The Buffalo Bills enter Week 11 of the 2025 NFL season in uncharted territory, at least recently. They are not in first place in the AFC East. The New England Patriots lead the division at 9-2 after their defeat of the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football. Meanwhile, the Bills are two games back at 6-3, sharing a record with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their opponent this week.
The Buccaneers are not in nearly as dire a situation. They still lead their division with only the Carolina Panthers (5-5) within striking distance. But a loss would be their third in four games, putting not only the division in jeopardy but also any chance at a Wild Card berth.
Those circumstances turn Sunday's game into a crucial one for both the Bills and Buccaneers. So, let's get to our bold predictions for the Bills-Buccaneers game.
Josh Allen throws for 250+ yards, scores 3+ TDs
Bills' quarterback Josh Allen is coming off his worst game of the season. He turned the ball over twice in an embarrassing 30-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
But I fully expect him to bounce back this week. The Buccaneers' strength on defense remains the same, as it always has, against the run. James Cook will struggle to get much going on the ground. I think that offensive coordinator Joe Brady knows this and will look to exploit that by throwing the ball early and often.
I know, Dalton Kincaid has been ruled out. But Dawson Knox is a serviceable replacement, and the Bucs' secondary is leaky. Allen should bounce back this week with a strong game at home, tossing for at least 250 yards and scoring three or more touchdowns.
Sean Tucker rushes for 80+ yards, scores a touchdown
The Buccaneers will once again be without starting running back Bucky Irving.
Irving was ruled out Friday with a shoulder injury. It will be the sixth straight game he has missed. Rachaad White is technically the primary beneficiary as the perceived backup running back. But the writing has been all over the wall for a couple of years now. White is not a good between-the-tackles runner. He struggles with vision through the hole and explosiveness. That has led to a paltry 3.8 yards per carry on 632 carries for his career.
Meanwhile, Sean Tucker has looked the part. He averaged over six yards per carry in his first full season last year. He has been by far the more efficient back since Irving went down.
The Bills are among the worst rush defenses in the NFL. Week after week, teams have exploited that, and I expect nothing different from Tampa Bay.
Look for Tucker to lead the Bucs in rushing, going over 80 yards, and scoring at least one touchdown.
Sean McDermott wins 100th career game
The Bills' head coach, Sean McDermott, has 99 career wins. He will eclipse the century mark this week in a tightly contested battle.
The Bucs are 5.5-point underdogs, but this game will play out much closer than that. But in games like this, cream typically rises to the top. Buffalo will get back on track with a 27-24 win, keeping hopes of winning the AFC East alive.
