Something has to give on Sunday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Los Angeles Chargers in Inglewood, Calif.
For both the NFC South-leading Bucs (7-6) and AFC wild-card hopeful Chargers (8-5), they are keeping their fingers crossed that it isn’t a playoff spot with four weeks left in the regular season.
The Chargers boast the top-ranked scoring defense in the NFL, having averaged 15.9 points per game allowed and 20-or-less points given up in 11 of 13 games.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is fifth in the league in scoring, averaging 27.9 points per game.
An unexpected variable arose Wednesday for Los Angeles, though, when Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh revealed that quarterback Justin Herbert injured an ankle to go with a left-leg contustion suffered in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday. Herbert did not practice on Wednesday.
“I know this: He will be doing anything and everything in his power to play on Sunday,” Harbaugh said. “I’ve seen it now over and over. Certainly a lesser man wouldn’t be doing the things he does.”
Though the Buccaneers have been powered by a potent rushing attack led by rookie Bucky Irving and Rachaad White, quarterback Baker Mayfield is a dynamic ringmaster for a team that has won three consecutively contests since a Week 11 bye.
Mayfield is tied for third in the league with 28 touchdown passes.
Tampa Bay moved into sole possession of first place of the NFC South last week with a 28-13 home win over the Las Vegas Raiders that was closer than the score indicates. Tampa Bay was bogged down by the Raiders’ pass rush in the middle quarters but got scores from Jalen McMillan and White in the fourth to win and pass the Atlanta Falcons in the standings.
Mayfield produced 295 yards and three touchdowns on 18-for-29 passing but had two interceptions and a lost fumble in the first half as the Buccaneers failed to capitalize on chances.
“We have to understand, especially when we’re in the red zone and we’re in scoring territory, we can’t turn it over. That’s No. 1,” coach Todd Bowles said. “You don’t like the turnovers, period. Every now and then they can happen, but we have to do a better job taking care of the football as an offensive staff, period.
“Between the coaches and the players, we need to do a better job of focusing on exactly what we want to get done, how we need to get it done, and make sure we execute it every play. It’s not just on Baker, it’s on everybody.”
White totaled 109 all-purpose yards as team rushing leader Bucky Irving, a rookie, went out early with a hip and back malady.
Bowles said Irving’s status for Sunday would be contingent on lingering back stiffness. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr., however, is expected to be out “weeks” due to a knee sprain, Bowles said.
Herbert will chase his own statistical milestone, if he plays, having made 335 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, the fifth-longest streak in NFL history.
But Los Angeles hasn’t been as effective in translating solid team efforts into wins. The Chargers have lost two of their past three — to the Baltimore Ravens and Chiefs — and dropped a 19-17 heartbreaker last week when Kansas City’s third-string kicker caromed the game-winning field goal off the uprights as time expired.
Still, the Chargers currently hold the sixth-seeded wild-card spot in the AFC because of a head-to-head win over the Denver Broncos.
Los Angeles rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey missed last week with knee and shoulder injuries but is expected to play Sunday. Tight end Will Dissly is expected to miss multiple weeks after injuring his shoulder on Sunday. Outside linebacker Joey Bosa (hip) also didn’t practice Wednesday.
Guard Ben Bredeson (shoulder), linebacker K.J. Britt (ankle), safety Mike Edwards (hamstring) and wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) are among the Tampa Bay players who missed practice on Wednesday.
