Grading the Buccaneers’ players and coaches after beating the Cardinals 20-17

TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were in desperate need of getting back into the win column after losing three straight contests coming out of their bye.

They got just that against the Arizona Cardinals, returning home to Raymond James Stadium on a day where they added legendary edge rusher Simeon Rice into the Ring of Honor and coming away with a 20-17 win.

It wasn’t the prettiest, but the Bucs got it done. Here’s how we graded out the team’s performance.

QUARTERBACK: B

It wasn’t the biggest of days for Baker Mayfield against the Cardinals, but he didn’t really need to play hero like he has throughout the season. The balanced offensive attack allowed for Mayfield to be efficient, completing 64.3% of his passes for 194 yards and one touchdown. Mayfield supplemented his average day through the air with 27 yards on the ground. Mayfield had a quarterback rating of 96.4, only took two sacks and took care of the ball.

RUNNING BACKS: B

The Buccaneers rushing attack was solid on the day, once again going over the 100-yard mark on the day. Rachaad White got the start over Bucky Irving, with the latter returning to the field for the first time since suffering shoulder and foot injuries. Irving led the way for the Bucs on the ground going for 61 yards with a touchdown, and the two also put together a solid showing in the passing game, catching a combined 5 passes for 42 yards.

WIDE RECEIVERS: C+

Nov 30, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. (14) Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Bucs’ wide receiver group wasn’t needed much in this one, although it would have been nice to see them get more involved. Not one wideout had over 100 yards on the day, and there were costly drops by both Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin. There is room for improvement here and they should be getting some help here soon with Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan trending towards returns. Godwin led the receiving core on the day with three catches for 78 yards.

TIGHT ENDS: C

Jan 5, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Payne Durham (87) Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay has struggled to get its tight ends involved in 2025, and even when they have, it hasn’t been great. Cade Otton had two catches for nine yards, while Payne Durham had one catch for 11 yards. We most definitely would want to see more from this unit as the rest of the season unfolds. Maybe get Devin Culp some more playing time?

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: D+

Nov 30, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay’s offensive line had another rough outing in this one, but did enough to help open up lanes in the running game. Pass protection was spotty, and it seemed like they were getting blown off the ball a lot. Penalties were also an issue throughout the contest for the unit, with their only saving grace from receiving a failing grade being Tristan Wirfs catching a touchdown.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: B+

The Bucs’ defensive line was a stalwart today against the Cardinals. Pressure was being brought from everyone on the line, with Vita Vea and Yaya Diaby each coming away with a sack on the day. The return of Haason Reddick helped in this department. This unit could have gotten a higher grade, but allowing Bam Knight and company to rush for nearly 100 yards dropped them a bit.

LINEBACKERS: C

Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Bucs linebacker group didn’t have a great game, but they also didn’t have a bad game. Some lapses in coverage with SirVocea Dennis and some tackling issues made things look a bit worse for the linebackers, but overall, they did a solid job while trying to contain Trey McBride over the middle.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: D

Despite Antoine Winfield Jr.’s interception and Tykee Smith’s fumble recovery, the secondary was by far the worst unit on the day for the Buccaneers. They were constantly gashed underneath and over the top, continuing to allow the big explosive plays that Todd Bowles had mentioned needs to be fixed. Zyon McCollum was once again picked on.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A-

Nov 16, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers place kicker Chase McLaughlin (4) makes a field goal out of the hold of punter Riley Dixon (9) Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Buccaneers' special teams turned things around in their win. Coverage on kick returns and punts were much improved, with the Cardinals only breaking a long return once in the contest. Riley Dixon had a pretty good day, averaging 47.8 yards per punt, including three inside of the 20-yard line. McLaughlin continues to be brilliant, converting both of his field goal attempts, with one coming from 57 yards out. The only negative from this group was the lack of a return game.

COACHES: B

The coaching staff did their job. Head coach Todd Bowles made the right decisions on when to go for it on fourth down and when not to. Bowles’ defense continues to struggle at certain points, but did enough to stop the Cardinals’ offense. While the Bucs came away with the victory, it would be nice to see more from offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard.

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