. Believe it or not, none of those touchdowns were rushing touchdowns; they all came in the receiving game.
Two of Mayfield’s four touchdowns were caught by future Hall of Famer Mike Evans, one touchdown was scored by Jalen McMillan, and the other touchdown went to Rachaad White.
Mike Evans’ Yearly Hunt for 1000
Every year, Evans consistently achieves over 1,000 receiving yards in a season. This has happened every year since the Buccaneers selected him in the 2014 NFL Draft. However, this season, his streak of 1,000-plus yards has been impacted heavily by a hamstring injury that caused him to miss three games.
As for this season, he currently needs 251 additional yards to reach that 1,000-yard milestone. With that being said, there are three weeks left in the regular season, keeping this goal within reach.
Mike. Evans. HIM. pic.twitter.com/4JYVdLOhUx
— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024
Tampa Bay Defense
The Tampa Bay defense effectively shut down Justin Herbert, who is regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the league. Against the Buccaneers, Herbert passed for only 195 yards and two touchdowns.
Additionally, Tampa Bay forced him into his second interception of the season, which was made by cornerback Jamel Dean.
The Buccaneers’ defensive line applied significant pressure on Herbert, sacking him a total of three times. Linebacker Lavonte David and defensive end Logan Hall each recorded 1.5 sacks in the contest.
Buccaneers’ Playoff Hopes
Now is the crucial time when playoff implications and scenarios become significant. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently occupy the No. 3 seed in the NFC and are in first place in the NFC South division.
YOUR TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS ARE LEADING THE NFC SOUTH pic.twitter.com/RnM6O1PBB7
— Adrian 🍉 (8-6) (@Sayin_Adrian) December 8, 2024
In the event of a tie between the Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons, the Falcons hold the tiebreaker because they swept Tampa Bay this season. The good news for Tampa Bay is that they control their own destiny. The Buccaneers simply have to win their three remaining regular-season games against the Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, and New Orleans Saints.
All of these matchups are winnable and against beatable opponents.
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