The Tampa Bay Buccaneers say they anticipated the Arizona Cardinals’ game-changing plays, with Todd Bowles revealing how his defense rose when it mattered most.

They did not intimidate, and they did not dominate. In the big book of memorable defensive performances in Tampa Bay history, Sunday’s game against Arizona will be several pages from the top. And yet it was still a step forward.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished their practice week Friday in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals and appear set to have quarterback Baker Mayfield under center after he suffered an injury to his left shoulder in last Sunday’s loss to the Rams. They released their final injury report of the week.

Two key fourth-down stops in the fourth quarter and a trick-play touchdown catch by left tackle Tristan Wirfs helped the Bucs hang on to a 20-17 win over Arizona on Sunday that kept them atop the NFC

Arizona Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland puts his team on the scoreboard with a 52-yard field goal to end the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Several starters may return vs. Cardinals, but Baker Mayfield says they have to become the scrappy team that started 5-1.

It's safe to say a lot has changed since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first report card of the 2025 season came out back in October.At that point, the Bucs were on top of the NFC with a 6-1 record and were coming off a big win over a San Francisco 49ers that had tortured them the past few seasons.

Each week following every Bucs game, Pewter Report will take a close look at the snap count distribution for Tampa Bay on offense and defense. We’ll assess what we can learn from who played the most and least in the game.