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Week 14: Bills vs. Buccaneers
 at 
Sunday, Dec. 8th
1:00pm ET
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The Bills try to get back on track after a gut wrenching loss to the Falcons in Toronto. They head down to Florida to take on a Buccaneers team coming off a loss to the Panthers after reeling off three straight wins.
FACTS AND FIGURES
| Matchup: |
Buffalo (4-8) vs. Tampa Bay (3-9) |
| Place: |
Raymond James Stadium |
| TV/Radio: |
Network: CBS; DirecTV: 711; Sirius: 128 |
| Announcers: |
Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein |
| Spread: |
Buccaneers by 2½ |
| Series: |
Bucs lead 6-3 |
| Streak: |
Bills Won 1 |
| Last Meeting: |
Bills 33-20 in Buffalo (2009) |
| Buccaneers Offense: |
Rush (22nd); Pass (30th); overall (31st) |
| Buccaneers Defense: |
Rush (12th); Pass (18th); overall (16th) |
| Bills Offense: |
Rush (4th); Pass (29th); overall (17th) |
| Bills Defense: |
Rush (24th); Pass (15th); overall (17th) |
INJURY UPDATE
The Bills should be completely healthy for a second week in a row. EJ Manuel, Stephon Gilmore, and C.J. Spiller got banged up in the loss to the Falcons but are practicing fully. Kyle Williams sat out practice Wednesday to rest his Achilles like he usually does. He is ready to go.
The Buccaneers lost LB Jonathan Casillas for the season last week with a knee injury. They are a bit banged up at the guard position with both Davin Joseph and Carl Nicks missing practice time this week but they should be available. Darrelle Revis continues to be hampered by injuries all year. He is currently battling a chest and shoulder injury but should be ready to go. WR Vincent Jackson missed practice time this week with a mild hamstring issue and also should play.
Check out our  Bills Daily Injury Page throughout the week for the latest updates on the injured players.
KEY MATCHUPS
C Eric Wood vs. DT Gerald McCoy:
Wood will have his hands full with the Pro Bowl McCoy who leads the Bucs with six sacks. He should have help from RG Kraig Urbik who's coming off his best game of the season in Toronto.
WR Stevie Johnson vs. CB Darrelle Revis:
It's a reunion between the former division rivals. Johnson has had a lot of success in the past going up against Revis Island. Johnson should be determined to bounce back from his big fumble against Atlanta. Revis has struggled with injuries during his first season in Tampa.
CB Stephon Gilmore vs. WR Vincent Jackson:
The struggling corner goes up against Jackson who is closing in on 1,000 yards receiving on the season. If Gilmore continues his struggles than Leodis McKelvin may get a shot at Jackson who has been slowed by a hamstring injury.
K Dan Carpenter vs. K Rian Lindell:
These two obviously don't face head to head but Lindell will be looking to make a big kick against his former team. I'm sure he's dreaming of hitting the game winning field goal on Sunday. Carpenter wasn't the man who beat out Lindell for the job but he is certainly having a better season than the former Bill.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Success On Third Downs: The Bills must convert third downs on offense and stop the Bucs from converting them in order to win the game. They have struggled on both fronts throughout the year especially in the second half of games.
2. Start Strong: Tampa Bay has outscored their opponents all year in the first half before collapsing after the intermission. If the Bills start strong that can lead to a win and allow them to shake off last week's loss.
3. Hold On To The Ball: The Bills have fumbled the ball 24 times which is the second most in the league. They have lost 10 of them which is tied for fourth worst. They can't give the ball away and win, they are not good enough to do that.
BILLS DAILY PREDICTION
I think the Bills will bounce back from the rough loss last week and play one of their better games. Look for the defense especially to make a statement after coming off their worst performance of the season. If they do that, they should be able to beat a Bucs team that is on the upswing but still has only three wins on the season:
Bills 23, Buccaneers 10
Season Prediction Record: (8-4)
Season Record Against The Spread: (7-5)
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