The 2025-26 season might all come down to Week 17 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s been a roller coaster season that has seen the club go from the favorite in the NFC South to its playoff hopes hanging on by a thread.
While they can still make the postseason, they will likely have to do it without one of their best players.
Buccaneers to Face Dolphins Without Superstar Tackle in Pivotal Week 17 Clash
The Bucs will square off against a Miami Dolphins team that has seemingly “given up” on the regular season. The Fins have opted to test some of their young players to see what they have moving forward, with the most glaring decision coming in the benching of Tua Tagovailoa for rookie QB Quinn Ewers.
While this might prove to benefit the Buccaneers as they look to pick up another win in their quest for the postseason, they will need to get it done without arguably their best player on the roster: Tristan Wirfs.
Tampa Bay’s offense has struggled in recent weeks, with the offensive line being one of the issues. Well, things have gone from bad to worse for Baker Mayfield and company as they will need to take down the Dolphins without All-Pro tackle Wirfs. Thanks to a toe injury, Wirfs will be sidelined for what will be the most important game of the season so far.
The Buccaneers have struggled in a number of areas this season; however, their offensive line might be one of their biggest weaknesses. According to PFSN’s Team Offensive Line Impact rankings, the Bucs sit 28th in the NFL, which will only get worse without Wirfs in uniform.
24-year-old Benjamin Chukwuma will draw the start with Wirfs sidelined. Chukwuma has seen limited action so far this season, participating in a combined 84 offensive snaps all year. While the Dolphins’ defense is not exactly a juggernaut unit, they could pose problems for the Bucs’ depleted lineup. Miami sits 23rd in PFSN’s Team Defensive Impact rankings and will be happy to see Wirfs out of the lineup.
Head coach Todd Bowles will also need veteran Luke Goedeke to step up for the club as his disastrous Week 16 performance against the Carolina Panthers left much to be desired. Goedeke was responsible for four different penalties. Now that Wirfs is out for Week 17, the offensive line will need to work as a well-organized, cohesive unit if they are going to set themselves up for a winner-take-all showdown with the Panthers in Week 18.
