Key matchups to determine Buccaneers-Bills in Week 11

The Buccaneers were thrilled to finally get Luke Goedeke back in the lineup vs. the New England Patriots last week. Although Goedeke is still shaking off the rust from his six-game absence due to the foot injury he suffered in Week 2, he will have his hands full on Sunday with veteran pass rusher Joey Bosa.

Goedeke has been one of the Bucs’ unsung heroes ever since he moved back to the right tackle position in 2023. Since that time, he has proven not only to be Tampa Bay’s long-term answer at the position but one of the most consistent right tackles in the sport. Last season, Goedeke finished as the eighth-highest graded tackle (PFF) with the sixth-best pressure rate allowed among left tackles according to Next Gen Stats. 

Joey Bosa was the 3rd overall pick back in 2016 by the San Diego Chargers. Although he has proven to be one of the game’s most effective pass rushers since entering the league nine seasons ago, his inability to stay healthy has limited his impact overall. That said, when he’s in the lineup, Bosa remains a real threat when it comes to rushing the quarterback.

In his first season in Buffalo, Bosa has stayed on the field, and the results speak for themselves. Through 11 weeks of the 2025 season, Bosa has 4 sacks to go along with 35 pressures and a pass-rush win rate of 18.3%. His 91.1 pass rush grade is the sixth-best among all pass rushers in the NFL (PFF). 

Khalil Shakir vs. Jacob Parrish

Khalil Shakir is the Buffalo Bills’ No. 1 receiving option. Although he is slight in frame, he is a masterful route-runner with the quickness and agility to thrive in space, whether that’s before he catches the ball or after. He is a gritty, tough-nosed, slot receiver whose presence in the lineup provides Josh Allen with a valuable safety valve to lean on in the passing game. Although Shakir has been incredibly consistent throughout his first three years in the league, he is on pace to have his best season yet. 

The Buccaneers’ third round draft pick this year, Jacob Parrish, has been a key ingredient to the improved play of Todd Bowles’ secondary this year. Although Parrish operated primarily as an outside CB at Kansas State, he has thrived as the Bucs’ starting nickel CB early in his NFL career. Like Shakir on the other side, Parrish is an undersized but gritty and aggressive player who punches above his weight class. He’s also extremely quick and twitchy, which has allowed him to change directions on a dime and recover in a hurry when he finds himself out of position. 

The matchup between Khalil Shakir and Jacob Parrish will be extremely entertaining to watch on Sunday. Whichever player gets the best of his battle will have a strong influence on which players’ team comes away with the victory. 

Baker Mayfield vs. Josh Allen

It’s tough to avoid highlighting the quarterback matchup each week for the Buccaneers, but the same could be said for every team in the NFL. More often than not, a team can only be successful if its QB plays to a certain standard. For the Buccaneers, that has certainly been the case. Despite having an incredible start to the 2025 season, Mayfield has floundered over the past few games, with his worst performances coming in losses to the Lions and, last week, the Patriots. 

Mayfield needs to rediscover his ways from earlier in the year where he was, for the most part, highly efficient. During the team’s blistering start to the season, Mayfield was consistently patient in the pocket, unflustered by pressure, and happy to take whatever the defense gave him — whether that was a deep pass, check down or using his legs to pick up a key first down. Mayfield needs to play like the best version of himself if he is going to have a chance to outduel last season’s MVP, Josh Allen, in a hostile environment. 

Josh Allen is one of the most impressive specimens we’ve ever seen at the quarterback position. His size, strength, arm talent and willingness to keep his eyes downfield have allowed him to realize his potential and develop into arguably the best player in football. Even without a potent cast of playmakers around him, Allen has the potential to put up a ton of points. That threat is all the more likely when you consider he is coming off his worst performance in a divisional loss to the Dolphins last week. 

Josh Allen will be hungry to avenge last week’s game, and although the Buccaneers’ defense will need to play a major role in order to limit his impact, Tampa Bay will not win this football game unless Baker Mayfield brings his A-game.