Gameday Tampa Bay - Eagles (11-6) at Bucs (9-8)

[BucsBooze]

Eagles (11-6) at Bucs (9-8)

Kickoff: 8:15 p.m.

TV: ESPN and WFTS-TV Channel 28, locally) with Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge.


Streaming: ESPN+, NFL+. (Geographic restrictions apply. Subscription may be required).

Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network WXTB-FM 97.9 in the Tampa-St. Petersburg region (Transmisiones de radio en español en WTMP-FM 96.1 y WMGG-AM 1470 en Tampa). Additional stations throughout Florida on the Buccaneers Radio Network can be found here. The game also will be broadcast on SiriusXM Channels 109 (Buccaneers Radio Network feed) or SiriusXM NFL Radio Channel 88 (Westwood One national feed).

Weather: Gloomy day in Tampa Bay. Expect rain on and off all day, per AccuWeather.com. Tailgaters will have to dodge intermittent thunderstorms with temperatures in the low 70s and high 60s. By kickoff look for a temperature of 64. While rains are expected in the second half, the chance for precipitation in the first half is right at 50 percent. A dense fog advisory has been issued to begin at 10 p.m. right about the time the rains are expected. Temperatures should remain steady in the mid-60s through the end of the game.

Odds: Per BetMGM, as of midnight, Bucs +3 (+125); over/under 43.

Referees: Adrian Hill and his gang will work tonight’s game. Hill and his outfit, per Joe Gibbs of Sharp Football Analysis, may be one of the NFL’s best referee crews working. His number of penalties called is average compared to most NFL referee crews. And the penalties are spread out evenly. From a short-term investment angle, home teams, per Gibbs, with Hill’s posse are 31-34-1 on the moneyline.

Injuries: Eagles — Out: WR A.J. Brown (knee), Doubtful: LB K.J. Britt (calf). Questionable: CB Carlton Davis (concussion), OLB Cam Gill (knee), WR Rakim Jarrett (quadriceps), TE Ko Kieft (shoulder), QB Baker Mayfield (ribs), WR Trey Palmer (hip). Bucs — Out: OLB Marquis Haynes (concussion). Doubtful: G Cade Mays (finger), K Eddie Pineiro (right hamstring). Questionable: LB Tae Davis (illness), CB Jaycee Horn (toe).

Outlook: Will the Bucs show up tonight? Seriously, Joe has his doubts. If Joe has a major issue with Bucs coach Todd Bowles, it is his drawback (inability) to motivate his players. No, Joe doesn’t give two sh!ts about his reserved personality. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is full of coaches who were stoic and stone-faced and exuded all the personality of a telephone pole. But these guys had a way of getting their players motivated and focused. The fact that two weeks in a row with so much on the line the Bucs just showed up is appalling to Joe. Two weeks ago the Bucs acted like they were all hungover the way they got their arses handed to them by the slimy Saints. Last week the Bucs offense got pushed around badly by the worst team in the NFL. And the nerve for the Bucs to try to wave off this uninspired play because the Stinking Panthers have a good defense — they are the worst team in the friggin’ league!!! If Carolina’s defense was that damn good they would have won more than two flippin’ games! In Joe’s eyes, it all comes down to this: Is Baker Mayfield healthy enough to throw? He looked like a cripple last week. Frankly, maybe he shouldn’t have been on the field. But that is water under the bridge. Can Mayfield throw the ball? Of course, the Bucs need to throw the ball because that’s their strength. Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales doesn’t seem to care. He’s going to run no matter what. You may get away with that in the regular season but the postseason is no time to eff around unless people have nonrefundable deposits at all-inclusive resorts in Cancun this coming weekend. The objective is to win. So it may behoove the Bucs to use their best weapons and running back Rachaad White isn’t remotely close to being the Bucs’ best weapon unless he’s catching the ball out of the backfield. Joe thinks the only chance the Bucs have is for Mayfield to slice up the suddenly vulnerable Eagles’ pass defense. If the Bucs try to outmuscle the Eagles, that plan will explode in their faces. If that happens, Joe will be in offseason mode by midnight. Why is it so difficult for coaches to realize getting the ball to your best players on offense is not a mortal sin?

Fun facts: Bucs coach Todd Bowles became the first coach in Bucs history last week to win division titles in back-to-back seasons. The Bucs also won their third consecutive division title, a franchise first. … QB Baker Mayfield had career highs in 2023 in completions (364), passing yards (4,044) and touchdown passes (28). In two playoff starts, Mayfield has a total of four postseason touchdown passes. … WR Mike Evans became the fifth player in NFL history with 12 or more receiving touchdowns in five different seasons. … WR Chris Godwin had at least 50 yards receiving in each of his last five games. … C Robert Hainsey, RG Cody Mauch and RT Luke Goedeke have not missed one start or missed one snap all year long. They each have played 100 percent of the Bucs’ offensive snaps. … ILB Lavonte David, who in less than two weeks will be 34, just recorded his fifth season with 15 or more tackles for loss. … OLB YaYa Diaby (12 tackles for loss) and DT Calijah Kancey (10 tackles for loss) became second pair of rookies this century with double-digit tackles for loss. The last time this happened was in 2017 when Mike Hilton and T.J. Watt of the Steelers recorded this feat. … S Antoine Winfield led the NFL in forced fumbles (6) and fumble recoveries (4). He was named first-team All-Pro last week.

Source: https://www.joebucsfan.com/2024/01/game ... a-bay-297/