Home NFL Skeleton Keys To Victory: Week Eleven – Buccaneers vs Bills

Skeleton Keys To Victory: Week Eleven – Buccaneers vs Bills

November 13, 2025

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are fresh off a loss to the hands of the New England Patriots. There is no shame in that, as the Patriots have the best record in the NFL. This week the mission for the Bucs will be bouncing back and keeping pace for the number one overall seed in the NFC.

However, the road won’t be getting any easier. This week, the Bucs will travel to New York to play the Buffalo Bills. They are another top team in the NFL (with a 6-3 record) who are fresh off a loss and looking to get back on track.

This is a pivotal game for both teams. Going on the road and winning in snowy Buffalo won’t be easy. If the Buccaneers want to come out with a win then they will have to follow my week eleven skeleton keys to victory!

Key In On Cook

The Bills are a team that wants to run the football. They are second in the NFL in rushing yards and third in the NFL in rushing yards per attempt. Stopping the run should be the first, second and third priority for this Bucs defense.

A big part of that is running back James Cook. The two time Pro Bowler is well on his way to a third as he is on pace to set a new career high in rushing. He has both the physicality and break away speed to punish any defense.

The Bucs currently rank 9th in rushing defense. They shut down the Patriots last week with the exception of two big runs that turned the tides in that football game. The same can be said a few weeks ago when they played Detroit. Preventing the big play and keeping Cook contained will be essential.

Buffalo The Bills Around

This has to be a get right game for the Bucs running game. The Bills rank 28th in rushing yards allowed, but no team allows more yards per attempt than they do. If there was ever a team to run the ball against, it’s Buffalo.

Unfortunately, the Bucs running game has been largely lifeless this year. This has been due to a number of reasons such as injuries along the offensive line, inconsistent play calling with the run and Bucky Irving missing time. However, some of that could be changing soon.

Star right tackle Luke Goedeke returned last week after going down in week two. It feels like no coincidence that the Bucs ran the ball well against the Patriots who are the top run defense in the NFL. With the offensive line starting to get their best players back, Josh Grizzard has to continue to get this running game going.

I Spy

I mentioned earlier that the running game is the key to this Bills offense. Well it says a lot when that is the key and not the reigning MVP quarterback. However, Josh Allen is also a big part of that running game in addition to what he does as a passer.

Allen has the 6th most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history and the 2nd most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NFL history. He has all the athletic playmaking of peak Cam Newton and has been an even better passer than the former Panthers legend. He’s the type of dynamic running and passing threat that Bucs fans should be all too familiar with.

It will be important to keep Allen one dimensional. Forcing him to stay in the pocket and not hurt them as a runner will make the Bills out score the Buccaneers with a fairly pedestrian group of pass catchers. Keeping a spy on him would be a good use of a linebacker.

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