The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a much-needed home victory in Week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders, but now they'll head back out on the road in Week 15, putting a three-game winning streak on the line against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Buccaneers and Chargers will do battle at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, December 15, with kickoff scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET.
Tampa Bay's 28-13 win over the Raiders improved its record to 7-6 and gave it sole possession of first place in the NFC South for the first time since Week Four, one game ahead of the 6-7 Atlanta Falcons. Of the four opponents remaining on the Buccaneers' schedule, Los Angeles is the only one with a winning record. The Chargers, who have won five of their last six games, will put their 8-4 record on the line on Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Buccaneers have shown mettle during their current winning streak, winning in a variety of ways. They handled the New York Giants on the road with relative ease, winning 30-7 in Week 12 after their bye week. They rallied to tie their Week 13 game at Carolina at the end of regulation then won in overtime. Then, against the Raiders, they followed a very hot start with a persistent lull in the second and third quarters before scoring twice more in the fourth quarter to pull away for the 28-13 win. Baker Mayfield threw three touchdown passes, two to rookie WR Jalen McMillan, and running back Rachaad White scored once each on the ground and through the air.
There was more unwelcome injury news in the win over Las Vegas, though. Already thinned by multiple injuries in the secondary, the Buccaneers lost All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. to a knee injury in the second quarter. In addition, leading rusher Bucky Irving, already dealing with multiple injuries hurt his back early in the game and only logged four carries, with White and Sean Tucker stepping up in his absence. The severity of Winfield and Irving's injuries isn't yet known but they could lead to some adjustments in Week 15.
The Chargers are led by first-year Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, who is making good on his reputation for quick franchise turnarounds, as Los Angeles is in position to almost surely make the playoffs. Quarterback Justin Herbert has had a sublime season, throwing 13 touchdown passes and just one interception. Coming into Week 14, the Chargers also had allowed the fewest points in the NFL, at 15.4 per game.
