GAMEDAY: Buccaneers vs Seahawks — Week 5 full preview (time, TV, key tactical battles)

Oct 5, 2025

Quick Facts

Matchup: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3–1) at Seattle Seahawks (3–1)

Venue: Lumen Field (Seattle)

Kickoff: 1:05 PM PDT / 4:05 PM ET, Sunday, Oct 5, 2025

TV: CBS · Radio (SEA): Seattle Sports 710AM & KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM

Context & storylines

Both teams enter at 3–1 after an encouraging September. There’s a touch of history to this one: both the Seahawks and Buccaneers are celebrating their 50th seasons, and both are slated to wear throwback uniforms at Lumen Field.

Personnel / injuries

Buccaneers — OUT: WR Mike Evans (hamstring), RB Bucky Irving (foot/contusion), CB Jamel Dean (hip), CB Benjamin Morrison (hamstring), S Christian Izien (quad).
QB Baker Mayfield practiced fully late in the week; Chris Godwin Jr. is good to go.

Seahawks — OUT: CB Devon Witherspoon (knee), S Julian Love (hamstring), OLB DeMarcus Lawrence (quad), T Josh Jones (ankle).
S Nick Emmanwori returns.

Form note: Rookie Emeka Egbuka (Bucs) just captured NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month (September), the first Bucs wideout to earn the honor.

How to watch/listen

TV: CBS (national, 4:05 ET window)

Radio (SEA): Seattle Sports 710AM & KIRO 97.3 FM

Streaming: CBS-affiliated streaming options (e.g., Paramount+)

Tactical hotspots

1) Tampa Bay on third down

The Bucs must raise their third-down efficiency—too many long-yardage situations have stalled drives, especially without Mike Evans and Bucky Irving. Seattle’s defense has been among the league’s stingiest in yards per play, amplifying the pressure on Baker Mayfield and OC Josh Grizzard to win early downs.

2) Perimeter air war: Egbuka/Godwin Jr. vs a thinned Seattle secondary

With Witherspoon and Love sidelined, Seattle’s deep coverage is stretched. That opens windows for Emeka Egbuka (hot hand) and Chris Godwin Jr. on digs/overs and well-timed shot plays outside the numbers. Crowd noise and Seattle’s pass rush, however, can still force Mayfield into quicker releases.

3) Seattle’s rhythm offense: Sam Darnold and 12-personnel

Seattle 2025 leans on Sam Darnold to steer a control game, marrying targets like Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba with 12-personnel structure. Without DeMarcus Lawrence, they’ll need interior heft from Leonard Williams/Byron Murphy II to own the edges and hammer Tampa’s linebackers via play-action.

4) Special teams — the hidden lever

Tampa’s special teams have flirted with issues—blocked punts, short punts, and FG consistency. In Seattle, where field position swings are magnified, the Bucs’ third phase has to tighten the screws.

Keys to victory

Tampa Bay: (i) Early-down success to shorten third downs; (ii) protect the ball (≤1 turnover); (iii) manufacture 1–2 explosives to Egbuka/Godwin Jr. to offset the Evans/Irving absences.

Seattle: (i) Sustain pressure on Mayfield to cap vertical shots; (ii) weaponize crowd noise for communication/false starts; (iii) red-zone defense under 50% TD allowed.

Line & prediction

Current line: Seahawks -3.5, total ~44.5 (subject to late movement).

Projection: Seahawks 23, Buccaneers 21. Home-field edge and red-zone defense carry Seattle in a tight one—even as a single Egbuka burst could flip it.

Bears defensive end Austin Booker could return in Week 6. The Chicago Bears could receive a significant boost to their pass rush when they take on the Washington Commanders for Monday Night Football in Week 6. The Bears are now eligible to designate second-year defensive end Austin Booker for return from the injured reserve list after he missed the first four games of the season. Booker had shone in the preseason and seemed the likely choice to serve as the Bears‘ top rotational pass rusher behind veterans Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo coming into the 2025 season, but he suffered a knee injury in August that forced the team to place him on the short-term injured reserve list after the 53-man roster cutdown. Promoted Content Brain Specialist: Honey, The Plaque Destroyer (Watch This) Brain Journal Researcher: Honey Method, Alzheimer's Natural Predator (See How) Brain Journal Dementia Has Been Linked To A Common Habit. Do You Do It? Brain Defender Dementia & Memory Loss Have Been Linked To This Habit. You Do It? Brain Journal While the Bears have not laid out an expected return timeline for Booker, they will have the option of designating him for return to practice in Week 6 if they feel he has made enough progress in his injury recovery. Once the Bears designate him for return, they will have 21 days to activate him to the roster or else must leave him on IR for the year. The Bears could provide clues to Booker’s status when they hold their first practice of the week on Wednesday and issue their first injury report for Sunday’s prime-time date with the Commanders. They would need to activate Booker by Saturday afternoon at the latest for him to have a chance of suiting up for them on Monday Night Football. The Bears (2-2) will take on the Commanders (3-2) at 8:15 p.m. ET next Monday.