The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15 to extend their winning streak to four straight games. The Bucs lost 40 points to Los Angeles as they improved to 8-6 on the season. The team hopes to stay hot with a Sunday night game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16. But injuries could slow down Tampa Bay down.
The Buccaneers have ruled out Cade Otton for Sunday’s game due to a knee injury, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter on X. The Tampa Bay tight end was unable to practice this week before to squeeze into a limited session Friday after running into the Chargers.
While Otton was red hot in the middle of the season when the Buccaneers were missing wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, he cooled down over the last month – coinciding with Evans’ return to action. Despite the offensive explosion against Los Angeles last week, the third-year pro caught just two passes for 24 yards on three targets.
Still, Otton had a solid season, often functioning as a security blanket for quarterback Baker Mayfield in the passing game. He has 59 receptions for 600 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games.
Cade Otton was mugged during the Buccaneers’ Week 15 win over the Chargers
The Buccaneers survived a much more concerning injury this week. A knee ailment kept Mayfield from practice Wednesday, setting off alarm bells for the team. But the veteran signal-caller was able to return to a full session Thursday and was removed from the injury report. He will be at center in Dallas on Sunday.
Mayfield had a great sophomore season with the Buccaneers. In Week 15, he set a new career high for touchdowns. The seventh-year pro has thrown 32 touchdowns this season. Mayfield has 328 completions for 3,617 with 32 scores and 14 steals in 14 games.
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With Baker at the helm, the team’s offense is humming. The Bucs have scored 30 or more points seven times this season. The unit is third overall in yards per game and fourth with 28.8 points per game in 2024.
Despite an exceptional offense, Tampa Bay is not a lock to reach the playoffs. The four-game winning streak gave the Buccaneers a one-game advantage over the Falcons in the NFC South. But if they don’t win the division, they could miss the playoffs altogether. Because they lead the NFC South, the Bucs are currently the third seed in the conference, but their 8-6 record would leave them one game out of the final Wild Card spot without the benefit of the lead of division.
If Tampa Bay makes the playoffs, they could be a dangerous team. Sunday night’s game in Dallas should help clear things up as the playoff picture takes shape. The Cowboys are technically still in the playoff race, but they would need to win and receive considerable help to have a chance.
