Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8) @ Miami Dolphins (6-9)
Sunday, December 28, 1:00 PM ET
With their loss this weekend, the Miami Dolphins – who had been a very intriguing and somewhat hot team for a stretch – have been completely eliminated from the playoffs. And they’re looking like a pretty easy stepping stone right now for a team like the Bucs, who need to get back on track badly.
The Dolphins benched Tua Tagovailoa, signaling the end of an “era” for the team that has been ongoing since the 2020 offseason. The benching of Tua following the team parting ways with general manager Chris Grier is the clearest sign we have that the Dolphins are going to blow it up down to the studs this offseason.
New general manager, new quarterback…will Mike McDaniel be around to be part of it all? At this point, we know Tagovailoa is going to be looking for a new home. Tyreek Hill won’t be part of this team barring the unexpected. It’s going to be an interesting offseason for the Dolphins.
But the game at hand is extremely important for the Buccaneers, who have been one of the most disappointing teams in the entire NFL over the past two months. Injuries have played an obvious role in the struggles for the Bucs, but so has the play of quarterback Baker Mayfield.
It’s like he’s fallen off the proverbial cliff and there’s no end to the free-fall in sight. At least, until this weekend. The Bucs are 5.5-point favorites on the road against Quinn Ewers and the Dolphins, which feels like a huge gut check regarding the perception of this team. I’m saying the Bucs cover easily, winning by 10 or more.
Prediction: Buccaneers win 27-16