The 7-7 Bucs going up to Charlotte and beating the 7-7 Panthers on Sunday afternoon won’t erase what has happened between Oct. 20 and Dec. 20, but it could be exactly what Todd Bowles and Co. need to put their losing ways in the past and still manage to capture the fifth straight NFC South title that they seemed destined to cruise to when they were 5-1 through six weeks.

Tampa Bay has to win at least two of its final three games in order to keep its run atop the division alive and earn the home playoff game that comes with a first-place finish. With a win over Carolina at Bank of America Stadium, the Bucs will see their playoff odds hit 95% with two games to go. Meanwhile, a loss drops those chances to 56% and would require them to win out in games against the Dolphins in Miami and back home against the Panthers on the final weekend of the regular season.

So, the stakes don’t get much higher than that. This is perhaps the closest thing this team can have to a “hat and t-shirt game” without it actually being one. There’s no better time than now for the Bucs to put their 1-5 record since the bye week and 2-6 record over the last two months behind them and finally pull themselves together. In many ways, it’s now or never.

As usual, there will be other storylines to follow for Tampa Bay in Week 16, and that’s the reason we’re here right now. As we do every week here on PewterReport.com, it’s now time to take a look at what else is on the line during this week’s game. Of course, we’re talking about some of the records and milestones that some key Bucs are moving toward.

Last week, Emeka Egbuka passed Lawrence Dawsey (818 in 1991) for the fourth-most receiving yards by a Buccaneer rookie while also passing Dawsey (55 in 1991) for the fifth-most receptions by a rookie in team history. Chris Godwin Jr. also joined Mike Evans as the only players in franchise history with 40+ receiving touchdowns, and Baker Mayfield passed Brad Johnson (1,040) for the sixth-most completions in team history. Chase McLaughlin also passed Ryan Succop (84) for the sixth-most of any Buccaneer kicker ever.

Now, let’s see where things stand heading into Week 16.

Bucs Record Watch: Week 16 at Panthers

Bucs GM Jason Licht and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by Cliff Welch P/R

Jason Licht

Licht is two wins away from reaching 100 as the Bucs’ general manager (regular season + playoffs). If he gets there, he’ll be the first general manager in franchise history to reach that milestone.

Baker Mayfield

Mayfield is still searching for his elusive 27th win as the Bucs’ starting quarterback. That would move him ahead of Brad Johnson (26) for the fifth-most in team history, plus it would put him one behind Jameis Winston (28) for the fourth-most.

Mayfield is now 18 passing touchdowns away from passing Tom Brady (108) for the second-most in franchise history.

Rachaad White

White is 12 scrimmage yards away from reaching 4,000 in his career. He is set to become the 13th Buc ever to reach that mark with the team.

White is also one reception away from 200 for his career.

Entering Sunday, White needs one touchdown to pass Errict Rhett (25) for the fifth-most touchdowns from scrimmage by a running back in team history.

With two more receiving touchdowns, White will tie Mike Alstott (13) for the most receiving touchdowns by a running back/fullback in Buccaneer history.

Mike Evans

Evans is 44 receiving yards away from reaching 13,000 for his career. He would become the 22nd player in NFL history to reach that milestone.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today

Evans is 91 receiving yards away from passing Jason Witten (13,046) for the 21st-most in league history.

With five more receptions, Evans will pass Muhsin Muhammad (860) for the 32nd-most in NFL history, while seven more will move him ahead of Jimmy Smith (862) for 31st-most.

Sunday will be Evans’ 174th game as a Buc, leaving him nine away from tying Paul Gruber (183) for the sixth-most in Bucs history. It will be No. 13’s 173rd start with Tampa Bay, which will have him 10 behind Gruber (183) for the fourth-most by any Buc ever.

Chris Godwin Jr.

Godwin is one reception away from reaching 600 in his career, meaning his next catch will put him in a group with Mike Evans as the only players in franchise history to reach that milestone with Tampa Bay.

With 20 more receiving yards, Godwin can join Evans with another rare feat, as he would become only the second player ever to reach 7,500 receiving yards with the team.

Godwin needs five more touchdowns to pass James Wilder (46) for the third-most touchdowns from scrimmage in team history.

With 143 more scrimmage yards, Godwin will pass Warrick Dunn (7,690) for the third-most in Bucs history.

Sunday will be Godwin’s 118th game with Tampa Bay, tying him with Randy Grimes for the 24th-most in team history.

Emeka Egbuka

Egbuka is eight receptions away from passing Mike Williams (65 in 2010) and Mike Alstott (65 in 1996) for the third-most by a rookie in team history.

With one more receiving touchdown, Egbuka will pass O.J. Howard (6 in 2017) for the fifth-most by a Bucs rookie and tie Michael Clayton (7 in 2004) for the fourth-most.

Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Egbuka needs two more receiving touchdowns to tie Jalen McMillan (8 in 2024) for the third-most by a rookie in team history.

Tampa Bay’s 2025 first-round pick is 95 receiving yards away from passing Mike Williams (964 in 2010) for the third-most by a rookie in team history.

And with 130 receiving yards, Egbuka will become the third rookie in franchise history to record a 1,000-yard receiving season, joining Mike Evans (2014) and Michael Clayton (2004).

Tez Johnson

Johnson’s five receiving touchdowns have him three away from tying Marques Colston (8 in 2006) for the most by a seventh-round rookie in NFL history.

Cade Otton

Otton needs one more receiving touchdown to pass Ron Hall (10) for the ninth-most by a tight end in franchise history. In the process, he would tie Calvin Magee and Alex Smith (11) for the seventh-most.

Vita Vea

Vea is 4.5 sacks away from passing David Logan (39.0) for the seventh-most in team history.

Sunday will be Vea’s 110th game as a Buc, tying him with David Logan and Rob Taylor for the 32nd-most in franchise history.

Jason Pierre-Paul

Bucs OLB Jason Pierre-Paul – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

If Pierre-Paul is elevated from the practice squad for this game and makes his official return to the NFL at 36 years old, he’ll need just a half-sack to break a tie with Brad Culpepper (33.0) for the 10th-most sacks in team history. He is two sacks away from passing Chidi Ahanotu (34.5) for the ninth-most.

Anthony Nelson

Nelson is set for his 107th game with Tampa Bay, tying him with Adam Hayward for the 37th-most in team history.

Lavonte David

David is only five tackles away from reaching 1,700 in his career. Per StatsPass’ tackle records, which date back to 1994, he would be only the seventh NFL player to officially reach that milestone.

With one more tackle for loss, David will pass Aaron Donald (176) for the third-most since TruMedia data is available dating back to 2008.

One more takeaway would give David 35 for his career. That would put him in a group with Pro Football Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher as the only players since at least 1982 with 40+ sacks and 35+ takeaways in their careers.

David is also one more interception away from join more rare company in league history, as he would join Ray Lewis, Charles Woodson and Brian Dawkins as the only players since 1994 with 15+ interceptions, 15+ forced fumbles and 15+ fumble recoveries in their careers. He would also be just the 17th player overall to reach those marks, joining the aforementioned three Hall of Famers as well as Mike Merriweather, Steve Nelson, Carnell Lake, Reggie Williams, Joey Browner, Rod Woodson, Wes Hopkins, Bill Romanowski, Cris Dishman, Dennis Smith, Ronnie Lott, Wilber Marshall and Nesby Glasgow.

Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard and Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: USA Today

With five more sacks, David would pass former teammate Shaq Barrett (45.0) for the fifth-most in franchise history.

With one more pass defensed, No. 54 can pass another former teammate, Carlton Davis III (73), for the fourth-most in team history.

Sunday will be David’s 213th game as a Buc, which will leave him 11 behind Derrick Brooks (224) for the second-most in team history. It’s also set to be his 213th start, which will have him eight behind Brooks (221) for the second-most in franchise history.

Jamel Dean

Dean is six passes defensed away from passing Donnie Abraham (64) for the sixth-most in franchise history.

With one more interception, Dean will tie Dwight Smith, Mark Robinson and Jeris White for the 13th-most in Buccaneer history.

Antoine Winfield Jr.

Winfield needs one more sack to break a tie with Adam Archuleta, Bill Bates and Roman Harper for the 11th-most by a defensive back since 1982.

Two more strip sacks would tie Winfield with Quintin Mikell for the most by a defensive back since at least 2000.

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Winfield needs only one more forced fumble to tie Jairus Byrd, Cedric Griffin, Chris Harris, Sammy Knight, Michael Lewis, Troy Polamalu and his father, Antoine Winfield Sr. (13) for the 16th-most by a defensive back since at least 2000.

With his next forced fumble, Winfield will also move ahead of Lee Roy Selmon (10) for the fourth-most in franchise history and tie Cecil Johnson and John Cannon (11) for the third-most.

One more pass defensed would see Winfield pass Simeon Rice (37) for the 11th-most in team history.

Winfield still remains 10.5 sacks away from passing Ronde Barber (28.0) for the most by a defensive back in Bucs history and the second-most in league history.

Chase McLaughlin

After passing Ryan Succop for the sixth-most field goals ever by a Bucs kicker, McLaughlin needs 10 more to pass Donald Igwebuike (94) for the fifth-most.

McLaughlin is also only 16 points away from passing Succop (384) for the eighth-most in franchise history.