Buccaneers host Jags as both look to remain in control of bids for division titles, playoff spots
JACKSONVILLE (8-6) AT TAMPA BAY (7-7)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST, CBS
OPENING LINE: Buccaneers by 1½, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Jaguars 8-6; Buccaneers 9-4-1.
SERIES RECORD: Jaguars lead 4-3.
LAST MEETING: Buccaneers beat Jaguars 28-11 at Jacksonville on Dec. 1, 2019.
LAST WEEK: Jaguars lost at home to Baltimore 23-7; Buccaneers won 34-20 at Green Bay
JAGUARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (26), PASS (9), SCORING (T-10).
JAGUARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (27), RUSH (12), PASS (29), SCORING (21)
BUCCANEERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (23), RUSH (29), PASS (19), SCORING (20).
BUCCANEERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (26), RUSH (9), PASS (31), SCORING (13)
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Jaguars plus-1; Buccaneers plus-6
JAGUARS PLAYER TO WATCH: Second-year pro Travon Walker is coming off one of his best games. A linebacker and the No. 1 overall pick in 2022 had four tackles, including a sack, against Baltimore and often forced the Ravens to run to the opposite side of the defense. Walker has at least a half-sack in four of his past five games, a stretch that shows he’s starting to figure out how to finish off the edge.
BUCCANEERS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Mike Evans leads Tampa Bay with 66 catches for 1,077 yards, his 10th consecutive season with 1,000 yards-plus receiving. He’s second in the NFL with 11 touchdown receptions and enters Sunday needing one more to join Hall Famers Jerry Rice (8), Terrell Owens (7), Marvin Harrison (6) and Randy Moss (6) as the only players in league history to catch at least 12 TD passes in a season five or more times.
KEY MATCHUP: Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield against a Jaguars pass rush led by Josh Allen, who has 13½ sacks. Mayfield is coming off having a perfect passer rating of 158.3 while throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns without an interception against Green Bay. He was also sacked five times, which usually is not something the Bucs can overcome.
KEY INJURIES: Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is hoping to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol by the time the team leaves for Tampa on Saturday. If not, C.J. Beathard would make his first career start since the 2020 season finale with San Francisco. Jacksonville will be without two of its top three receivers. Christian Kirk (groin) and Zay Jones (hamstring/knee) are out, leaving Calvin Ridley and tight end Evan Engram to pick up the slack against the Buccaneers. … Bucs LB Devin White (foot) has missed the past three games, but appears on track to return to the lineup against the Jaguars. DL Will Gholston (knee/ankle) was limited in practice Wednesday after sitting out last week in Green Bay.
SERIES NOTES: While the Jaguars hold a slim edge overall (4-3), the Buccaneers have won two of the three games played in Tampa, including a 38-31 victory the previous time the teams played at Raymond James Stadium on Oct. 11, 2015.
STATS AND STUFF: The Jaguars are trying to avoid a four-game losing streak and potentially lose their lead in the AFC South. They are 2-0 against the NFC South, having already beaten Atlanta in London and won at New Orleans. … Lawrence is one of seven QBs in NFL history with at least 3,500 yards passing in each of his first three seasons. … RB Travis Etienne has five consecutive games with at least 55 yards from scrimmage. He needs one more rushing TD to become the fourth player in team history to reach double digits in a single season. … Ridley has 39 receptions in six games against the Bucs, his most catches against any opponent. He has a receiving TD in four of his past five games against Tampa Bay. … LB Foye Oluokun, who ranks second in the NFL with 148 tackles, has at least 10 tackles in three of his past four outings. … Buccaneers RB Rachaad White ranks fourth among NFL running backs in total yards from scrimmage (1,303) and second in receiving yards (469). The second-year pro is 166 yards shy of becoming the first Tampa Bay player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since Doug Martin in 2015. … Mayfield has thrown for 3,315 yards, 24 TDs and eight interceptions. … Bucs S Antoine Winfield Jr. has five forced fumbles, tied for the second most in the league.
FANTASY TIP: Evans has caught nearly half of the TD passes Mayfield has thrown this season. The Bucs are making a concerted effort to keep WR Chris Godwin involved in the offense, too. Since going without a reception in a game for the first since 2018 three weeks ago, Godwin has been targeted 23 times over the past two games. He had 10 catches for 155 yards but no TDs against the Packers.
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