The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are struggling about as badly as anyone in the NFL nowadays. Losers of six of their last seven games, Tampa Bay has seen their place high atop the NFC South turn into a seat looking up at Carolina with two weeks to go after a 23-20 loss to the Panthers last weekend.
However, perhaps the only team in sadder shape the last few weeks are the Miami Dolphins. The Bucs’ intrastate foe this week ended up benching QB Tua Tagovailoa after their 28-15 loss to Pittsburgh a couple of weeks ago following another poor showing. The team responded by getting blasted 45-24 by the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend.
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So, will the Bucs finally break through and win again? And will you be able to watch it on local TV? I can at least answer the second question right now. Per 506 Sports, the game will be shown in the early window on FOX throughout much of the Southeast with Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma on the call.
The game will be shown in most of Florida, with the exception of the Jacksonville/North Florida region, which will show the competing Jacksonville-Indianapolis game. The vast majority of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Oklahoma will show the game, along with slivers of Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Kansas, and Texas.
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Is this do or die time for Todd Bowles’ tenure in Tampa?
The Buccaneers have simply fallen on their faces in a way they never should have down the stretch. It was one thing to lose to New England, Buffalo, and Los Angeles. Those are playoff teams. But going winless against New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina is an unforgivable sin if the Bucs miss the playoffs.
The Bucs will be facing a Quinn-Ewers-led offense in the rookie’s second-ever start. It doesn’t set up any better in the NFL for a breakthrough day defensively. And the Dolphins’ defense just got shredded by a Cincinnati team that is certainly talented but had absolutely nothing to play for.
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This is it for the Bucs. Win, and set up a winner-take-all game for the NFC South next weekend against Carolina. Lose, and it should be the end of an era in Tampa Bay.
This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Dec 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.