Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints
When: 4:25 PM ET, Saturday, December 24, 2016
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Saints -3.
O/U: 52.5
PREDICTION: Saints 28, Buccaneers 26

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ORLEANS listed as -3 point favorites versus the TAMPA BAY, while the game’s total is sitting at 52.5.

NEW ORLEANS — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 8-6 and have yet to qualify for the playoffs, but quarterback Jameis Winston says the playoffs actually start Saturday against the 6-8 New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

“Absolutely, and we start on the road,” Winston said of Saturday’s rematch against the Saints, the second time the teams have played in the last 13 days. “We know we’ll be on the road in a tough environment against the Saints, and it starts now. We’ve got to start preparing for the show.”

The Buccaneers can clinch their first playoff berth since 2007 by winning their final two games against the Saints and at home against the Carolina Panthers on Jan. 1. They can make the playoffs even if they do not sweep their last two games, but coach Dirk Koetter said he does not want to consider any other scenario.

“We’ve got our hands full just worrying about the Saints,” Koetter said. “The rest of is a bunch of math problems that are over my head.”

Winston said, “I love math, but I don’t trust percentages and probabilities. I trust our heart — this team’s heart — and what we need to do to get in there.”

The Buccaneers’ defense threw a blanket over the Saints’ high-octane offense in a 16-11 victory on Dec. 11, forcing Drew Brees into three interceptions and holding the league’s top-ranked offense to 294 yards.

Brees did not throw a touchdown pass. The Saints average 423.3 yards per game and are second in scoring (29.0), but the Buccaneers pressured Brees far more than their one sack would indicate.

“We found ourselves in minus situations,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “They forced some turnovers. Our third-down numbers were poor (4-for-13). I think they hit the quarterback too early, too often, and I think it becomes hard to play that position when you have traffic in your face.”

The Buccaneers’ stout defense was recognized this week with the selection of defensive tackle Gerald McCoy to his fifth Pro Bowl. Middle linebacker Kwon Alexander, weakside linebacker Lavonte David and cornerback Brent Grimes also were selected as alternates.

Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Mike Smith, the former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, said he was particularly happy for Alexander’s selection. Alexander, a second-year player out of LSU, came up with 21 total tackles in Tampa Bay’s 26-20 loss to Dallas last week, a loss that snapped a five-game winning streak.

“You’re seeing a player who’s really coming into his own,” Smith said. “There’s been a maturation process this season. The arrow is definitely going up. Kwon’s best trait is his ability to run.”

The Buccaneers rank fifth in the NFL with 29 takeaways, and they have 33 sacks.

“Since their Thursday night game (a 43-28 loss to the Falcons on Nov. 3), they would be first in the league in forced turnovers,” Payton said. “They’re getting pressure on the quarterbacks. They’re in the top five on third down. And, offensively, they’ve done a nice job with the big plays. They’re patient.”

While not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, the Saints likely will be on the outside looking in for the third consecutive season. They have stayed in the hunt mainly because of another marvelous season from Brees, who was snubbed in the Pro Bowl voting.

In the Saints’ six victories this season, their opponents have averaged 29.5 points, an incredibly high total for Brees to have to overcome.

Brees’ 4,559 passing yards through 14 games — which leads the league — is the second highest in his career. He has completed 71.1 percent of his passes for 34 touchdowns against 14 interceptions.

Brees took the Pro Bowl vote in stride.

“I haven’t seen the list yet, but I am sure there are a lot of deserving candidates,” he said. “It’s not something I am concerned with.”

Brees said he felt bad that center Max Unger, defensive end Cam Jordan and running back Mark Ingram did not make the list, but he understood that the Saints’ record had an impact on the vote.

Despite the short week, both teams are relatively healthy.

Saints cornerback Delvin Breaux (shoulder) and fullback John Kun (hip) did not practice on Wednesday.

Not practicing for Tampa Bay on Wednesday were defensive end Robert Ayers (illness), tackle Gosder Cherilus and defensive end William Gholston.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys
When: 8:30 PM ET, Sunday, December 18, 2016
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC.
LINE: Cowboys -7.
O/U: 47
PREDICTION: Cowboys 21, Buccaneers 17

Oddsmakers currently have the Cowboys listed as 7-point favorites versus the Buccaneers, while the game’s total is sitting at 47.

Dak Prescott is 11-2 as a starting quarterback. He’s thrown for 20 touchdowns with only four interceptions and his team has the best record in the NFC and is tied with the New England Patriots for the NFL’s top mark.

The season has gone better than anyone’s wildest expectations.

So, should Prescott be looking over his shoulder?

Such is life with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys didn’t invent quarterback controversies, but the argument could be that the franchise perfected the art of pitting signal callers against each other in the press and among the fandom.

To be fair, the Cowboys aren’t publicly talking about benching Prescott in favor of veteran and longtime starter Tony Romo. Such chatter also doesn’t appear to be taking place behind the scenes.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett reiterated as much going into Sunday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“You can make it as simple or as complex as you want to make it,” Garrett told reporters at his weekly press conference. “It’s pretty simple for us: Dak’s going to play quarterback as we go forward.”

Prescott is coming off a series of subpar performances, at least by his standards, culminating in Sunday’s 10-7 loss at the New York Giants. Dallas’ offense has sputtered, and Prescott is finally playing like a rookie.

The fourth-round pick from Mississippi State completed just 17 of 37 passes for 165 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions against the Giants. It was the first time this season he’s thrown multiple picks in the same game.

Prescott has failed to reach 200 yards passing in each of his last three games. The Cowboys have been successful on just 2 of 24 on third-down conversions in the last two contests. Dallas has scored just 24 points in those two games.

Still, Garrett appears to have no interest in turning to Romo.

“We’re just focused on Dak playing quarterback for us,” Garrett said. “And we’ll continue to do that in our preparation this week and as we go forward.

“He’s done a really good job for us up to this point, won 11 of 13 games that he’s started, and he’s handled really every situation as well as you can handle it, so we’ll just continue that way. Tony will be in a backup role for us and he’ll be ready to go if he’s called upon to play.”

Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones has helped stoke the controversy fires with comments in recent weeks suggesting that Romo will play a significant role before the season ends.

Jones admitted on his radio show this week that Romo getting into a game is a possibility due to injury or poor play by Prescott.

“I understand the question, but I don’t want to get into the scenario,” Jones said. “It goes too far into talking about what we don’t want to talk about. But given the need for (Romo), we want him ready on the spur of the moment.”

The Cowboys have a playoff spot secured and their magic number to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC is two with three games to play.

The Buccaneers (8-5) are tied with Atlanta atop the NFC South and riding a five-game winning streak.

Tampa Bay’s longest unbeaten run since 2002 is turning heads, but the Bucs aren’t getting caught up in the hype.

“That’s for the media and you guys to say,” defensive end Robert Ayers told reporters this week. “All I know is that we’re 8-5 right now, we’re trying to get to 9-5. We’re taking it one game at a time and we’re trying to keep hunting. We let you guys give labels and stuff like that, but I know we’re hungry.”

As coach Dirk Koetter said, “We’re an 8-5 football team, but we’ve got bigger goals than that.”

In addition to the division race, the Buccaneers control their postseason destiny by sitting in the second wild card slot in the NFC. The playoffs are in view.

“It’s in my mind, but going 1-0 (each week) is very important to us as a team,” quarterback Jameis Winston said. “We’re not really trying to look forward. (Offensive coordinator Todd Monken) says all the time, ‘Be where your feet are.’ We’ve got to keep winning. As long as we keep getting Ws, the playoffs are going to be in there.”

Defense has carried Tampa Bay during its streak. The Bucs have given up a league-low 12.8 points per game since Week 10. The six total touchdowns scored by opponents are tied for the fewest during that span.

The offense has struggled some under Winston, scoring just six touchdowns in the last four games. The reasons for the sputtering attack are varied.

“Sometimes it might be the play call, it might be execution, it might be a penalty, a combination of all those things,” Koetter said. “I know how these guys can play on offense and I know when we get there.”

Dallas leads the series 13-4 against Tampa Bay, but the Bucs won 10-6 last season.

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New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
When: 4:25 PM ET, Sunday, December 11, 2016
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Buccaneers -2.5. O/U: 51.5
PREDICTION: Buccaneers 26, Saints 24

Oddsmakers currently have the Buccaneers listed as 3-point favorites versus the Saints, while the game’s total is sitting at 51½.

ABOUT THE SAINTS (5-7): New Orleans remains one of the league’s most prolific offensive teams, but the running attack that had come to life in recent weeks dropped off in the loss to Detroit. Drew Brees continues to put up huge passing numbers but threw three interceptions and no touchdowns against the Lions. The Saints’ 31st-ranked pass defense had put together three straight solid efforts before being burned for 337 yards by Matthew Stafford and the Lions, although New Orleans continues to play tough against the run.

New Orleans Stats:
Team record: 5-7 SU,7-4-1 ATS
New Orleans is 6-2-1 ATS in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Orleans’s last 7 games
New Orleans is 6-0-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road

ABOUT THE BUCCANEERS (7-5): Tampa Bay has turned around its season with a balanced offense and an opportunistic defense that has forced 11 turnovers during the four-game winning streak. The defense produced a touchdown and a game-saving interception in the end zone to preserve last week’s 28-21 win at San Diego. Quarterback Jameis Winston is enjoying a strong sophomore campaign but is running out of weapons as injuries have decimated his receiving corps and will need to rely heavily on star receiver Mike Evans and running back Doug Martin.

Tampa Bay was a 28-21 winner in its last match on the road against the Chargers. They covered the +3-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 49 sent PUSH bettors to the payout window.

Tampa Bay Stats:
Team record: 7-5 SU,7-5 ATS
Current Streak: won 4 straight games.
Tampa Bay is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home

EXTRA POINTS
1. Brees has averaged 335 passing yards in his last five games at Tampa Bay.
2. Martin has scored a rushing touchdown in four of his last five home games and is averaging 102 scrimmage yards in his last five against the Saints.
3. Saints LB Dannell Ellerbe has recorded a sack in four straight games and has 17 tackles and one sack in his last two meetings with Tampa Bay.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. San Diego Chargers
When: 4:25 PM ET, Sunday, December 4, 2016
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Chargers -3.5. O/U: 47.5
PREDICTION: Chargers 33, Buccaneers 27

Oddsmakers currently have the Chargers listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Buccaneers, while the game’s total is sitting at 49½.

Despite its turnover total, San Diego will provide a challenge to Tampa Bay’s defense as it possesses the fifth-best passing offense (271.5 yards) and fourth-ranked scoring offense (313 points) in the league. Philip Rivers is fourth in the NFL with 3,128 passing yards and tied for fifth with 23 touchdown passes but also is one interception off the league lead of 13. The veteran has eclipsed the 3,000-yard plateau for the 11th consecutive season, which has him tied for the fourth-longest such streak in NFL history.

In their last action, San Diego was a 21-13 winner on the road against the Texans. They covered the -2.5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (34) was profitable news for UNDER bettors.

San Diego:
Team record: 5-6 SU,7-4 ATS
San Diego is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games
San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
San Diego is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games

Tampa Bay’s defense likely is salivating at the prospect of facing San Diego, as it has recorded 18 takeaways in its last seven games while the Chargers enter Week 13 leading the league with 23 turnovers. The team ranks 24th in total defense (369.3 yards per game) but is tied for 13th in scoring defense (264 points) as it has clamped down during its winning streak, allowing a total of 32 points in the three games after yielding 73 over the previous two contests. Jameis Winston has been on fire of late, throwing for 1,573 yards and 13 touchdowns in his last six games with only three interceptions, while Mike Evans is tied for the league lead with 10 TD receptions and has hauled in five scoring passes in his last five road contests.

In their last action, Tampa Bay was a 14-5 winner at home against the Seahawks. They covered the +5-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (19) was profitable news for UNDER bettors.

Tampa Bay:
Team record: 6-5 SU,6-5 ATS
Current Streak: won 3 straight games.
Tampa Bay is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Tampa Bay is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games

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SEATTLE vs TAMPA BAY
When: 11/27/2016 4:05 PM
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Seahawks -5.5. O/U: 45
PREDICTION: Seahawks 27, Buccaneers 17

Oddsmakers currently have the Seahawks listed as 6½-point favorites versus the Buccaneers, while the game’s total is sitting at 46.

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a tough challenge ahead as they seek their third straight win on Sunday at home against the Seattle Seahawks, and they might have to do so without two of their top three cornerbacks.

Containing quarterback Russell Wilson is plenty difficult at full strength, but the Buccaneers will be without nickel cornerback Jude Adjei-Barimah, who begins a four-game suspension, and Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes missed Wednesday’s practice with a quad injury that sidelined him for much of Sunday’s win at Kansas City.

Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter said his team has a high respect for Wilson, who has thrown just two interceptions all season in 335 pass attempts.

“Make no mistake: Russell Wilson makes Seattle go,” Koetter said Wednesday. “This guy, he’s an unbelievable playmaker. Almost impossible to sack him. They’ve only turned it over six times all year.

” … His accuracy with balls, running right, throwing left, running left, throwing right, incredible. If Jameis (Winston) was making some of those throws, we’d be screaming at him.”

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he has been watching Winston since college, and he has been impressed by the confidence he already has in his second NFL season.

“I watched him all the way through college and have always been impressed with his tenacity and his competitiveness and his confidence,” Carroll said. “He demonstrates conficence in the way he throws the football and the choices that he makes. He totally believes in himself that he can make the plays, and he does.

” … He’ll continue to grow in command and awareness and understanding of what’s going on. He’s going to be a great player.”

Winston has made major progress in limiting his turnovers — after throwing eight interceptions in the Buccaneers’ first four games and a 1-3 start, he has thrown just two in the last six games, and the Buccaneers have gone 4-2 to claw back to a .500 record.

Tampa Bay is just one game back of Atlanta for the NFC South lead with six games to play, but their remaining schedule includes not only Seattle but a road game at Dallas three weeks later. The rest, however, are against teams with losing records, with two against New Orleans, a game at San Diego and the season finale at home against struggling Carolina.

Seattle, meanwhile, is battling for home-field advantage in the playoffs, and Koetter said as he looks at the Seahawks, he sees a model of what he’d like the Buccaneers to be.

“When you watch Seattle on film, that’s who we want to be,” Koetter said. “That’s who we want to be like. They’ve been doing it for a long time and even though they’ve been to the top, they still play extremely hard.

“We pride ourselves on being a team that plays hard. It’s a great example. All our guys have to do is turn on the tape and watch. We’re playing a good team and we know it.”

The Buccaneers won at Arrowhead Stadium — where the Chiefs had won 10 straight — by limiting their mistakes and getting well-timed turnovers.

Kansas City was driving for a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter at the Bucs’ 6-yard line when safety Chris Conte intercepted an Alex Smith pass — he had only three all season going in — and returning it to near midfield to set up a Buccaneers touchdown.

They’ll have to do much the same to beat Seattle, and playing at home has actually been a disadvantage for the Buccaneers, who are 4-1 on the road and 1-4 at Raymond James Stadium.

Seattle has a vulnerability against the run and will be without top safety Earl Thomas. The Seahawks are struggling with injuries at running back, getting starter Thomas Rawls back but with limited depth behind him.

“Every year brings up new obstacles,” Wilson said. “And that’s the journey that we’re on every year. … I think when you respect the process and respect the journey, great things happen.

” … This year, there’s been some significant injuries to a lot of the guys, and we’ve been able to overcome those and still find ways to win.”

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Tampa Bay at New Orleans
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 20, 2015
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Saints -10. O/U: 47
PREDICTION: Saints 38, Buccaneers 24
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Oddsmakers currently have the Saints listed as 10½-point favorites versus the Buccaneers, while the game’s total is sitting at 48½.

The defense, which underwent a personnel overhaul in the offseason after finishing 31st in the league in total defense in 2014, could use a little help from an offense that struggled in the red zone in the opener. “The defense got off the field a few times and we had some chances to go down and get significant points, and we just ended up with field goals,” quarterback Drew Brees told reporters. “Red-zone efficiency obviously (is a priority) as we look forward to the Bucs.” Brees presided over a pair of wins over Tampa Bay last season but totaled six interceptions and three touchdown passes in those contests.

New Orleans was a 31-19 loser in its last match on the road against the Cardinals. They failed to cover the +2-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 50 sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Team record: 0-1 SU,0-1 ATS
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
New Orleans is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
New Orleans is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games at home

Tampa Bay’s coaching staff was searching for positives after the Week 1 debacle and singled out running back Doug Martin, who is expected to have a big season after being limited to a total of 17 games over the previous two campaigns. “(Martin) is a hard runner and he can make you miss in the open field, (he) can catch the ball out of the backfield,” coach Lovie Smith told reporters. “So early on, of course when you’re in a situation where you can run it, it looked good at times.” Martin is averaging 99 rushing yards and 108.7 from scrimmage in his last three games against New Orleans.

Tampa Bay lost its last outing, a 42-14 result against the Titans on September 13. The Buccaneers failed to cover in that game as a -3-point favorite, while the 56 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Team record: 0-1 SU,0-1 ATS
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Tampa Bay’s last 11 games
Tampa Bay is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road

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When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, November 2, 2014
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Browns -6. O/U: 43½
PREDICTION: Browns 23, Buccaneers 17
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Oddsmakers currently have the Browns listed as 6-point favorites versus the Buccaneers, while the game’s total is sitting at 43½.

Brian Hoyer is 7-3 as the Browns’ starter, but the calls for rookie Johnny Manziel to take the reins have grown louder over the past two weeks. It might not matter who is under center if the Browns can’t get the running game going again — after averaging 146.4 yards on the ground in its first five games, Cleveland has totaled 108 rushing yards in its past two. The defense has been opportunistic, ranking 29th in total defense (395.6) but 13th in scoring defense (21.7) in large part because of 11 takeaways.

The Browns were a 23-13 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Raiders. They covered the -6.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (36) made winners of UNDER bettors.

Team record: 4-3 SU,4-2-1 ATS
Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland’s last 6 games at home

The Buccaneers have been in plenty of games in coach Lovie Smith’s first season — four of their losses have come by six points or fewer — but they have only one win. The offense managed only 225 total yards in last week’s 19-13 overtime loss to Minnesota, prompting discussion of whether Josh McCown might regain the starting quarterback job from struggling Mike Glennon. The Bucs rank last in the league in total offense (295.1) and total defense (409.9) and are minus-four in turnovers.

Tampa Bay was a 19-13 loser in its last match at home against the Vikings. They failed to cover the -1-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 32 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

Team record: 1-6 SU,2-5 ATS
Current Streak: lost 3 straight games.
Tampa Bay is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games
Tampa Bay is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road

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McCoy, a 2013 All-Pro, will get $51.5 million guaranteed, the most ever given to a defensive tackle in NFL history.

League sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen that the extension is worth $95.2 million, and could reach $98 million with escalator clauses. He will average $13.6 million per year, and $14 million annually if those escalators kick in.

McCoy’s signing was reported earlier Saturday by Fox Sports. The Buccaneers confirmed the deal and posted a photo of McCoy shaking hands with general manager Jason Licht on their official Twitter page.

McCoy was making $13 million this year and part of it was a $7 million roster bonus, so he will pocket $20 million for 2014.

He entered league under the former collective bargaining agreement, so his franchise tag value would have been estimated at $18 million in 2015 and $25 million in ’16.

The deal was concluded Saturday by Licht and McCoy’s agent, Ben Dogra.

“Gerald is extremely excited to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and he is especially thankful to Bucs owners, coaches, and Jason Licht for working so hard throughout the process,” Dogra said.

McCoy is in his fifth NFL season and comes off his best year, when he had 9.5 sacks and 35 tackles. He is considered the anchor of Tampa Bay’s rebuilding defense.

The Buccaneers (1-5) have struggled this year, allowing a league-high 204 points. But McCoy is among the league’s best defensive tackles, often drawing double teams. He has played part of this season with a cast on his broken left hand.

Now, McCoy has long-term security in Tampa and can begin working on getting the Bucs into the postseason, something he has never experienced.

“That’s eating away at me, man,” the 6-foot-4, 300-pound McCoy said this summer. “I do all this training and preparing, trying to do what I can for my team for us to get to the playoffs. I just want to experience it.”

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TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Buccaneers -3. O/U: 41.5
PREDICTION: Vikings 20, Buccaneers 17
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Oddsmakers currently have the Buccaneers listed as 2-point favorites versus the Vikings, while the game’s total is sitting at 41½.

That Minnesota protection could face a bigger challenge this week if defensive end Michael Johnson is 100 percent following the bye after being limited most of the first six games. “For us, it’s a factor,” Frazier told reporters of Johnson. “He’s been playing injured. This week is going to help him tremendously.” Tampa Bay also expects to be healthier in the secondary with the return of cornerback Johnathan Banks from one contest off and safety Dashon Goldson back from a two-game absence. The Buccaneers are expected to start Mike Glennon at quarterback with Josh McCown still battling through a thumb injury.

In their last action, Tampa Bay was a 48-17 loser at home against the Ravens. They failed to cover the +3-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (65) was profitable news for OVER bettors.

Team record: 2-5 SU,3-4 ATS
Current Streak: lost 3 straight games.
Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota’s last 8 games
Minnesota is 1-11-1 SU in its last 13 games on the road

Minnesota lost on the final play at Buffalo 17-16 last week, marking the fifth time in seven games that the team has failed to score more than 16 points. Bridgewater threw his first touchdown pass in four games since taking over under center but was limited to 157 yards passing and was picked off twice, giving him five interceptions in the last two weeks. The Vikings have struggled in protection and tight end Kyle Rudolph (sports hernia) has been ruled out for Sunday. “I think I’ve been doing a good job of getting the ball down the field,” Bridgewater told reporters. “I know that I can do much better, but at the same time, we’re not going to continue to try to test protection or anything.”

The Vikings were a 17-16 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Bills. They covered the +6.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (33) made winners of UNDER bettors.

Team record: 1-5 SU,2-4 ATS
Tampa Bay is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
Tampa Bay is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

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The news first broke Wednesday night, but contract details had to be finalized. Smith, who signed a five-year deal, will be introduced at a Monday news conference.

“Today is an exciting day for the Buccaneer organization, and the entire Tampa Bay community, as we welcome back Lovie Smith,” Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer said. “We knew from the start of our search that he was the ideal man to lead our team into a new era of Buccaneer football. Lovie is an accomplished and very well-respected head coach who has enjoyed success at every level of his 30-year career.”

The hiring is a homecoming for Smith, 55. He served as Tampa Bay’s linebackers coach under coach Tony Dungy from 1996 to 2000. Smith went on to become defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams and then became the head coach in Chicago in 2004, leading the Bears to a Super Bowl appearance in the 2006 season.

“I think the fit is going to be tremendous,” Dungy said. “No. 1, he knows the area, he knows how the team got built into a Super Bowl winner, he knows how to win in the NFL, but more than that, I think he is going to build just a chemistry and camaraderie in that locker room and in the whole organization that’s going to resemble what we had before. I’m really excited and I know the players are going to be ecstatic playing for Coach Smith.”

Smith inherits a team that went 7-9 and 4-12 under Greg Schiano, who was fired Monday. The Bucs started the 2013 season 0-8, and there was plenty of controversy. Quarterback Josh Freeman was benched after three games and was replaced by rookie Mike Glennon.

“I’m excited about getting to meet Coach Smith and I’ve heard nothing but good things about him,” Glennon said. “Obviously, he has a great track record in the NFL, so I think it’s a great hire. He knows how to win, has a great mind for defenses, and I’ve also heard he’s just a great person. I’m looking forward to meeting him and the rest of the coaches. Hopefully, we can get started as soon as possible.”

In other developments Thursday, former California coach Jeff Tedford agreed to become Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator under Smith, according to league sources.

Smith and the Bucs also are targeting Kansas City Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard as the team’s next general manager, sources said. Prior to taking the Chiefs job in 2013, Ballard was in the Bears’ personnel department when Smith was their head coach.

The Bucs still may interview another candidate or two for the general manager job but Ballard tops the list, according to the sources.

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