Locked in a tight race in the NFC South, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue a lengthy road swing in Week 12 with a trip to Indianapolis to take on the 5-5 Colts. The Colts will have twice the preparation time for the meeting, as they are coming off a bye in Week 11.
The Bucs absorbed a hard-fought 27-14 defeat in San Francisco in Week 12, part of a stretch on their schedule that includes six road games in an eight-week span. That loss dropped Tampa Bay to 4-6, putting them in a tie with the Atlanta Falcons, one game back of the 5-5 New Orleans Saints in the division. The Buccaneers are seeking their third straight NFC South title.
The Bucs and Colts will play on Sunday, November 26 at Lucas Oil Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast by CBS.
Prior to their week off, the Colts had secured back-to-back victories against the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots. Earlier in the season, Indianapolis also beat two of the AFC's emerging playoff contenders, the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. The Colts are two games behind the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFC South and just one back of the final Wild Card spot.
The 2023 season was reasonably viewed as one of transition for the Colts, who hired a new head coach in Shane Steichen and used the fourth-overall pick in the draft on quarterback Anthony Richardson. Unfortunately, Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in his fourth start, forcing the Colts to turn to experienced veteran backup Gardner Minshew. Indianapolis has won half of Minshew's six starts and the former Jaguar and Eagle has thrown eight touchdown passes against six interceptions.
The Buccaneers and Colts have played to a near-tie in their all-time head-to-head series, with Indianapolis holding an 8-7 edge and Tampa Bay winning three of the last four. The Bucs most recently traveled to Indianapolis in 2021, coming home with a 38-31 comeback victory.
