Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) @ Los Angeles Chargers (8-5)
Sunday, December 15, 4:25 PM ET
Here is another game in the late afternoon window that just feels like it’s got the potential to be special.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to win the NFC South despite having more major injuries than just about any other team in the league this year. Obviously, the Bucs have managed to win seven games up to this point and Baker Mayfield has continued to play well for them, but they have needed other guys to step up and their offense has had to evolve in major ways.
They lost Chris Godwin and Mike Evans for a time, forcing players like Bucky Irving to step up and make more plays. He answered the call. This past weekend, we saw rookie receiver Jalen McMillan step up with a pair of touchdown catches.
The Bucs are too much of a wild card week to week to really be able to say they definitively have an advantage going on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers suffered a close loss at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs on the road this past weekend, but the way this team plays defense is going to keep them in pretty much every game.
Can the offense make enough plays?
The Chargers have so much at stake right now with an 8-5 record and the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens looming right there at 8-5 as well. It’s good for the Chargers to be playing this game at home but this is not a gimme. They are just 2.5-point favorites against the Bucs and the one thing Tampa Bay has going for it that could be so dangerous in this kind of game is playmaking running backs in the passing attack.
The Chargers have to make sure Bucky Irving doesn’t have a day. I think they squeak out a win at home but I won’t be shocked in the slightest to see this game go either way.
Prediction: Chargers win 24-22