Game 12

Stinking Panthers (1-10) at Bucs (4-7) 

Kickoff: 4:05 p.m.

TV: CBS (WTSP-TV Channel 10 locally) with Tom McCarthy, James Lofton, Jay Feely and Tiffany Blackmon.

Streaming: Paramount+, NFL+ and Buccaneers.com (Geographic restrictions apply).

Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network WXTB-FM 97.9 in the Tampa-St. Petersburg region (Transmisiones de radio en español en WTMP-FM 96.1 y WMGG-AM 1470 en Tampa). Additional stations throughout Florida on the Buccaneers Radio Network can be found here. The game also will be broadcast on SiriusXM Channels 85 or 225 (Buccaneers Radio Network feed).

Weather: This is why we live in Florida: Tomorrow’s game, as the sun sets along the west coast of Florida, will be played in the mid-70s, per AccuWeather.com. In December. Suck it, Chicago! This time of the year the days end early but there will not be a need for a jacket or a sweater of any sort. Tailgaters will enjoy temperatures hovering around 80. At kickoff, look for it to be 78 and after the sun goes down and the game ends, look for it to be 74. Less than a 10 percent chance of precipitation and a gentle breeze. Awesome.

Odds: Per BetMGM, as of midnight, Bucs -3.5; over/under 36.5.

Referees: Brad Rogers and his gang will work today’s game. Rogers’ games tend to see higher-scoring games. Home teams have not fared well with Rogers and his posse the past four years with a total win-loss record of 27-34. However, this year home teams are winning 73 percent of Rogers’ games.  This year Rogers’ outfit averages 13 flags a game.

Injuries: Stinking Panthers — Out: S Vonn Bell (shoulder), TE Hayden Hurst (concussion). Doubtful:  TE Tommy Tremble (hip). Questionable: S Jeremy Chinn (quad), OLB Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring), OLB Marquis Haynes Sr. (back), CB Troy Hill (hip), Matt Feiler (knee), CB Jaycee Horn (hamstring), OL Nash Jensen (back), OLB DJ Johnson (elbow). Bucs — Out: ILB Lavonte David (groin), CB Jamel Dean (ankle/foot), DL Mike Greene (calf), ILB Devin White (foot). Doubtful: LB SirVocea Dennis (illness). Questionable: WR Chris Godwin (neck).

Outlook: Look, the Bucs should mop the floor with the Stinking Panthers. They are awful and the team is in turmoil. The rookie No. 1 overall draft pick of a quarterback is really bad, so bad Carolina coaches wanted to bench him for Andy Dalton. That’s all you need to know. But Joe has been watching the Bucs too closely over the past two years. And there is one thing that the Bucs in the post-Bucco Bruce Arians era are really good at — that’s playing down to opponents. Joe doesn’t know what it is, but when the Bucs play bad teams, they play badly too. (Sadly, when the Bucs play good teams during this same period, they don’t play up to their opponents.) Given the fact history shows when teams cans its coach midseason, it often gives them an emotional boost. So Joe fears for today’s game. Really. The Bucs’ pass defense stinks and that’s when everyone is healthy. The Bucs will have three starters out on defense, Devin White, Lavonte David and Jamel Dean. And it’s not like Carolina’s defense is terrible (although their secondary is beat to hell). The stars are aligning for Carolina to pull off an upset today. Joe hates to type that but that’s how down Joe is on this team and how badly it is playing and how poorly this team is coached. The Bucs’ run game got going last week, albeit against a run defense in Indianapolis that has been cratering the past month. So no, Joe doesn’t feel warm and fuzzy that the run game is suddenly fixed. Still, this game spooks Joe. Anyone remember last year the Bucs — with Tom Brady —  and Carolina had recently fired Matt Rhule and the Stinking Panthers took it to the Bucs? Let’s not pretend an upset like this can’t happen. And if the Bucs really do lose to the Stinking Panthers tonight, Joe suspects the only suspense for this coaching staff will be when the U-Hauls arrive in mid-January.

Fun facts: Bucs QB Baker Mayfield needs three touchdown passes for his fourth career season with 20 or more touchdown throws. … WR Mike Evans has 54 catches this season. If he has six more, he will become the first player in NFL history with 60 or more catches in each of his first 10 seasons. … DT Vita Vea might be having his best seasons. Vea had a tackle for loss last week and has had three in his last four games. Currently, Vea has eight tackles for loss this season, a career-high. … S Antoine Winfield is looking for his third-straight game with 10 or more tackles.

(For those unable to understand why Joe chose the Carolina cheerleaders above, please click on the photo for the backstory.)