While Sunday’s Week 13 game against the Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium is technically coming on the final day of November, this is right around the time of the year when the Bucs have begun to get hot in recent years. In fact, in Weeks 13-18 over the last two seasons, they’ve gone 10-2. Coming into this game on a three-game losing streak, Tampa Bay badly needs to carry that success over into the stretch run of the 2025 campaign.

While things have gotten dire in recent weeks for this Buccaneer team, the upcoming schedule is an opportunity to get back on track. On the one hand, the next three games are at home. And on top of that, those three games come against the 3-8 Cardinals, 2-9 Saints and 4-7 Falcons. If they can win these three games and get to 9-5 or even win two and hit 8-6 before their final three-week stretch, they’ll be right back in control of the NFC South race and in position for a division title five-peat.

But as important as it is to win these games against lesser teams to strengthen their hold on the division lead, the Bucs also need to get right and start playing good football again. The offense faces the challenge of going into battle with a less-than-100% Baker Mayfield or veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater, but offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard needs to find a way to get more out of his unit. And on the other side of the ball, the defense simply has to get back to rushing the passer with regularity, creating takeaways and limiting explosive plays.

If Tampa Bay fails to do all of that down the stretch, it’ll be difficult to win the requisite games to reach the playoffs for a sixth straight year. But even if the team somehow sneaks into the playoffs and is still playing subpar ball, it’ll be hard to see this group doing much of anything in January.

So, this crucial stretch run begins on Sunday, which is also Simeon Rice Ring of Honor induction day. Let’s dive further into what might decide this matchup, as well as some key players to watch in this contest to close out November:

What Might Decide This Bucs-Cardinals Matchup?

From the standpoint of the Bucs offense, there are two main factors that will dictate what kind of game this will be, much less whether it’ll be a win or a loss. For one, Baker Mayfield‘s status is going to play a big role in how this all unfolds on Sunday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium. Will Mayfield play? That’s question No. 1. If he does, how effective will he be? Will there be any limitations to his game? He returned to practice in a limited capacity on Thanksgiving Day, but time will tell how he’s able to manage the pain and if he can manage it well enough to play and be effective.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

If Mayfield is unable to go, it’ll be Teddy Bridgewater under center, and that opens up a completely different line of questions. Can Bridgewater still make the big throws when he needs to? Can he stand in the pocket and deliver, and can he extend plays when he has to? And perhaps more importantly, can the run game carry the load for the offense and take some pressure off the 33-year-old quarterback’s shoulders?

On that subject, the Bucs should get a huge boost of energy with the expected return of Bucky Irving. The 2024 1,000-yard rusher hasn’t played since Week 4, and assuming he’s back on the field on Sunday, it’ll be the first time he’s playing behind even 3/5 of the starting offensive line, at least in terms of its expected configuration, this season. Even if Tampa Bay has him on a pitch count, he has the ability to make some explosive plays for the offense. And having Sean Tucker and Rachaad White in the mix and playing well can only help, too, especially if the passing game is limited in any way.

Back on the passing game, whoever is starting at quarterback needs some pass-catchers to step up around him. The offense could use a big Emeka Egbuka game, and continued touchdown production from fellow rookie Tez Johnson would go a long way, too. Because it’s hard to say right now whether the Bucs will be getting the true Chris Godwin Jr. this year. Outside of the receivers, Cade Otton has to be better. And can Josh Grizzard get the running backs some more involvement in the passing game, particularly White, who had 11 receiving touchdowns between 2022 and 2024 and now has zero in 2025?

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: USA Today

Defensively, it’s time for the Bucs defense to figure it out. It’s one thing to struggle against the likes of Drake Maye, Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford in recent weeks. As efficient as Jacoby Brissett bas been over the course of his career and in recent weeks for the Cardinals, you can’t let him beat you. Yaya Diaby and the four-man pass rush have to get something going, and Todd Bowles may need to dial up some pressures to keep Brissett uncomfortable. The veteran rarely throws interceptions, but coming up with some takeaways would be huge for the Buccaneer defense, especially early on in the game.

With that said, though, the Bucs would settle for not allowing the explosives in the passing game. Arizona doesn’t have much of a run game, so there will be a lot of pressure on Tampa Bay’s pass rush and the defensive backfield to limit the passing game and keep the Cardinals from finding the kinds of holes that teams have been regularly exposing since the bye week.

The Cardinals’ biggest key is to not fall into a hole early. They tend to play teams pretty close despite their 3-8 record, but in the 44-22 loss to the Seahawks and 41-22 loss to the 49ers in Weeks 10 and 11, Jonathan Gannon‘s team fell behind and couldn’t recover. The Seahawks took a 35-0 lead in the first half, while the 49ers went up 19-7 in the second quarter and took a 25-10 lead into halftime. Meanwhile, Arizona went blow for blow with Jacksonville last week and took the game to overtime, giving Liam Coen’s team a scare. If Tampa Bay struggles early, it could be just the opening Gannon and Co. need to make this a battle.

Offensively, the game will fall on the shoulders of veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett. The 32-year-old has been exceptionally efficient for Arizona since taking over for Kyler Murray, completing 66.8% of his passes for 1,887 yards and 11 touchdowns to three interceptions. He has thrown for over 1,000 yards in the last three weeks alone and is only two weeks removed from a 47-of-57 performance with 452 yards. With the state of the Tampa Bay secondary right now, that has to be a bit scary. If he stays efficient, he is plenty capable of coming in and beating this Buccaneer defense.

Cardinals TE Trey McBride and QB Jacoby Brissett – Photo by: USA Today

Brissett has some help in the way of Pro Bowl tight end Trey McBride, who leads Arizona pass-catchers this year with 80 catches for 797 yards and seven touchdowns. Bucs linebackers, who are already pretty poor in coverage, have their work cut out for them with McBride. If he eats them alive, especially in the red zone, it’ll spell trouble for the home team. Elsewhere, Zyon McCollum has to be better this week regardless of who he’s matched up with. Marvin Harrison Jr., the team’s WR1, has missed the last couple of weeks after undergoing an appendectomy, though he has returned to practice this week in a limited capacity. Third-year receiver Michael Wilson is having a solid year, too.

The two sources of hope and keys to victory for the Bucs defense are the Cardinals’ struggles in the run game and their inability to protect the quarterback. Emari Demercado‘s 241 rushing yards lead the team, with Bam Knight‘s 193 the next-best. Tampa Bay can shut down the run, and it should be able to on Sunday. And with that, the Bucs should be able to pin their ears back and get after Brissett, who has been sacked 24 times. He has two games in which he was sacked five times and another two in which he was taken down six times, including one last week. Arizona quarterbacks as a group have been sacked 40 times.

Cardinals DT Calais Campbell – Photo by: USA Today

Defensively, the Cardinals thrive on taking the ball away. Their 17 takeaways rank sixth in the NFL, and they just had four against Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence last week. But Arizona’s points per game allowed speaks pretty loudly, especially in recent weeks. The defense has allowed 31, 27, 44, 41 and 27 in their last five losses, so when they aren’t taking the ball away (and sometimes even when they are), they’re plenty vulnerable to getting beaten up. Whoever is under center for Tampa Bay on Sunday simply needs to play a clean game and the opportunities to make game-winning plays should be there.

Arizona will be in much better position to get after the quarterback if it’s Bridgewater in the game for Mayfield. It was clear last Sunday when Bridgewater entered the game that his mobility is limited these days, and there will be opportunities for the Cardinals to get to him. Josh Sweat and Calais Campbell are always threats, but if Tampa Bay’s offensive line can keep them in check, there aren’t many others who are productive with rushing the passer.

Key Players To Watch

For the Bucs offense, all eyes are on the expected return of Bucky Irving. After the 2024 fourth-round pick burst onto the scene as a rookie with a 1,000-yard campaign, he was expected to once again be a key contributor in the 2025 version of the offense under new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard. Unfortunately, he hasn’t played since Week 4. But the plan is for him to suit back up on Sunday against the Cardinals, and his return comes at the perfect time as he can be part of a three-headed monster with Rachaad White and Sean Tucker to take pressure off a limited Baker Mayfield or backup Teddy Bridgewater.

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Defensively, where has the playmaking version of Antoine Winfield Jr. been? Since a monster game in New Orleans on Oct. 26 in which he wrongfully had two touchdowns taken away but still had a fumble recovery and an interception, he hasn’t been a factor. He only has one sack this season, which came all the way back in Week 3. He did have a key pressure that forced an interception late in the team’s Week 5 win in Seattle, but he still hasn’t been nearly as productive as he was during his 2023 All-Pro season. If Tampa Bay can get the elite version of Winfield on Sunday and down the stretch, it would be huge for a struggling defense.

On the Arizona offense, the focus has to be on Trey McBride. The 2022 second-round pick had a Pro Bowl season in 2024, catching 111 passes for 1,146 yards and two touchdowns. He’s on pace to blow by those numbers in 2025, as he has 80 catches for 797 yards so far this year and has put up monster production in terms of touchdowns with a career high of seven through 11 games. He’s the No. 1 factor on this Cardinals offense, and the Bucs can’t afford to let him run free all day on Sunday.

Cardinals TE Trey McBride – Photo by: USA Today

On defense for the Cardinals, how about the season Josh Sweat is having? After leaving the Eagles this offseason and signing a four-year deal worth up to $76.4 million in Arizona, he is living up to his contract in a big way. The former Florida State star has nine sacks and three forced fumbles in 11 games. His 39 pressures lead the Cardinals defense by a wide margin, and he’s the top threat for Tampa Bay to worry about this Sunday, especially if the less mobile Bridgewater is stepping in for Mayfield.