Saturday, 4 a.m.
They have one more chance to impress us. It is not their last chance, but it is there most recent one, and frankly, the waiting is getting a little old.
The Tampa Bay Bucs, if you judge only by the standings, have had a pretty good three-quarters of a season. They are in position to wrap up their division already, and there are suggestions that Tom Brady is an MVP candidate.
But, really, how good are the Bucs? And do we know yet?
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Tampa Bay is 9-3 so far, which isn't bad. But they've struggled against good teams. They got by Dallas ... by two points. They got by New England ... by two points. They won by seven over Indy.
So puff your chest out, if you wish, over victories over the Falcons (twice), the Giants, the Eagles. the Bears. And don't bring up the losses to a six-win Washington team or a five-win New Orleans team.
Consider this: Last year at this time, the Bucs were 7-5. And if not for narrow escapes against the Patriots and Cowboys, they could be 7-5 now. As good as they have been at times, that's a little unsettling.
Sunday, when they play host to the Buffalo Bills, is a chance to change all of that. Oh, the Bills are just 7-5, disappointing when compared to a year ago, but they have plenty of firepower. A victory over Buffalo would be impressive. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs are both imposing weapons.
The Bucs, meanwhile, have sputtered in almost every game, although they've pulled out three-quarters of them. Oh, it's true that Tom Brady has owned Buffalo in his career -- he's 32-3 with 68 touchdowns. And the Bucs are at home.
Still, this will be a stern test. The Bucs will have to be very good to win.
And so far, they haven't been very good often enough.
Prediction: Buffalo 31, Tampa Bay 30.
And in other NFL games:
New Orleans 20, New York Jets 14.
Atlanta 17, Carolina 9.
Dallas 32, Washington 27.