The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hit their Week Nine bye with a 6-2 record that is tied with the defending-champion Philadelphia Eagles for the most wins in the NFC. A very successful first half of the 2025 season was probably most notable for a series of close wins driven by Baker Mayfield and the offense's clutch-time heroics.

That said, the Buccaneers' defense had a promising first half that has built confidence on that side of the ball for the stretch run. Tampa Bay has two defensive touchdowns, ranks third in the NFL with 25 sacks and has created 12 takeaways, tied for third in the league. Rookies such as Jacob Parrish and Elijah Roberts have made an instant impact and are already entrenched in the starting lineup, and the safety duo of Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith looks like one of

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