The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks certainly lived up to the hype on Thursday Night Football, producing a game for the ages in the battle for the NFC West - and the No. 1 seed. Earlier this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had actually outlasted Seattle, would have thought they would have been in the No. 1 seed conversation by this point in the campaign, but the wheels have completely fallen off Todd Bowles's wagon in Tampa Bay; they were embarrassed by the Los Angeles Rams on national television just weeks ago.
It is thus all on the line for the Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon against the NFC South rival Carolina Panthers, who have often been the biggest thorn in their side in these playoff conversations. And after a slow start to the season, the Panthers have pulled the opposite of the Bucs, turning things around and even winning a shootout with Matthew Stafford and the Rams behind the livened up arm of Baker Mayfield's Carolina successor, the ascending Bryce Young.
The Buccaneers have lost two straight NFC South matchups in brutal fashion to the weaker New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, blowing a lead against the Falcs - of all teams to do that against - on Thursday Night Football as the whole wide footballing world watched Kirk Cousins and Kyle Pitts torch Bowles's totally porous defense.
There is no question that the Buccaneers have to step it up big time on Sunday against the Panthers, because a loss to David Canales's team would send the Bucs to 7-8 and leave them with no mathematical margin for error. This Week 16 battle is the first of two do or die games between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers for the NFC South crown and the playoffs entirely.
Tampa Bay have no more excuses now, too, as Mike Evans, Bucky Irving, Tristan Wirfs, and Chris Godwin are all back from their injuries. Mayfield has a full slate of weapons, and now it is up to him to deliver and for Bowles to do the same with a defense that has left his quarterback with no room to make a single mistake.
What channel is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game on today? (December 21st)
Here's everything you need to know to catch today's game:
- Date: Sunday, December 21st
- Start Time: 1 pm ET
- Location: Bank of America Stadium| Charlotte, NC
- TV Channel: CBS
- Announcers: Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth
- Radio: WXTB 97.9 FM
- Live Stream: NFL+ | Fubo