If the league office has a favorite team, it’s currently the Buccaneers. Every week, their games remain exciting because they’re undecided down to the end.
Tampa Bay has a current streak of 12 straight one-score games. Via NBC Sports research, it’s tied for the third-longest streak of one-score games since the merger.
The 1989-90 Chargers had a 14-game streak, and the 2014-15 Ravens had a 13-game streak.
The bad news for the Bucs is that they’re 3-9 in those games — and 1-5 on the season. They’ll get quarterback Baker Mayfield back today in Carolina; he missed three games with a dislocated thumb suffered in Week 3 against the Vikings.
The good news for the Bucs is that, since 2020, they’re 10-2 against the Panthers.
The Jets won’t be getting running back Breece Hall back in the lineup for Sunday’s home date against the Dolphins.
Hall was listed as questionable on Friday due to the quad injury that’s kept him out for the last two games, but he wound up on the wrong side of that decision when the team released its inactive list for Week 7. Hall was limited in practice during the week and a move to full practice may be necessary for him to get back in the lineup.
Braelon Allen has 41 carries for 194 yards and a touchdown as the starter in Hall’s absence.
While Hall remains out, the Jets will be getting wide receiver Adonai Mitchell back in the lineup. He’s missed the last four games with a finger injury.
Dolphins at Jets
Dolphins: LB Willie Gay, WR Jalen Tolbert, CB Marcellas Dial, CB Reese Taylor, DE Rob Beal, OL DJ Campbell, OT Chukwuebuka Godrick
Jets: CB Jarvis Brownlee, RB Kene Nwangwu, RB Breece Hall, LB Joseph Ossai, OL Max Mitchell, G Dylan Parham, DL Jack Heflin
49ers at Falcons
49ers: DE Nick Bosa, WR Mike Evans, WR Deebo Samuel, LB Luke Gifford, LB Garret Wallow, S Marques Sigle, QB Kurtis Rourke
Falcons: QB Jack Strand, LB Divine Deablo, CB Avieon Terrell, QB Andy Dalton, WR Olamide Zaccheaus, RB Brian Robinson, DB Billy Bowman
Giants at Texans
Giants: OL Josh Sills, TE Theo Johnson, OL Marcus Mbow, CB Greg Newsome, CB Nikko Reed, S Jevon Holland, QB Jake Haener
Texans: T Blake Fisher, G Febechi Nwaiwu, T Nathan Thomas, TE Marlin Klein, RB David Montgomery, S Jalen Pitre, S Reed Blankenship
Bengals at Ravens
Bengals: S Russ Yeast, C Connor Lew, OT Myles Hinton, DE Shemar Stewart, DT Landon Robinson
Ravens: QB Lamar Jackson, S Jaylinn Hawkins, WR Elijah Sarratt, G Andrew Vorhees, DT Broderick Washington
Buccaneers at Panthers
Buccaneers: DL DeMonte Capehart, WR Emeka Egbuka, CB Ayden Garnes, T Luke Goedeke, G Billy Schrauth, S Antoine Winfield Jr.
Panthers: TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, LB Jaelan Phillips, QB Haynes King, RB AJ Dillon, C Sam Hecht, OT Stone Forsythe, DT TeRah Edwards
Colts at Vikings
Colts: LB Bryce Boettcher, LB CJ Allen, CB Sauce Gardner, TE Tyler Warren, WR Anthony Gould, G Dalton Tucker, QB Riley Leonard
Vikings: S Jakobe Thomas, QB Max Brosmer, CB Chuck Demmings, RB Demond Claiborne, OT Caleb Tiernan, DL Elijah Williams
Browns at Titans
Browns: QB Taylen Green, LB Justin Jefferson, CB Noah Igbinoghene, RB Audric Estime, DT Mike Hall Jr., C Parker Brailsford
Titans: WR Calvin Ridley, RB Tyjae Spears, RB Nick Singleton, TE Kylen Granson, OT Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, DT Jackie Marshall, CB Jaylon Jones
The NFL has admitted a rather embarrassing officiating mistake from Week 5: When Buccaneers defensive lineman Calijah Kancey was called for illegal hands to the face, it was actually a Cowboys player who put his hands in Kancey’s face, and somehow the wrong team got assessed the penalty when it was time to step off the yardage.
In the weekly officiating video, NFL officiating and rules analyst Walt Anderson said Cowboys guard Tyler Booker put his hands in Kancey’s face but somehow that was miscommunicated as Kancey committing the penalty. Anderson said when the on-field officials make a mistake that blatant, the league officiating office should correct it immediately.
“Were going to have a foul called on No. 94 on the defensive team for illegal hands to the face,” Anderson said. “The only action relative to any hands is really by the offensive player here. So this is the type of play that the Competition Committee has instructed officiating that if objective information in terms of just asking the officials, ‘Are we sure we have the right number of the player here?’ that we can end up assisting with this. Because it’s clearly not a foul by No. 94. If there is illegal use of hands, it’s obviously by No. 52 of the offense.”
Kancey made clear in the moment that he knew it was a bad call, but there’s nothing a player can do to fix a bad call against him. The New York officiating office could have fixed it, but didn’t.
Baker Mayfield is set to return to the Buccaneers lineup for Sunday’s game against the Panthers, but it looks like the quarterback will be missing one of his top targets.
Head coach Todd Bowles said on Friday, via multiple reporters, that Mayfield is “ready to go” after missing the last three games with a dislocated right thumb. Mayfield said the same on Thursday and he will wear a glove on his right hand to provide added protection.
Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is unlikely to join Mayfield in the lineup, however. Egbuka returned to practice on Friday after missing the first two days of the week while dealing with a concussion and Bowles said he will be listed as doubtful to play this weekend.
Right tackle Luke Goedeke also returned to practice, but Bowles said he’s out with a calf injury. Safety Antoine Winfield is also out and will miss his third straight game with a rib injury.
Baker Mayfield appears to be on track to make his return to the Buccaneers lineup in Week 7 and it looks like running back Bucky Irving is moving in the same direction.
Irving missed practice on Wednesday because of an illness and he got in a limited practice session on Thursday. Cornerback Zyon McCollum had the same upgrade after taking a sick day to kick off the practice week.
Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (concussion, foot) appears less likely to play. He missed practice for the second straight day, which will make it difficult for him to clear concussion protocol in time to face the Panthers.
Right tackle Luke Goedeke (calf) and linebacker Christian Rozeboom (finger) also missed a second straight practice. Safety Antoine Winfield (rib) remained a limited participant as he tries to return from missing the last two games.
Punter Riley Dixon (illness), defensive lineman Calijah Kancey (illness), guard Cody Mauch (wrist), kicker Chase McLaughlin (illness), cornerback Benjamin Morrison (quad), receiver David Sills (hamstring), linebacker Josiah Trotter (shoulder), and running back Sean Tucker (quad) were all full participants on Thursday.
