Bills take on Buccaneers in Week 8 game that may set course for season: What to know
Moments after the Buffalo Bills had collapsed in the dying seconds Sunday afternoon to lose 29-25 to the New England Patriots, I asked Mitch Morse the following question.
Even though the scoreboard showed 25 points, do you think it’s an accurate assessment that the offense is not functioning at the level it needs to? I know, pretty obvious but, hey, someone had to ask it.
“That would be a great assessment,” Morse said.
That’s what I thought, but I wanted to hear it from a player who would give an honest answer and the straight shooting Morse was the right choice.
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He went on to blame himself for the communication errors that hurt the offensive line which was admirable, but Buffalo’s problems go way beyond that. Over the last three games, from the superstar quarterback on down the Bills have been in a disturbing rut, and coupled with a defense that is noticeably weakened by devastating injuries, this once-promising season has reached a cross road.
The 4-3 Bills will flip on the turn signal Thursday night when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - the first of three straight prime-time games for a team that at this stage doesn’t deserve that type of attention - and which way Josh Allen and the Bills go could determine the course of the season.
Here’s a look ahead to the Bucs as well as the television, radio and betting information for the game.
Top players for Tampa Bay Buccaneers on offense, defense
▶ QB Baker Mayfield: Is it possible that the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has finally found a home? Mayfield has played well in the Bucs’ first six games, but after a 3-1 start, they’ve lost back-to-back home games to the Lions and Falcons and Mayfield produced only one touchdown and 19 combined points.
▶ RB Rachaad White: He’s the leading rusher but the Bucs entered Week 7 ranked 29th in rushing at 78.8 yards and that didn’t improve as White managed only 34 yards against Atlanta.
▶ WR Mike Evans: He’s been the No. 1 WR in Tampa Bay for nearly a decade and at 30 years old, he’s still a stud. He has 30 catches for 468 yards and four TDs this season including a 40-yarder against the Falcons.
▶ WR Chris Godwin: If only the Bills had a No. 2 WR as productive as Godwin who has 33 catches for 398 yards. This duo could present problems for a Bills’ secondary that simply isn’t as efficient as it normally is.
▶ DT Vita Vea: In almost every game this season the Bills have gone against a premier run-stuffing DT and Vea is one of the best, a 350-pound condo.
▶ DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka: A first-round pick in 2021, the edge rusher has three sacks and a fumble recovery this season.
▶ LB Shaq Barrett: The ninth-year veteran has 55.5 career sacks, but only four since 2022 when he missed half the season.
▶ CB Carlton Davis: The 2018 second-round pick, who has missed two games this season, is a reliable corner who has struggled a bit in the early going.
▶ S Antoine Winfield Jr.: The son of former Bills star CB Antoine Winfield is an apple that certainly didn’t fall from the tree. Like his dad, Winfield is a tremendous tackler with great ball skills. He was in on seven tackles Sunday and also recovered a fumble.
Who is favored to win Bills vs Buccaneers?
The Bills have opened as a 8.5-point favorite for the game. The money line is Bills minus-400 (bet $400 to win $100) and Buccaneers plus-325 (bet $100 to win $325). The over-under is 42.
What time does the Bills vs Buccaneers game start?
Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. at Highmark Stadium.
How to watch Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers game on TV, streaming
You don’t have many options for this one. It’s an Amazon Prime telecast so you will need to be a subscriber to that streaming service. Prime offers two forms of membership: $14.99 per month or $139 per year.
If you are an Amazon Prime subscriber, you can watch on Amazon devices such as the Fire TV and Fire tablet, connected TVs, web browsers, and on more than 650 connected devices via the Prime Video app.
Because Rochester is a secondary Bills market, none of the local TV stations are allowed to purchase the rights to telecast the game. However, the ABC affiliate in Buffalo, WKBW, channel 7, will be showing the game.
On the radio: How to listen to the Bills vs Buccaneers game
You can listen on SiriusXM satellite radio on Sirius channel 83 and XM channel 225 (Bills feed) and Sirius channel 81 and XM channel 226 (Buccaneers feed), and on traditional radio, the Bills Radio Network has stations all across the state. Chris Brown has the play-by-play, Eric Wood is the analyst, and Sal Capaccio is the sideline reporter. The network includes:
Rochester (WCMF 96.5 and WROC 950 AM)
Buffalo (WGR550, 550 AM)
Syracuse (WTKW 99.5/WTKV 105.5)
Binghamton (WDRE 100.5FM)
Ithaca (WIII 99.9/100.3 FM)
Bath (WVIN 98.3 FM)
Newark (WACK 1420 AM)
Dansville (WDNY 93.9 FM)
Elmira (WNGZ 1490 AM)
Auburn (WAUB 98.1 FM/1590 AM)
Geneva (WGVA 95.9 FM, 1240 AM)
Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana and on Threads @salmaiorana1. To subscribe to Sal's newsletter, Bills Blast, which comes out twice a week during the season, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Who do Bills play next? Game vs Buccaneers may set course for season
