When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Buffalo Bills this Sunday, fans will be treated to more than just a matchup between two 6-3 teams. It will be a reunion of two quarterbacks who entered the league in the same historic 2018 NFL draft class—Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield. The two signal-callers, who have been through their fair share of ups and downs, will meet in Orchard Park, New York, for an exciting showdown.
Josh Allen, the seventh overall pick in 2018, has developed into one of the league’s top quarterbacks, winning the NFL MVP award and leading the Bills to consistent playoff contention. This season, Allen has thrown for 2,139 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has also added 7 rushing touchdowns, showcasing his dual-threat ability and solidifying his place as one of the NFL’s best.
In contrast, Baker Mayfield’s journey has been less straightforward. Selected first overall by the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield struggled to find consistency and ultimately fell out of favor in Cleveland. After bouncing around to a couple of teams, he found new life with the Buccaneers. Now in his third season in Tampa Bay, Mayfield has thrown for 2,192 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. He’s helped the Buccaneers remain competitive despite some struggles earlier in the season.
Despite their different career arcs, Allen and Mayfield share a strong bond that dates back to their draft days. The two quarterbacks have remained close friends, often spending time together during the offseason.
Both teams are coming off tough losses and looking to rebound. The Bills were beaten 30-13 by the Miami Dolphins, while the Buccaneers suffered a 28-23 defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots. Both teams, now sitting at 6-3, need a win to maintain their momentum and stay in the playoff hunt.
The Bills have struggled to find their offensive rhythm, and Allen has had to carry the team. James Cook has been solid in the backfield, ranking second in the NFL with 920 rushing yards, but the Bills will need Allen to get the passing game back on track to be successful against the Buccaneers.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s offense has been productive, with Mayfield leading the charge and rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka emerging as a top target. Egbuka has 677 receiving yards and six touchdowns, proving to be a reliable weapon for Mayfield.
Both teams are dealing with injuries. Tampa Bay could potentially get back running back Bucky Irving, who has missed the last five games with shoulder and foot injuries. However, they will be without outside linebacker Haason Reddick (ankle/knee) and guard Ben Bredeson (hamstring). The Bills will miss tight end Dalton Kincaid (hamstring) and defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis (shoulder), but Allen is expected to play at full strength.
In 2023, the Bills defeated the Buccaneers 24-18, with Allen throwing two touchdowns and rushing for another. Mayfield had a solid performance, throwing for two touchdowns, but the Bills’ offense proved too much. This Sunday’s game will see both quarterbacks trying to lead their teams to victory and show why they were top picks in the 2018 draft.
As Allen and Mayfield prepare for their showdown, their mutual respect for each other remains clear. While both will bring their competitive spirits to the field, it’s their shared journey that makes this game even more meaningful.
The rivalry is more than just football—it’s a story of two quarterbacks who have battled adversity, found success, and continue to push each other toward greatness.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are not only losing games, they are losing players at a rapid rate as they prepare to host the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.
The Maple Leafs finished their 5-3 road loss to Boston Bruins on Tuesday without captain Auston Matthews (lower-body injury) and No. 1 goaltender Anthony Stolarz (upper-body).
Matthews left the game in the second period after taking a hit in the back from Boston defenseman Nikita Zadorov.
“I think it’s a penalty, personally, but I’m not the referee,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “I don’t like the hit. He’s in a vulnerable position.”
Matthews returned a hit on Zadorov before finishing his shift.
No matter who is available, the Maple Leafs appear to have a difficult task against the Kings, who are coming off a 5-1 road win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday and have won two in a row, as well as three of their past four.
As for Matthews, he was to be assessed on Wednesday, a day off for the team.
After the game, Berube was uncertain about the severity of the injury.
“I don’t know exactly,” he said. “I can’t give you a timeline or how serious it is right now. I’m not sure when he hurt it to be honest with you.”
Stolarz was replaced by Dennis Hildeby after the first period but Berube did not seem concerned.
“I don’t believe that’s serious,” Berube said. “I think he’ll be fine.”
Goaltender Joseph Woll, who missed the early weeks of the season for a personal issue, is with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League and is close to returning to the Maple Leafs.
Toronto already is without top defenseman Chris Tanev and forward Scott Laughton, who both have upper-body injuries.
The Maple Leafs have lost three straight after winning three in a row. They have struggled at times despite playing 12 of their first 16 games at home.
“It’s adversity, for sure,” said forward Max Domi, who had an assist for Toronto in Boston. “Every guy in here is champing at the bit. Everyone wants an opportunity and here’s our opportunity. Everyone’s got to step up. Next-man-up mentality.”
The Kings are playing well on the road, having won the first two matchups of their current six-game trip.
They are 7-1-2 away from home and will be pursuing a fifth consecutive road victory on Thursday.
“It’s weird — like, two years ago, same thing,” said Quinton Byfield, who had a goal and an assist on Tuesday. “We were hot on the road, last year we were hot at home, now we’re hot on the road, I guess, again. I can’t say anything about that, it’s kind of how it goes sometimes, so obviously you want to make it both home and away and get some wins at home, but we’ve got to finish the road trip strong.”
The Kings trailed after the first period at Montreal, then erupted for three goals in a span of 4:05 early in the second.
“We felt pretty good about the period, so to come out one down was disappointing,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said. “But I thought we did a good job not to overreact and just understand that the way we’re playing, just come out and do it again.”