Game 15

Jags (8-6) at Bucs (7-7) 

Kickoff: 4:05 p.m.

TV: CBS (WTSP-TV Channel 10 locally) with hollerin’ Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins.

Streaming: NFL Sunday Ticket (YouTubeTV), Paramount+ and NFL+. (Geographic restrictions apply; subscription may be required).

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 208 or 386 (Buccaneers Radio Network feed).

Weather: Good day for football (not the best) but a very pleasant day for fans to sit through. Though it is expected to be cloudy today per AccuWeather.com, the temperature will be just about right. Tailgaters will enjoy temperatures in the mid- to high-70s and a temperature at kickoff of 75. It should be a breezy afternoon, though. Look for the temperature to slowly drop to 70 by game’s end. Winds should calm down slightly in the fourth quarter. Virtually no precipitation is expected.

Odds: Per BetMGM, as of midnight, Bucs +1.5 (+105); over/under 43.

Referees: Brad Allen and his gang will work today’s game. If you are just going by the numbers, the Bucs have an edge here, per Joe Gibbs of Sharp Football Analysis. Home teams where Allen’s outfit works are 72-51-1 (59 percent) since 2016. This year, home teams in games with Allen’s gang are 7-6. The Bucs are a top-10 team (bottom 10?) in holding calls on the offensive line. Allen’s outfit is among the middle of the pack in zebras calling holding on offensive linemen.

Injuries: Jags — Questionable: CB Tyson Campbell (quadriceps), S Andre Cisco (groin), WR Zay Jones (knee/hamstring), QB Trevor Lawrence (ankle/concussion), TE Brenton Strange (foot). Bucs — Questionable:  DL Will Gholston (knee/ankle), S Antoine Winfield (calf).

Outlook: It’s real simple: Beat the Jags today and the Bucs are one win from an unprecedented third-straight division title for the franchise. A win today and the Bucs could wrap up an NFC South title next week against the slimy Saints. To do this, the Bucs pass defense has to rise up for a change. Sure, Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence — if he starts — isn’t having a great season this year, is still a damn good quarterback. He leads a top-10 passing offense. Meanwhile, the Bucs pass defense is wretched. Will it help that Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean are both healthy again? Maybe. Something has been off with Davis and Dean all year. At times Davis has played strong. Dean has had a very disappointing season. It sure would help if the Bucs edge rushers can show up before the final couple of minutes of the game. Offensively, will the good Baker Mayfield show up again? We know he is streaky. He has his best game as a Bucs quarterback last week in Green Bay. We know what that often means for streaky quarterbacks. Very much like the Packers’ pass defense, the Jags pass defense is miserable as well so that’s a good thing. Hopefully, Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales takes advantage of that like he did last week at Green Bay. If the Bucs can pull off a win today, it will be the first win for the Bucs over a team with a winning record since Week 4 at the slimy Saints.

Fun facts: Bucs QB Baker Mayfield is fifth in the NFC in touchdown passes (24). … WR Mike Evans is second in the NFL in touchdown catches (11) and has eight touchdowns in his last seven home games. … Rachaad White is looking for his fourth-straight game with 100 yards from the line of scrimmage. He is second in the NFL in reception yards from a running back (469). …  ILB Lavonte David is the only player in the NFL this year with at least 100 tackles and at least 15 tackles for loss. He will be 34 in a month. … Safety Antoine Winfield is the first defensive back since 2016 (Keanu Neal) with 100+ tackles and five or more forced fumbles in a season. Winfield is looking for his third straight home game with a pick.

.@rondebarber gives a round of applause to @DcoachCanales 👏

Breaking down our Week 15 film 🎦 pic.twitter.com/8mH605zyd4

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) December 21, 2023