The Buccaneers should get a clean weather slate Sunday when they visit the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. AccuWeather is calling for sunny skies, mild temperatures and no rain for the entire afternoon, giving Tampa Bay a far friendlier setup than some late-season road trips tend to provide.
At the 1 p.m. ET kickoff, conditions are expected to sit around 65 degrees, with a RealFeel of 68.
The forecast calls for north-northeast winds around 10 mph, with gusts reaching 20 mph, and a 0% chance of precipitation. From there, temperatures are expected to keep ticking upward, climbing to 67 degrees by 2 p.m. and 69 by 3 p.m.
AccuWeather projects a high of 70 degrees around 4 p.m., while the wind stays in that 9 to 10 mph range with occasional gusts near 20 mph.
That kind of weather could still matter in a few spots. Chase McLaughlin may have to deal with some help or hindrance on longer field-goal tries, and Riley Dixon’s punts could be shaped a bit by the breeze.
But with sustained winds hovering around 10 mph, Tampa Bay shouldn’t need to alter its offensive plan in any major way. More importantly, the dry conditions wipe out any concern about slick footing or ball security issues.
That matters because Baker Mayfield is expected back after missing three games with a dislocated right thumb. With the forecast showing upper-60s temperatures and no rain, the weather shouldn’t be much of a factor for the passing game. For Tampa Bay, the bigger questions are pass protection and how quickly Mayfield can get back into rhythm after the layoff.
The Buccaneers come into Sunday’s NFC South matchup at 1-5, trying to pick up their second win of the season and their first against a division opponent.
In Other News...
Baker Mayfield Carries One Huge Buccaneers Question Into Panthers Game
Baker Mayfield has carried the Buccaneers through the first part of the season with the kind of toughness Tampa Bay has come to expect, and now he heads into Week 7 with a little extra attention on his right hand. Officially listed as questionable against Carolina, Mayfield was a full participant in practice all week after dislocating his thumb in Week 3, leaving the team to sort through the usual pregame injury-report suspense around its quarterback.
Todd Bowles said Mayfield looks ready to play, which is the key development for a Buccaneers offense that also has to navigate the absence of top receiver Emeka Egbuka, who has been ruled out with a concussion. Mayfield is expected to wear a custom glove on the injured hand, a small but notable detail for a team that would rather keep the conversation centered on the game plan than on what its quarterback is wearing when he takes the field. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Face A Season Pressure Game In Carolina Shorthanded
Sundays trip to Bank of America Stadium carries a little extra weight for Tampa Bay, and it comes with a depleted roster on both sides. The Buccaneers head to Carolina on Oct. 25 with several players unavailable, adding another layer of difficulty to a division matchup that already has plenty riding on it. Fans who want to follow along can catch the game locally on FOX, with streaming options on NFL+ and NFL Sunday Ticket, while radio coverage is set for WXTB 97.9 FM and SiriusXM Channel 380.
The injury list is the bigger story for Tampa Bay, though, because it trims away some of the teams margin for error at a time when every AFC South-style slip in the division feels magnified. Carolina has its own absences to manage, but the Buccaneers challenge is figuring out how to get through a road game without some key pieces available, and how much it can still demand from a shorthanded group in a matchup that could shape the tone of the stretch ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Is Facing A Buccaneers Problem That Feels Bigger Now
The Buccaneers have spent much of this season trapped in a familiar kind of frustration, the sort that keeps a coach answering the same questions after another narrow loss. Tampa Bay is 1-5 and sitting last in the NFC South, but the standings have not fully captured how messy the stretch has been. The team has also played half the season without Baker Mayfield, who went down with a dislocated thumb, leaving Todd Bowles to sort through a difficult opening half with little margin for error.
What makes the situation feel heavier is how thin the line has been between better and worse. Tampa Bay has been in a run of close games, and the Bucs have now won only three of their last 15, a mark that sits below what recent predecessors managed over the same stretch. Even with the division still within reach because of other teams' struggles, the larger issue is harder to ignore: the Buccaneers keep living on the edge, and the results have started to look like more than just bad breaks. [Read more 🡒]