On a national stage, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take on the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in a Thursday Night Football clash. Both teams endured losses in Week Seven and will vie to get back on track this week. Kickoff is slated for 8:15 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast via Prime Video. The Bucs and Bills currently sit at second place in their respective divisions and have lost two of their previous three contests. Tampa Bay will look to get into a rhythm offensively in Week Eight, after scoring just 19 points through their two-consecutive losses as pre-snap penalties killed momentum and stalled drives. The Bucs' defense continued their red zone prowess against the Falcons and Thursday provides an opportunity to play complementary football in all three phases. After a week of preparation, here is what the Week Eight matchup comes down to:

4 Stats That Matter

• Buffalo is scoring inside the red zone at the second-highest rate in the league (71.4%) through seven games.
• The Bills are second in the league and third in the AFC with a plus-80 point differential and have allowed the fifth fewest points per game (16.9).
• The Buccaneers have allowed the fourth-fewest points (104) and are tied for the third-fewest touchdowns (nine) this season. Opponents have converted just two of their last 14 red zone drives into touchdowns versus the Bucs dating back to Week Three.
• Baker Mayfield is leading the league through Week Seven in passer rating on third down plays (121.6) and ranks third in completion percentage on third-down attempts (69.6%).

3 Lineup Notes

• On Wednesday, the Buccaneers ruled out guard Matt Feiler (knee) for the Thursday Night Football matchup with the Bills. Head Coach Todd Bowles confirmed that Aaron Stinnie will start in his place at left guard.
• In addition, on the injury report, receiver Chris Godwin, quarterback Baker Mayfield and nose tackle Vita Vea appeared with questionable injury designations. Bowles confirmed Godwin will be good to go for Week Eight and Vea will be a game-time decision.
• For Buffalo, three players were ruled out: tight end Dawson Knox, tight end Quintin Morris and linebacker Baylor Spector. Ed Oliver, the team's defensive cornerstone, was listed as questionable. Head Coach Sean McDermott said it is "going to be close" as to whether Oliver will play. He missed the Bills' loss against the Patriots on Sunday with a toe injury.

2 Challenges Presented by the Bills 

Buffalo has one of the best quarterback/wide receiver tandems in the NFL with Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs. Allen leads the NFL with 19 total touchdowns and ranks third with a 70.7% completion percentage. He has thrown for 1,841 yards and 15 touchdowns in seven games while rushing for 148 yards and four scores. The Bills have not dialed up as many designed runs for Allen in recent weeks but his improvisation skills while on the move pose a threat. He has stellar arm strength, consistently making throws that leave onlookers shaking their heads in awe. Allen uses his big-bodied frame to run over or around defenders and can make off-platform throws while rolling left or right look like child's play. The Bucs' defense will have to be disciplined and rally to the football to try and contain Allen in the pocket. His go-to-target, Stefon Diggs, is a route-running craftsman. Diggs' 393 receptions since joining the Bills in 2020 are the most in the NFL. In 2022, Diggs accumulated his fifth-straight season with at least 1,000 receiving yards. He possesses a vast route tree and is dangerous at all three levels of the field. Diggs' ball-tracking downfield is second to none and he is adept at creating space at the top of his routes with a lethal release package. He is sudden in-and-out of breaks, and Diggs' play energizes the Bills offense. Buffalo has dealt with slow starts in recent weeks – scoring 10 points total through the first half of its last three matchups – and the team will look to rectify the issue on Thursday against the visiting Bucs.

The Bills defensive lineup has taken significant blows in 2023, with cornerback Tre'Davious White, linebacker Matt Milano and defensive tackle Da'Quan Jones all landing on injured reserve. In addition, Von Miller, who signed with Buffalo in the 2022 offseason, recently returned to action from a torn ACL that sidelined him last November. He is gradually working his way back to full speed and provides a boost. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver is the Bills' defensive catalyst. Oliver has been dealing with a toe injury that sidelined him for the Bills' loss to the Patriots and he practiced in a limited fashion during Monday's walk-through, in addition to Tuesday's practice. In 2023, Oliver leads defensive tackles in run stuff rate (11.7%, minimum of 50 defensive snaps) and ranks fourth in quarterback pressure percentage (17.1%) per Next Gen Stats. Oliver and Aaron Donald are the only two defensive tackles to rank inside the top-five in defensive stops (24, fourth) and pressures (27, tied-third). With an explosive first step and relentless motor, Oliver sets the tone for Buffalo. He has come into his own this season, as the mental aspect of the game has seemingly caught up to his tantalizing traits. Defensive end Leonard Floyd leads the team with 6.5 sacks (tied for seventh in the NFL) and nickel corner Taron Johnson has made his presence felt. He had a game-sealing pass breakup against New York on the final play to prevent the Giants' walkoff touchdown and he set a new career-high with 15 tackles in the same game. He patrols with physicality and his elite recognition of play designs puts him in prime positioning. Johnson has the hip fluidity to turn and run, elevating the back end.

1 Key Thought from Larry Foote

On Bills offense:

"[Josh Allen] is an all-world quarterback. He can make plays, he can make you miss. It's going to take all 11 [players] to hold that guy down. We've got to plaster. I was telling my guys, it's not the ordinary three-to-four seconds per play, this is going to be five-to-six. He's that type of weapon. The game has turned into that. We see that often when you match up with these types of quarterbacks. This guy is big and strong and elusive. It's going to be a challenge for us. Everybody knows that. We're going to have to plaster. I've been saying that all week.