The Buccaneers were set to embark on their first of three primetime games, but with a member of the Las Vegas Raiders returning a positive COVID-19 test earlier in the week, the league is being cautious and moving the Bucs' visit to Las Vegas out of the Sunday night slot. Instead, the game will be played at 4:05 p.m. on FOX.
Coming off a win over the Green Bay Packers, the Bucs have their best record through six games since 2011. The Raiders, like the Packers did last week, are coming off their bye week so they should be rested for the inter-conference matchup.
Tampa Bay will have its number one defense in tow as it takes on quarterback Derek Carr and the league's sixth-ranked offense. The Raiders are averaging 30.2 points per game this season and have a standout rusher in Josh Jacobs, who is tied for sixth in the NFL with five touchdowns on the ground.
The Buccaneers' offense will be facing the league's 24th ranked defense, which is letting up 266.8 yards per game through the air and 126.8 yards on the ground. Las Vegas is also ranked 27th in points allowed, giving up an average of 30.4 points per game.
All that said, the Raiders are right where the Bucs were a week ago at 3-2 and they won't have to cross time zones to play. Read on for how to watch, listen and stream the game no matter which time zone you're in.
Matchup:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2) vs. Las Vegas Raiders
- All-time record: Las Vegas (Oakland/Los Angeles) leads the all-time series 7-3
- Road record: 1-5
Key Matchups (via Scott Smith):
1. Raiders TE Darren Waller vs. Buccaneers CB Jamel Dean
The Buccaneers have already faced a couple of talented tight ends, including Jared Cook and Noah Fant, but this is the first opponent whose passing attack is led by a tight end. After an incredible breakout season in 2019 (90 catches for 1,145 yards), the 6-6, 255-pound Waller is the Raiders' top pass-catcher in 2020 with 34 receptions for 295 yards and two touchdowns. His 34 grabs are twice that of the next player on the Raiders' list, wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. The problem in trying to defend Waller is that he possesses amazing speed for a man of his size. His fastest-clocked time on a play in 2019 was better than the top speed of all but two receivers in the NFL. We often talk about creating mismatches with a tight end against a safety or linebacker, but the Buccaneers will probably end up with several different defenders on Waller throughout the game, including Dean. In the Buccaneers' Week Five game at Chicago, two of Dean's four passes defensed came on passes intended for tight end Jimmy Graham. Dean isn't 6-6 and 255 pounds but he does have very good size and length for a cornerback and he can definitely match Waller's speed. Dean could find himself matched up with Waller when the Raiders go "Y-Iso," putting three receivers on one side of the formation in a bunch and Waller alone on the other side. According to Next Gen Stats, Waller has lined up in Y-Iso on 18% of his routes since the start of 2019, the second-highest percentage among all NFL tight ends. Overall, Waller has lined up either wide or in the slot on 49% of his snaps this year.
2. Buccaneers T Tristan Wirfs vs. Raiders DE Maxx Crosby
The Raiders drafted Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell with the fourth-overall pick in 2019 but it's Crosby, a fourth-round pick in the same draft, who has emerged first as a potential pass-rushing star. After racking up 10.0 sacks as a rookie Crosby has four more through the first five games of 2020, accounting for more than half of his team's total. Crosby showed off his speed and agility at the Combine with some of the best times among defensive ends in the 40-yard dash and the three-cone drill, but there were some concerns about his strength and ability to hold up at the point of attack. Crosby was expected to be a situational pass-rusher as a rookie but he quickly earned a full-time role and proved stout enough against the run while racking up 29 QB pressures. This season, Crosby has lined up on the right edge of the offense on a great majority of his snaps, which means he'll have plenty of time to get to know the Buccaneers' own outstanding young lineman, right tackle Tristan Wirfs. Wirfs has stepped right into a starting job and earned high grades for his pass-blocking. He's only been flagged for one holding call through six games, which is impressive given the line of dangerous edge rushers he's already had to face. Wirfs and the Bucs' offensive line are coming off a very strong performance against Green Bay in which they blocked for a 158-yard rushing attack and didn't allow a single sack.
3. Raiders G Denzell Good vs. Buccaneers DL Ndamukong Suh
Heading into the 2020 season, there was some suggestion that the Raiders had the NFL's best offensive line. That group was anchored by veteran acquisitions Richie Incognito and Trent Brown, with improving 2018 first-round pick Kolton Miller protecting Derek Carr's blind side. The Raiders have still gotten good results up front, ranking eighth in sacks per pass play while rushing for 121.0 yards per game, but they've had to do it while constantly shuffling the lineup. That's because Brown got hurt in Week One and missed the next three games and Incognito landed on injured reserve after a Week Two Achilles tendon injury. Good was a very helpful patch, first playing a pair of strong games at right tackle before moving back to left guard, his more natural position. This week, Good will have to deal with Suh, who lines up on both sides of the nose tackle at various times in a game. Suh has already exceeded his 2019 sack total with 3.0, including one last week on Aaron Rodgers, and has seven quarterback hits, as he has enjoyed a lower frequency of double-team blocks this season. Since joining the Buccaneers in 2019, Suh has racked up 52 quarterback pressures, fifth-most among all interior linemen in the NFL. Suh is also a key part of the Buccaneers' top-ranked run defense, even more so now in the absence of Vita Vea, and Good will have difficulty moving him when they're matched up one-on-one on a rushing play.
4. Buccaneers RB Ronald Jones II vs. Raiders LB Cory Littleton
A high second-round pick out of USC in 2018, Jones had a lost rookie season but showed significantly more promise last year in Arians' first season at the helm, rushing for 724 yards and catching 31 passes for 309 yards. Now in his third campaign, Jones appears to be emerging as one of the NFL's breakout star running backs. His 472 rushing yards rank third in the NFL, behind only Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook and his 4.9 yards per carry are ninth best among qualifying running backs. According to Next Gen Stats, Jones leads the league in "ushing yards over expected" with an added 114 yards. Jones rides a wave of three consecutive 100-yard games into Las Vegas, where he'll face a linebacking corps that was largely remade in 2020. That included the high-profile signing of Littleton, the former Ram who was considered one of the best coverage linebackers in the league. Las Vegas is giving up 126.8 rushing yards per game and 4.84 yards per carry, ranking 23rd and 25th in those categories, respectively. Littleton is second on the team with 27 tackles, 13 of which have come on running plays, but he has not yet produced any splash plays. Littleton's coverage abilities may come into play as Jones is tied for second on the Bucs' offense with 17 receptions. Jones has not yet turned those catches into a great deal of production, with an average of just 4.9 yards per catch, but he showed the ability to turn short passes into big gains last year when he averaged 10.0 yards per reception.
Uniform Combination: White jersey, white pants, black socks
Watch on TV:
- Thursday, October 25, 2020
- Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. ET
- Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
- Television Network: TBD
- Broadcast Crew: TBD
Watch on Mobile
The stream is available through Yahoo Sports, the Buccaneers Official App and online at Buccaneers.com.
- Yahoo! Sports (mobile browser or app)
- Bucs Official App
- Buccaneers.com
*Please check local listings to confirm availability. Geographic and device restrictions apply. Local & primetime games only. Data charges may apply.
Listen Live:
- TAMPA BAY/SARASOTA…………...WXTB 97.9 FM Bucs Flagship Station
Broadcast Crew: Gene Deckerhoff (play by play), Dave Moore (color), T.J. Rives (sideline)
- SPANISH RADIO..............................WTMP 96,1 Caliente … 101.9 and 1470AM
Broadcast Crew: Carlos Bohorquez (play by play), Martin Gramatica (color)
*In-market fans can listen through the Bucs Official App
- BROOKSVILLE ………………………….WWJB 1450 AM/103.9
- DAYTONA BEACH……………………..WRKO 93.1 FM
- FT MEYERS/NAPLES …………….. WWNC 99.3 FM
- GAINESVILLE/OCALA ……………… WRUF 850 AM/ 98.1 FM
- HOMOSASSA SPRING……………….WXCV 95.3 FM
- LAKELAND ……………………………….WLKF 1430 AM
- MELBOURNE ……………………………WICX 1060 AM
- ORLANDO…………………………………WYGM 740 AM/ 96.9 FM
- PORT ST. LUCIE…………………………WPSL 1590 AM
- PANAMA CITY…………………………..WGSX 104.3 FM
- PENSACOLA……………………………..WBSR 1450AM/101.1 FM
- SEBRING……………………………………WWTK AM 730 AM
- TALLAHASSEE…………………………...WTSM 97.9 FM
· Satellite Radio
Sirius/XM Channel 88
· On the Bucs Official App*
Download here
*Access restricted to Tampa area
Social Media Accounts:
Follow the club for live gameday updates, videos and behind-the-scenes photos.
Who's playing who in Week 7?
Thursday, Oct. 22
Sunday, Oct. 25
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee Titans (1 p.m. ET on CBS)
- Dallas Cowboys at Washington Football Team (1 p.m. ET on FOX)
- Buffalo Bills at New York Jets (1 p.m. ET on CBS)
- Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints (1 p.m. ET on FOX)
- Green Bay Packers at Houston Texans (1 p.m. ET on FOX)
- Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals (1 p.m. ET on CBS)
- Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons (1 p.m. ET on FOX)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Las Vegas Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET on FOX)
- Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Chargers (4:25 p.m. ET on CBS)
- San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots (4:25 p.m. ET on CBS)
- Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos (4:25 p.m. ET on CBS)
- Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (8:20 p.m. ET on NBC)
