The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been battling injuries all season, just like most teams in the NFL. The Bucs have won the last two games against the New York Giants, and division rivals the Carolina Panthers. In Week 7, they lost Wide Receiver Chris Godwin to an ankle injury. This Sunday, the Bucs faced the Las Vegas Raiders, who we can say are not having such a good season, ranking last in the AFC West. Could the Bucs continue their win streak from two to three? The Raiders, before the game, stood at 2-10. Could they get a win to salvage some respect?
Rookie Bucky Irving has led the offense in rushing for the past two games, and in the game against the Panthers, Irving ran for 152 yards with 1 touchdown, and in the Giants game led the Bucs with 88 yards with a touchdown. Mike Evans, veteran receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, returned in Week 11 against the Giants from a hamstring injury and has led the Bucs in receiving. Could Irving and Evans continue to bring positive energy to a struggling Bucs offense?
Bucs Beat Raiders
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers jumped out to a 14-0 lead on the Las Vegas Raiders, scoring on the first two opening drives of the game. Bucs Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for two touchdowns, the first going to Bucs rookie receiver Jalen McMillan for a 15-yard score and the second going to Bucs starting Running Back Rashaad White for 5 yards. Bucky Irving would exit the game with a back issue and was labeled doubtful in the second half. Irving would rush for three yards before leaving the game. White would lead the team in rushing with 90 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.
Mayfield started the game well but made mistakes on possible scoring drives for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense. Mayfield would finish the day throwing for 295 yards with 3 passing touchdowns but would throw 2 interceptions in the game. Mike Evans would finish the game with 69 yards with four receptions on five targets. Evans, who is on the quest to get 11 straight seasons with 1000+ yards, currently has 521 yards this season.
Bucs Offense
It’s no secret that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense has been struggling without their key players. It’s also no secret that the Bucs have one of the easiest remaining scheduled games in the NFL. Mistakes were made in a game where one would think the Bucs could dominate. Mayfield would throw two interceptions and had a fumble at surging moments where that game could have been over by halftime. Mayfield would complete a pass to seven different receivers. Without the interceptions, it would have been a decent game for the Bucs quarterback.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rushing offense has been the bottom of the barrel in past seasons. In today’s game against the Raiders, the Bucs totaled 152 yards on the ground. This would be the third game in a row where the Bucs would win and total over 100 yards rushing. Tampa’s offensive line allowed the Raiders’ defense to sack Mayfield four times and have eight quarterback hits.
Final Thoughts
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have won 28-13 against the Raiders, but next Sunday, they will play the Los Angeles Chargers in Los Angeles. The Chargers are ranked 27th in the league in total yards in offense, and in defense, they are ranked 13th in total yards allowed. The LA Charger defense is ranked 14th in the league at stopping the run, and eighth against the pass. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense may have its hands full if they continue to make mistakes in crucial moments. Can the Bucs keep winning and better their odds to the NFL Playoffs and get their fourth division title?
