In order to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter a must-win game on Saturday against a divisional foe, the Carolina Panthers. The Bucs have dropped their previous four and have lost seven of the past eight matchups. Tampa Bay has not entered the win column in December but the club will look to bounce back in January with the title on the line. If the Bucs come through victorious in the regular season finale, they will also need the Falcons to lose in their Week 18 contest against the Saints in order to punch their ticket to the playoffs. Following kickoff, here are five Bucs to keep an eye on:

Mike Evans

Mike Evans, who will one day be immortalized with a bust in Canton and leads nearly every receiving metric for the Buccaneers, has posted more receptions (123), receiving yards (1,726) and touchdown catches (15) against Carolina than any other opponent. The high-point specialist seems to have the Panthers' number and is adept at fighting off jams at the line with physicality. Evans creates late separation and possesses long-striding speed. He is proficient at executing back-shoulder grabs and will likely see a heavy dose of the Panthers' Mike Jackson on Saturday. Jackson has started all 33 games for the Panthers since arriving from the Seahawks and in 2025 he leads the league with 19 passes defensed. Jackson is a big cornerback with long arms to match the size of Evans and can reroute receivers with aggressiveness at the line of scrimmage.

Jacob Parrish

The Bucs held the Panthers to just 275 yards in Week 16 but allowed a couple of explosives that altered the momentum pendulum, including a 34-yard completion to Jalen Coker that spurred Carolina's game-winning field goal. Coker ran a go route and was able to get over the top of the Bucs' defensive back in man-to-man. He possesses sticky hands and excels in contested catch situations. Coker can exploit zones and coverage lapses, while playing with elite body control. With both Benjamin Morrison and Jamel Dean dinged up on the injury report and Zyon McCollum on injured reserve, Coker will see Jacob Parrish on Saturday. Parrish, a third-round pick out of Kansas State for the Bucs in the 2025 NFL Draft, has the flexibility to play in the slot and out wide. He has accumulated 65 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, three quarterback hits, one interception and six passes defensed this season. Parrish has quick feet, smooth hips and effectively mirrors underneath routes. He has twitchy closing burst and short-area quickness, which will come into play in Week 18.

Rachaad White

The last time the two teams met in Week 16, the Buccaneers took a run-heavy approach. Rachaad White contributed 45 yards on five carries in that matchup, including a 39-yarder in the second quarter. He stuck his foot in the ground, cut inside then worked outside, exploding across midfield which sparked Chase McLaughlin's 23-yard field goal. White may not pad the stat sheet but his significance on the field is felt, whether on blitz pickups on third down or dirty runs between the tackles that force the opponent to account for the run game, which sets up advantageous one-on-ones on the perimeter. White will be paired with Panthers' inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom at some point. Rozeboom leads Carolina with 114 tackles and has nabbed 2.0 sacks, seven tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The safety-turned-linebacker is effective at deconstructing blocks and helps set the tone in the middle of Carolina's defense.

Yaya Diaby

In Week 16, the Bucs were not able to get consistent pressure on Bryce Young and although Young only had four carries for 20 yards in that matchup, he was able to evade pressure and get the ball downfield to his targets to extend drives. Those scramble drills hurt the Bucs and led to positive plays for Carolina. On Saturday, Yaya Diaby will play a critical role in setting the edge and keeping Young contained in the pocket. Young has the mobility to exploit over-pursuit by stepping up into the vacant lane. Diaby possesses power and is lightning quick out of his stance. He has lateral burst for twists/stunts and will look to knock down Young on Saturday.

Emeka Egbuka

Baker Mayfield only threw for 145 yards in Week 16 as the Bucs aimed to run the ball 30 times and the lone completion of more than 13 yards through the air was a 40-yard catch by Emeka Egbuka on a deep over route. Mayfield climbed the pocket and lobbed a bomb to Egbuka downfield to ignite the offense. The rookie receiver's numbers have dipped in recent weeks but he has shown his route-running acumen and ability to bait coverage with leverage and footwork. He is a focused ball-tracker and hits stems with effective pace and works back to the throw with ease. Whether settling in a zone or creating cushion versus press, Egbuka will strive to finish the 2025 regular season on a high note.