Tampa Bay (4-6) at N.Y. Giants (2-8)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS
BetMGM NFL Odds: Bucs by 5 1/2.
Series record: Giants lead 16-9.
Against the spread: Buccaneers 6-4, Giants 3-7.
Last meeting: Buccaneers beat Giants 30-10 in Tampa, Fla. on Nov. 22, 2021.
Last week: Both teams had a bye. On Nov. 10: Buccaneers lost to 49ers 23-20. Giants lost to Panthers 20-17 in OT in Germany.
Buccaneers offense: overall (8), rush (10), pass (10), scoring (5)
Buccaneers defense: overall (30), rush (16), pass (30), scoring (27)
Giants offense: overall (24), rush (14), pass (26), scoring (32)
Giants defense: overall (17), rush (29), pass (4), scoring (T16)
Turnover differential: Buccaneers: even; Giants minus-6.
WR Mike Evans returned to practice this week after sitting out three full games and much of a fourth because of a hamstring injury. The Bucs have struggled to throw deep in his absence and WR Chris Godwin (ankle), who also has been sidelined since being hurt against Baltimore on Oct. 21. Evans has 38 receptions for 655 yards and seven TDs in six career games against the Giants. He’s a 10-time, 1,000-yard receiver, and QB Baker Mayfield is sure to try to get him involved.
Taking over for the benched Daniel Jones, all eyes are going to be on quarterback Tommy DeVito in his first game of the season and his first start since last season. In nine career games, the free agent from Illinois is 114 of 178 for 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns, including one rushing. He has thrown thrown three interceptions and is 2-0 at home.
The Giants have struggled stopping the run, giving up an average 147.1 yards, which is 29th among the 32 teams. Bucs RB Bucky Irving is the league’s second-leading rusher among rookies with 492 yards. Rachaad White is his backup and has gained 306 yards on 80 carries. However, his bigger role is as receiver. He has 37 catches and four TDs receiving.
Tampa Bay: In addition to Evans, the Bucs could get another boost if CB Jamel Dean (hamstring) returns from injured reserve. ... LT Tristan Wirfs suffered a knee sprain against San Francisco two weeks ago and could be a game-day decision. The status of starting CB Zyon McCollum (hamstring) is uncertain.
Giants: OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux is ready to return from broken wrist against Seattle in Week 5.
The Giants are 8-2 at home against Tampa Bay. The Bucs have won the past two games between the teams. The 2007 Giants won the only postseason matchup, defeating Tampa Bay in a wild-card game. New York won three postseason road games that season and then beat the previously unbeaten New England Patriots to win their third Super Bowl title. It was the first of two under former coach Tom Coughlin.
The Buccaneers have lost four straight, with the past two coming against the Chiefs and 49ers. ... They’ve allowed 31.3 points and 425.3 yards per game over that stretch. … With Evans and Godwin sidelined the past month, TE Cade Otton has emerged as a primary option for Mayfield. He has 30 catches for 293 yards and three TDs over the past four games. ... Evans is tied for fourth in the league with six TDs receiving. …. … The Bucs have a league-leading 26 sacks since Week 4, including least two sacks in seven consecutive games. ... The Giants have dropped five in a row and benched Jones earlier this week. He had started every game. ... RB Tyrone Tracy's 545 yards rushing and three 100-yard games leads rookies in both categories. ... Rookie WR Malik Nabers has 61 catches, tied with Puka Nacua for most by a player in his first eight games. He has at least five catches in seven games. ... WR Wan'Dale Robinsin has at least five catches in seven games. His 56 catches are four shy of his career best set last season. ... The Giants have not had an interception since the opening game. ... DT Dexter Lawrence is second in the league with nine sacks. ... OLB Brian Burns has six sacks, including five in the past six games. ... ILB Bobby Okereke had 11 tackles in the previous game and leads the Giants with 75. ... Rookie S Tyler Nubin had a career-high 12 tackles against the Panthers and is second with 69 overall.
Mayfield needs one TD pass to reach 25 for the fourth time in his career. He has thrown 28 TDs and seven interceptions in 13 road starts since last season, the most road TD passes in NFL over the span. He's trying for his fourth straight road start with two or more TDs. In two starts against the Giants, he has three touchdowns and no interceptions.
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