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BUCCANEERS at BILLS

WHEN: Sunday, November 16, 2025 | WHERE: Highmark Stadium | KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. ET | TV: CBS

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Ian Eagle | ANALYST: J.J. Watt | SIDELINE: Evan Washburn

RADIO: 98 ROCK 97.9 FM | PLAY-BY-PLAY: Gene Deckerhoff | ANALYST: Dave Moore | SIDELINE: T.J. Rives

Game day is approaching, and it’s time for the Pewter Report staff to make its weekly game predictions and offer up our game preview of this week’s matchup. Let us know what you think in the article comments section and add your prediction, too.

Scott Reynolds: Bucs Can’t Be A Desperate Bills Team At Home

The Bills have won 15 of their last 16 games at Orchard Park, and have one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL. That combined with an eerie weather forecast of cold temps (wind chill of 29), high winds (gusts up to 38 miles per hour) and the possibility of rain, snow flurries or sleet favor Buffalo. I believe the Bucs are pissed off over their loss to the Patriots last week, evidenced by some quotes in my SR’s FAB 5 column. But so are the 6-3 Bills, who are now trailing the 9-2 Patriots by several games in the AFC East – and New England has the head-to-head advantage too from a win earlier this season.

Bucs OLB YaYa Diaby and Bills QB Josh Allen – Photo by: USA Today

I do believe the Bucs can win this game. If Tampa Bay can contain James Cook the way it contained Christian McCaffrey back in Week 6, and limit Josh Allen’s effectiveness as a runner, there’s a chance Todd Bowles’ unit can hold Buffalo under 24 points. But can Tampa Bay’s offense put up that many points? The Bucs have limited firepower right now and must find a way to take advantage of the Bills’ shaky run defense. Running for 150 yards – hopefully led by speedy Sean Tucker – could be the recipe for success.

Yet I just feel like this is a must-win game for the Bills. This game feels like a toss-up between 6-3 teams, but I have to give home-field advantage to Josh Allen and Co. – and I hope I’m wrong.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 00, Bills 00
REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 6-3

Matt Matera: Bucs Continue To Slip, Fall At Buffalo

We’re probably underestimating how desperate the Bills are going to be heading into this game against the Bucs. The Bills absolutely need to keep pace with the Patriots by winning on Sunday or else they’re likely looking at a Wild Card spot with no home playoff games. Tampa Bay will be fine – even with a loss – because they will still have the lead in the NFC South division.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

The weather should play a big factor in this game. It’s likely to be more run heavy, which favors the Bucs since Buffalo’s run defense is top three worst in the league. I’d like to see Sean Tucker used more than Rachaad White on Sunday. He just brings more juice when running it. The Bills have Josh Allen and James Cook to fuel their ground game though, and that combo might be too much for Tampa Bay.

Bucky Irving and Chris Godwin Jr. aren’t playing, so I’m not sure where else the offense is going to come from. Emeka Egbuka is the engine for sure and Tez Johnson continues to improve, but the Bucs haven’t been stellar on offense – even with some of their bigger performers playing well. The bottom line is that Baker Mayfield is in a slump, and if his play doesn’t improve, it severely dampens their chances. The Bucs have never won in Buffalo, and I don’t think Sunday ends that streak.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Bills 24, Bucs 18
MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 6-3

Adam Slivon: Bucs May Be “Pissed Off,” But It Is Not Enough To Beat The Bills

This week’s matchup between the Bucs and Bills is between two teams that want this win badly. While this is true for all 32 teams, Tampa Bay and Buffalo are perennial playoff contenders who are coming off tough losses to the Patriots and Dolphins. After Sunday’s game, Baker Mayfield was quite vocal about what he wants to see from the team as a response. Mayfield relaying a strong, public message at this point in the year is a signal that what has occurred in recent weeks cannot become another mid-season snowball. Yet, one has to wonder just how ready he is to go toe-to-toe with Josh Allen.

Bills QB Josh Allen and Bucs S Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Larry Foote is always one to keep it real when asked questions during his pressers. Asked about the Bills’ MVP quarterback on Thursday, Foote was humorous yet truthful.

 “He’s a freak; he’s hard to get on the ground,” Foote said. “We have got to be disciplined; it is going to take all hands on deck to get him down. I joke with my guys… Good luck, I’ll be rooting for you guys.”

Not only has Allen thrown for a 70.3% completion percentage with 15 touchdowns to five interceptions, but he has also added 311 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Being 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds, the burly yet mobile gunslinger is hard to bring down, especially with Tampa Bay’s defense being thin at outside linebacker. What works in the Bucs’ favor is that their secondary is fully healthy and playing good football, while the Bills lack a true X-Factor in the passing game. Still, they have found ways to make it work, and unless Todd Bowles dials up ways to stop Allen, it will be a long game.

Offensively, the Bucs have to find some semblance of consistency. The Bills have a loaded front seven and an athletic secondary, remaining a stout unit under Sean McDermott. While Mayfield has weapons with his rookie wide receivers, the talent disparity is too much to overcome this time.

SLIVON’S GAME PREDICTION: Bills 27, Bucs 20
SLIVON’S SEASON RECORD: 6-3

Bailey Adams: I’m Buying In On The “Pissed-Off” Bucs This Week

Before I dive into this, I need you all to hold me accountable. If I go against my gut here for the second straight week and get it wrong for the second straight week, do not let me pick the Bucs over the Rams in Week 12. With that said, there’s something about this Tampa Bay team that I still believe in, and because of that, I’m buying in on this team being pissed off about what happened last Sunday. According to my gut, my head, or wherever my logic may lie, Tampa Bay should lose this game to Buffalo. But perhaps foolishly, I’m still going the other way and riding with Todd Bowles and Co. this Sunday.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

On one hand, I think we saw a different side of Bowles after last Sunday’s game and I like the defense’s chances because of it. I think the message the head coach and defensive play-caller sent to his side of the ball this week got through, and I think he’ll have something special in store for this Buffalo offense. The injury to Dalton Kincaid is significant for the Bills, who will have to lean heavily on Josh Allen to play hero ball, especially if the Bucs corrected the run defense issues from last week in time to face the dangerous James Cook. When Allen is forced into hero mode, mistakes can happen. That’s what the Bucs need on Sunday.

And offensively, this is the week for the run game to come alive. I’m still not sure if Bucky Irving makes it back in time for this one, but we saw some improvement on the ground last week with the return of right tackle Luke Goedeke against the league’s top-ranked run defense. Now, it’s time to unleash Sean Tucker against the NFL’s 30th-ranked run defense and let the rushing attack lead the way for the Tampa Bay offense for once, especially in the cold weather. This might be an ugly one, but I still want to believe in Bowles and the Bucs.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 26, Bills 21
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 7-2

Josh Queipo: The Bucs Win Slugfest On The Road

Last week the Miami defense showed the blueprint for how to contain the Bills offense. Beat their early down run game and force Josh Allen into hero ball on third down. The Bucs can mimic that blueprint. Last week notwithstanding, Tampa Bay still has a very good run defense that can help bottle up James Cook. And if they can do that it will force Allen to rely on his receivers to help him out on the money down.

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby and NT Vita Vea – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs secondary matches up well with the Bills receiving corps, although Buffalo looks to be getting their deep threat back this week in Josh Palmer. Still, Zyon McCollum and Jamel Dean have the size and play strength to contend with Palmer down the field, and Jacob Parrish is a good fit to contain Khalil Shakir underneath. The real key in this matchup will be how well Lavonte David, SirVocea Dennis and Tykee Smith fit the run while also not leaving voids against play-action passes.

On offense, the keys are there to be successful. There are plenty of open options in the passing game for quarterback Baker Mayfield to work with to keep the offense on schedule. The key will be for Mayfield to look for those opportunities and be satisfied with them. Play-action can be a great way of getting to these non-sexy, but efficient options. A healthy mix of that play-action with a commitment to the run game against a defense that struggles to fit the run is how the Bucs can pull off a road upset in Buffalo.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 24, Bills 20
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 7-2