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With a significant Week 14 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on deck, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on track to deploy their healthiest offensive lineup in weeks. Amid consistent injury issues to centerpieces Mike Evans, Bucky Irving and Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay projects to have all three available for the second straight game.
Evans, Irving, Wirfs and second-year receiver Trey Palmer all participated in the team's final full practice of Week 14 on Friday, per Fox Sports' Greg Auman. Their participation puts them all on track to play in Week 14 against the Raiders.
If Evans, Irving and Wirfs all take the field, Tampa Bay would have its full offensive arsenal — sans Chris Godwin, who remains out for the year — available. While Irving has yet to miss a game in his professional career, he has been a repeated name listed on the injury report as he deals with a nagging hip injury. Evans and Wirfs have both missed time in 2024 with their respective injuries.
Auman also noted that Baker Mayfield had no injury limitations despite suffering a scare in Week 13. Mayfield claimed he felt a “pop” in his Achilles during the team's win over the Carolina Panthers but managed to avoid a major injury. Nickelback Tykee Smith also practiced, but Auman noted that K.J. Britt and Mike Edwards did not and are likely to miss another game.
Buccaneers need pivotal Week 14 win over struggling Raiders
Currently tied with the Atlanta Falcons with a 6-6 record through 13 weeks, the Buccaneers enter Week 14 in second place in the NFC South. The Falcons own the tiebreaker over Tampa Bay, having already taken both of the divisional matchups of the year.
Given the competitive nature of the division, the Buccaneers are in a practically must-win situation against the Raiders. The struggling Las Vegas squad enters the matchup at just 2-10, making them a particularly vulnerable team Todd Bowles needs to take advantage of in a tight race.
With just five games remaining in 2024, a single outcome could determine playoff results. The Buccaneers' recent two-game win streak has coincided with the Falcons' three-game losing streak to give the two teams even records. If Tampa Bay allows their momentum to slip away, so too could a shot in the playoffs.
Though the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints have both shown more life in recent weeks than they had earlier in the year, the NFC South has become a two-man race down the stretch. The Saints are two games behind the Buccaneers and Falcons at 4-8 and already own a lopsided loss to Tampa Bay in Week 6.
