It's time for another round of "Performance Preview," in which Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix and I make our picks to click for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' next game. This is more than just a brief bit of game analysis, it's a competition. That's right: We're keeping score
The rules are simple: Bri and I each pick one Buccaneers player on Friday and explain why we think they are poised for a big game. We can't duplicate picks so order may matter; I went first in Week 11 so now Bri gets her pick of the litter in Week 12. Since neither of us would be impartial enough to do the judging after the game, we've asked Team Reporter Casey Phillips to step in as the guest judge each week.
The order did matter for the second week in a row as the Bucs took on the Bills. That's because I was first and chose to go with Rachaad White. Brianna was leaning towards picking Sean Tucker until she heard my pick but didn't want to pick a second running back; had she done so, obviously, she would have won in a landslide. Instead she switched to Cade Otton, who statistically did not have an eye-catching day, though I'm sure he did plenty of helpful things for the Bucs' offense that didn't show up in the boxscore.
So how did our esteemed Judge see it? Well, let's find out:
"This was another tough one, and I considered choosing another tie but that felt like a cop out. So I decided to give it to Scott even though obviously picking another RB would have been a sure win. Rachaad still averaged over 5 yards per carry and contributed to a run game that totaled over 200 yards against the Bills. Cade didn't have a bad game but just two catches for 28 yards couldn't beat Rachaad's 62 yards of offense."
I'm not going to lie. This win feels a little cheap. Getting the nod despite clearly picking the wrong back to bust out doesn't seem quite right…but it counts, baby! I needed the dub!
Here's our updated Performance Preview Scoreboard:
Brianna Dix: 5
Scott Smith: 4
Push: 1
For the first time this season, I've won two weeks in a row. Can Bri reestablish her first-half dominance. Let's see who she's rolling with on Sunday night.
View pictures from Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice on 11/20/2025
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Defensive Lineman C.J. Brewer #52 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. #31 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Cornerback Jacob Parrish #25 and Defensive/Special Teams Assistant Keith Tandy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Defensive Back Josh Hayes #32 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Cornerback Benjamin Morrison #21 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Defensive Back Josh Hayes #32 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Center Graham Barton #62, Guard Ben Scott #66, Guard Dan Feeney #65 and Guard Luke Haggard #72 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka #2 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka #2 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka #2 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Outside Linebacker Yaya Diaby #0 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka #2 and Wide Receiver Tez Johnson #15 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka #2 and Wide Receiver Tez Johnson #15 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Chris Godwin #14 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Running Back Bucky Irving #7 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Chris Godwin #14 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka #2 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard #17 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka #2 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and General Manager Jason Licht during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Inside Linebacker Lavonte David #54 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Linebacker Deion Jones #45 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Defensive Tackle Vita Vea #50 and Defensive Quality Control Coach Joey Fitzgerald of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Defensive Lineman C.J. Brewer #52 and Defensive Quality Control Coach Joey Fitzgerald of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Defensive Lineman Elijah Roberts #95 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Defensive Lineman Elijah Simmons #92 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Outside Linebacker Yaya Diaby #0 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Outside Linebacker Chris Braswell #43 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Outside Linebacker Benton Whitley #56 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Outside Linebacker Mohamed Kamara #59 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Running Back Sean Tucker #44 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Running Back Owen Wright #49 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Running Back Bucky Irving #7 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Running Back Rachaad White #1 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Ryan Miller #81 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka #2 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Tez Johnson #15 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard #17 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard #17 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Chris Godwin #14 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Chris Godwin #14 and Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Wide Receiver Chris Godwin #14 and Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Running Back Rachaad White #1 and Running Back Bucky Irving #7 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. #31 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 20, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and General Manager Jason Licht during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Brianna Dix: WR Sterling Shepard
I am going to go with Sterling Shepard this week. His numbers may not 'wow' on the stat sheet with 34 receptions for 349 yards; however, Shepard continues to be a go-to target for Baker Mayfield. When he is targeted, Shepard moves the chains and he is averaging 10.3 yards per reception. I think it is just a matter of time before he has a breakout game and I am hoping it is this week against the Rams. YAC-yards may be the Rams' specialty but I am manifesting that on Sunday Night Football, they receive a taste of their own medicine with Shepard.
With more attention being allocated by defenses to Emeka Egbuka and a pitch count likely for Chris Godwin Jr. if he makes his return, Shepard will have additional opportunities for advantageous one-on-one matchups. He hits the gas pedal out of his breaks and is able to adjust to throws and work over the top. The former Sooner product is physical over the middle of the field and is adept on double moves. He has continued to be an unsung hero for the Bucs' offense with pivotal plays that extend drives. I predict this week he goes off!
Scott Smith: T Tristan Wirfs
This is going to test Casey's judging acumen, because Tristan Wirfs is probably not going to give her any actual statistics to weigh against whatever Shepard does. And he won't necessarily catch the nation's attention with a highlight-reel block 20 yards downfield that has the internet abuzz.
Here's what I'm hoping gets Wirfs enough attention for me to have a shot here: Whichever stud edge rusher he primarily goes up against Sunday, whether it's Jared Verse or Byron Young gets stonewalled on the stat sheet. No sacks, no quarterback hits, no tackles for loss. Baker Mayfield is sacked one time at the most and is given enough time to go toe to toe with Matthew Stafford in what could be another shootout. The Bucs hit 400 yards of offense for just the second time this season (they did it 10 times in 2024) and there are at least a couple noteworthy Buccaneer runs that go over left tackle.
Wirfs was an Associated Press first-team All-Pro at left tackle in 2024, just his second year at that position. After missing training camp and the first three games of this season due to July knee surgery, he may not have been at his peak earlier in the season. I think he has gradually shaken off some rust and has steadily progressed closer to last year's form. I say he hits that peak on Sunday night in front of a national audience and even with no sacks he's too good to ignore.
