Tampa Bay (4-4) at Kansas City (7-0)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN/ABC
BetMGM NFL Odds: Chiefs by 8 1/2
Series record: Buccaneers lead 8-7.
Against the spread: Buccaneers 4-4, Chiefs 5-2.
Last meeting: Chiefs beat Buccaneers 41-31 on Oct. 2, 2022, at Tampa Bay.
Last week: Buccaneers lost at Falcons, 31-26; Chiefs won at Raiders, 27-20.
Buccaneers offense: overall (4), rush (10), pass (2), scoring (4).
Buccaneers defense: overall (30), rush (20), pass (29), scoring (28).
Chiefs offense: overall (11), rush (13), pass (12), scoring (9).
Chiefs defense: overall (5), rush (2), pass (17), scoring (5).
Turnover differential: Buccaneers minus-2, Chiefs minus-3.
Chiefs player to watch
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins had two catches for 29 yards in last week's win in Las Vegas, and that was with two days of practice with the Chiefs. The three-time All-Pro figures to have a much bigger role on Monday night, once he has a week-plus to learn more of Andy Reid's extensive playbook. And even if he is not the focal point of the offense, his mere presence will open things up for Travis Kelce and Co.
Buccaneers player to watch
Running backs Bucky Irving and Rachaad White combined to run 15 times for 73 yards in last week's loss to the Falcons. They face one of the NFL's best run defenses this week in Kansas City, and their ability to gain yards on first and second down will be crucial to the Buccaneers' ability to keep time-consuming drives alive, and keep Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense standing on the sideline.
Key matchup
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield against the Kansas City cornerback crew. Mayfield has thrown for big numbers this season, and he will be going against a group that will be playing without Jaylen Watson — now on injured reserve — for the second straight week. Nazeeh Johnson sustained a concussion last week for the Chiefs, and Joshua Williams was picked on repeatedly and was called for a couple of penalties, which means Kansas City is still searching for someone to step up opposite Trent McDuffie.
Key injuries
Buccaneers WR Mike Evans (hamstring) is expected to miss at least two more games. S Tykee Smith remains in the concussion protocol. ... Chiefs CB Nazeeh Johnson is in the concussion protocol. WR JuJu-Smith Schuster (hamstring) also is out.
Series notes
The Chiefs have won two of the past three in the seldom-played series, but the loss was a big one: Tom Brady led Tampa Bay to a 31-9 victory in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7, 2021. And prior to the latest three-game run, Tampa Bay had won five in a row beginning on Nov. 11, 1999.
Stats and stuff
The Buccaneers have lost three of four following their 3-1 start. … Q B Maker Mayfield leads the NFL with 21 TD passes. He also is tied with the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Packers' Jordan Love for the league lead with nine interceptions. ... Cade Otton’s 17 receptions in the past two games are a Buccaneers record for a TE over a two-game stretch. … The Buccaneers have had three straight games with at least 400 yards of offense. Mayfield is going for a fourth straight game with more than 300 yards passing and three-plus TD passes. … Tampa Bay K Chase McLaughlin has made 30 consecutive regular-season field goals. … The Buccaneers are fourth in the NFL in scoring offense (29.4) and have scored 30 or more five times, tied with Buffalo for most in the league. ... The Chiefs are 7-0 to start a season for the third time in franchise history. The others were 2003 and 2013. ... Kansas City has won 13 straight games going back to last season. That's the longest streak in the NFL since the Chiefs won 13 straight during the 2019-20 seasons. ... Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes surpassed 30,000 yards passing for his career last week in Las Vegas, the fastest player in NFL history to reach that mark. He did it in 103 games, six faster than Matthew Stafford. ... Travis Kelce has 52 TD catches from Mahomes, the third most for a QB-TE tandem in NFL history. ... Kelce has 75 TD catches, one shy of matching Tony Gonzalez for the most in Chiefs history. ... Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins has the longest active streak with a reception at 169 games. Kelce is second at 165 games. ... Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt has run for TDs in three straight games.
Fantasy tip
It was probably wise to sit Patrick Mahomes the first seven games of the season, especially as injuries took away his two best wide receivers. But with Hopkins getting more into the mix, and a lousy Tampa Bay pass defense coming to town, it might be time to insert the two-time league MVP back in the starting lineup. Mahomes played better last week in Las Vegas, and that was with Hopkins only on the field for a handful of players as he tried to pick up the offense in a hurry.
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The Associated Press
