Tampa Bay (6-4) at Los Angeles Rams (8-2)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC/Peacock
BetMGM NFL Odds: Rams by 6 1/2
Against the spread: Buccaneers 5-5, Rams 7-3
Series record: Rams lead 19-10.
Last meeting: Buccaneers beat Rams 16-13 in Tampa, Florida, on Nov. 6, 2022.
Last week: Buccaneers lost to Bills 44-32, Rams beat Seahawks 21-19.
Buccaneers offense: overall (17), rush (22), pass (15), scoring (T-10).
Buccaneers defense: overall (22), rush (10), pass (27), scoring (T-21).
Rams offense: overall (8), rush (18), pass (6), scoring (6).
Rams defense: overall (13), rush (11), pass (21), scoring (2).
Turnover differential: Buccaneers plus-9; Rams plus-10.
Buccaneers player to watch
RB Sean Tucker. He ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries versus Buffalo, and Tucker also caught a TD pass. The third-year back from Syracuse is averaging 4.6 yards per carry, helping Tampa Bay overcome injuries at the position.
Rams player to watch
OLB Byron Young has been held without a sack each of the past three weeks, but he is still finding ways to bother the quarterback. Young already has a career-high nine sacks, which lead the Rams, and his nine tackles for loss also paces the defense.
Key matchup
Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka vs. Rams CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr. Egbuka leads all rookies with six TD catches and is second with 717 yards receiving as the latest Ohio State product to quickly adapt to life in the NFL. Forbes did a solid job last week against Egbuka’s former Buckeyes teammate, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith-Njigba finished with nine receptions for 105 yards, with a good chunk of that coming on a difficult one-handed sideline grab, reflecting the continued development of the 2023 first-round pick Forbes in his first full season in Los Angeles.
Key injuries
Buccaneers: WR Mike Evans (clavicle) and WR Jalen McMillan (neck) remain out. OLB Haason Reddick (knee, ankle) isn’t expected to play. LG Ben Bredeson (hamstring), RB Bucky Irving (foot, shoulder) and WR Chris Godwin (fibula) are closer to returning, though it’s uncertain if that will be this week.
Rams: S Quentin Lake (dislocated elbow), TE Tyler Higbee (ankle) and RT Rob Havenstein (ankle, knee) were all put on injured reserve Wednesday. Lake is likely out for the remainder of the regular season but could be available for a postseason run.
Series notes
The Rams are 8-2 in their past 10 games against the Buccaneers, but Tampa Bay scored the final 10 points in a 16-13 win when they met in 2022. … The Rams are 3-0 versus the Buccaneers in the playoffs, with an NFC championship triumph after the 1999 season and a last-second divisional round victory following the 2021 campaign helping lead to the franchise’s two Super Bowl titles.
Stats and stuff
The Buccaneers rushed for a season-high 202 yards last week at Buffalo. … Baker Mayfield has thrown 17 TD passes and only three interceptions. …. Mayfield has run for a first down on 12 of his 14 carries on third down. It’s the highest third down run percentage among QBs. … Rookie WR Tez Johnson has four TD catches. … DB Tykee Smith has 11 passes defensed. He’s the first DB since 2023 with 75 tackles, 10 passes defensed, multiple sacks and at least one interception in a single season. … CB Jacob Parrish is the first rookie defensive back since Devon Witherspoon in 2023 with seven or more tackles for loss, multiple sacks and an interception in a season. … K Chase McLaughlin is 8-for-8 from beyond 50 yards on field goals. … Rams QB Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with 27 touchdown passes. He has 22 touchdowns and no interceptions over his past seven games. … WR Davante Adams has caught a touchdown pass in four straight games. He has seven scores in that span, none longer than 4 yards. … The Rams have won 20 straight games, including the playoffs, when holding the opposition to 20 points or fewer. … Warren McClendon Jr. will make his fourth start of the season at right tackle. He started in Weeks 5-7 when Havenstein was injured. … Los Angeles is allowing a league-low 18.4 yards per kick return.
Fantasy tip
The Rams had already embraced a committee approach at tight end before Higbee’s injury, turning the position into a fantasy scramble. Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and rookie Terrance Ferguson could all have lottery ticket value any given week as Stafford has made good use of the group in the red zone, resulting in six total touchdowns.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
The Associated Press
