After a resounding 43-13 win over the Panthers in Charlotte last Sunday, the 2-5 Bucs will be looking to make it two straight wins against NFC South foes this Sunday when they return home to host the 3-4 Falcons at Raymond James Stadium.

Tampa Bay earned something of a lifeline in the division race last week with it’s blowout win over Carolina, but that lifeline was only temporary. After that victory, all roads led back home for another big NFC South contest where Todd Bowles and his team can either extend and strengthen that lifeline or throw it away and sink down to 2-6.

Essentially, this Bucs squad is at a crossroads. With a win over the Falcons, they’ll be 3-5 and only a half-game out of first place in the division. That could give general manager Jason Licht some pause if he’s considering selling off any assets before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. Then again, a loss to Atlanta would drop Tampa Bay to 2-6 and 1-1 within the division. That could trigger some deals, should Licht get any worthwhile offers. Meanwhile, Atlanta would pull into first place in the NFC South at 4-4 and 2-1 against division mates.

Not only are there major NFC South stakes on the line, but there’s also the matter of the Bucs’ struggles in their own stadium. They’re 0-4 at Raymond James Stadium this year, and a loss in Sunday’s game would assure them of their first losing record at home since 2019, when they went 2-6 in front of the home fans. In the years since then, they’ve gone 5-3 in 2020, 7-1 in 2021, 4-4 in 2022 and 2023, 5-4 in 2024 and 4-4 in 2025.

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

Even with the NFC South and home record stakes aside, there’s more on the line at Raymond James Stadium this Sunday. As we do every week on PewterReport.com, it’s time to dive into the records and milestones on the line for the Bucs in this week’s game.

Last week, Josiah Trotter passed Lavonte David (49 in 2012) for the most tackles by a Buccaneer through six career games since at least 2000, Baker Mayfield threw his 200th career regular season touchdown pass and Bucky Irving eclipsed the 3,000 career scrimmage yard mark to become the 22nd player and 12th running back to reach that milestone with Tampa Bay.

Not to mention, the Bucs’ 33 first-half points were their third-most in franchise history (behind the 35 they scored against the Bears on Oct. 24, 2021 and the 35 they posted in Detroit against the Lions on Dec. 26, 2020) and their +27 point differential in the first half was the fifth-largest in franchise history.

Now, let’s see where things stand heading into Week 8.

Bucs Record Watch: Week 8 vs. Falcons

Baker Mayfield

Mayfield is 54 passing yards away from moving ahead of Trent Dilfer (12,969) for the sixth-most in Bucs history.

With two passing touchdowns against the Falcons, Mayfield would join Jameis Winston (121) and Tom Brady (108) as the only quarterbacks in Buccaneer history to throw for 100+ touchdowns with the team.

Those two touchdowns would also tie Mayfield with Brady (31) for the second-most games in franchise history with multiple touchdown passes.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Mayfield is tracking toward the 30,000 passing yard mark for his career. Right now, he is 796 yards away. Once he gets there, he would become the 57th quarterback in NFL history to reach that milestone.

If Mayfield can notch his first 250-yard passing game of the season on Sunday, he would tie Josh Freeman (23) for the third-most 250-yard games in Bucs history. A 300-yard passing game would pull him even with Vinny Testaverde (12) for the third-most 300-yard passing games in franchise history.

A win over the Falcons would give Mayfield 29 wins as Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback. That would move him ahead of Jameis Winston (28) for the fourth-most in team history and have him three behind Tom Brady (32) for the third-most.

Bucky Irving

Irving is five receptions away from hitting 100 for his career.

With 79 scrimmage yards, Irving will pass Errict Rhett (3,093) for the 10th-most by a running back in Bucs history.

Irving needs three more rushing touchdowns to tie Ricky Bell (16) for the 10th-most in team history.

Chris Godwin Jr.

Godwin is 39 scrimmage yards away from 8,000 in his career. When he hits that mark, he’ll join Mike Evans (13,062) and James Wilder (9,449) as the only Bucs to reach that milestone with the team.

Godwin remains four touchdowns away from passing Wilder (46) for the third-most touchdowns from scrimmage in team history.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: USA Today

Godwin also remains nine points away from passing Wilder (276) for the 10th-most of any Buc ever.

With three receptions, Godwin will pass DeSean Jackson for the 79th-most in NFL history.

Sunday will be Godwin’s 128th game with Tampa Bay, leaving him two behind Demar Dotson and Brian Kelly (130) for the 14th-most in franchise history.

Cade Otton

Otton remains one receiving touchdown away from moving past Calvin Magee and Alex Smith (11) for the seventh-most by a tight end in Bucs history and pulling into a tie for the sixth-most.

Vita Vea

Vea notched his first sack of the season last week, which means he now needs 3.5 more to pass David Logan (39.0) for the seventh-most in franchise history.

Sunday will be Vea’s 120th game as a Buc, leaving him one behind Chidi Ahanotu, Lee Roy Selmon and Jimmie Giles (121) for the 22nd-most in team history.

Bucs OLB Anthony Nelson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Anthony Nelson

Nelson is set to play in his 115th game with Tampa Bay, tying hm with Karl “The Truth” Williams for the 27th-most in Bucs history.

David Walker

Walker needs one sack on Sunday to tie Eric Curry (5.0 in 1993) for the second-most sacks by a Buc through eight career games. He would need three sacks to tie Santana Dotson (7.0 in 1992) for the most through eight career games.

Josiah Trotter

Trotter is six tackles away from tying Luke Kuechly (62 in 2012) for the eighth-most by a player through seven career games since at least 2000. With seven, he would tie Devin Lloyd (63 in 2022) and DeMeco Ryans (63 in 2006) for the sixth-most, while 11 more would tie him with Anthony Hill Jr. (68 this year) for the fifth-most. He needs 13 tackles to tie Kiko Alonso (70 in 2013) for the third-most, and that would leave him behind only Patrick Willis (73 in 2007) and Shaq Leonard (88 in 2018).

Zyon McCollum

McCollum needs one pass defensed to pass Brent Grimes (41) for the 10th-most in Bucs history and tie John Lynch (42) for the ninth-most.

Antoine Winfield Jr.

Winfield 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 by a defensive back in NFL history.

One more forced fumble would tie Winfield with David Logan and Broderick Thomas (13) for the ninth-most in franchise history.

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

Winfield’s next fumble recovery will move him ahead of Lee Roy Selmon (10) for the fourth-most ever by a Bucs defender while tying him with Cecil Johnson and John Cannon (11) for the third-most.

Winfield needs one interception to reach 10 for his career, which would make him the 16th defensive back in NFL history (since sacks became an official stat in 1982, at least) to record 500+ tackles, 15+ sacks and 10+ interceptions. He would join Bill Bates, Dave Duerson, Rodney Harrison, Derwin James Jr. and Adrian Wilson as the only defensive backs to hit those marks in their first seven seasons.

Winfield needs four passes defensed to pass Zyon McCollum and Brent Grimes (41) for the 10th-most in Bucs history and tie John Lynch (42) for the ninth-most.

Chase McLaughlin

McLaughlin needs eight more field goals to pass Connor Barth (114) for the third-most in Buccaneer history.

With 22 more points, McLaughlin will move ahead of Barth (477) for the fourth-most in team history.

McLaughlin needs three 50+ yard field goals away from passing Greg Zuerlein (49) for the ninth-most field goals from 50+ yards in league history.