A month ago, it looked like all was lost for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as the team was reeling from a four-game losing streak that threatened to spoil the season. As the New Year approached, not only has fortune favored the Bucs, but they appear to be one of the most dangerous teams heading into the playoffs.
Tampa Bay is just a win away from clinching a fourth straight NFC South title, and while they needed some help to line that up they had a show of force earlier in the afternoon that has everyone on notice. Baker Mayfield threw for 359 yards and five touchdowns as the Bucs routed the Panthers 48-14, a win the Bucs needed in more ways than one.
It was a victory that ensured Washington's win over Atlanta handed control of the NFC South back to Tampa Bay, but it was a taste of just how dominant the Bucs can be. It's not the first time we've seen them drop the hammer and it probably won't be the last.
Buccaneers proved they're one of the NFC's most dangerous playoff teams in Week 17
It's one thing to beat up a bad team like the Panthers the way the Bucs did, but even that was impressive in it's own way. Tampa Bay was coming off a game in Dallas last Sunday that it should have won but didn't, and in the process, squandered a golden opportunity to start locking down another division title.
That's something the Bucs have done more than a few times in their history, as nothing is ever easy. Beating bad teams is never a given for Tampa Bay, something we saw as recently as the first meeting with the Panthers who were just as bad as they were on Sunday but dragged the Bucs to overtime anyway.
Beating Carolina was more of an internal confidence builder but it doubled as a show of force. Twice in the last three weeks the Bucs have scored 40 or more points, with the first time around coming against a good Chargers team.
In those two games Baker has combined for 647 yards and nine touchdowns, with Bucky Irving going for 303 total yards. Those two guys are the figureheads of the offense right now and the fact that Mike Evans going for 256 yards and four touchdowns is the second tier of power goes to show just how dangerous they can be.
We've known all season that the Bucs offense is a Death Star capable of pulverizing opponents to dust, but it's their own defense that has been a question mark. Todd Bowles has drawn a ton of criticism this season with a very vocal portion of the fan base actively calling for him to be fired. Some of it has reached juvenile levels of trying to remain committed the bit, but there's a fair amount of angst for how much the defense has failed to hold up its end of the bargain at times this season.
Despite how injuries have ripped through the defensive depth chart, Bowles' defense has managed to bounce back in ways he's not getting enough credit for. Sure there have been blown coverages and things have seemed soft at times, but for every big play the defense allows it seems to have things locked down at other times.
Since the bye week the Buccaneers' defense has allowed an average of just 3.8 points in the second half which is less than two points per quarter. Over the last four weeks Tampa Bay has allowed just six second half points and held both the Panthers and Chargers scoreless after halftime.
That's how championship defenses clamp down, and Bowles is doing it with second and third string guys on the field. Antoine Winfield Jr. hasn't played since Week 14 against Las Vegas and Jordan Whitehead was only activated off injured reserve this past week. It's fair to criticise Bowles for his faults, but the way he and his staff have coached guys up simply cannot be ignored.
All of that combines to make the Bucs a dangerous team heading into the playoffs, and they won't be an easy out. Tampa Bay already beat the Lions, Commanders, and Eagles this year and there's nothing about the way the team has been playing that suggests they can't matchup well against the Vikings, Packers, or Rams.
The point is, anything can happen in the playoffs and the Buccaneers are a win away from punching a ticket everyone else should hope they don't. A first round loss is on the table, as we've seen the Bucs get in their own way against good teams and have that end up being the difference between a win and loss -- see games against the Chiefs, Ravens, and 49ers for examples of that.
We've also seen Tampa Bay drop kick teams like the Chargers, Panthers, and Saints into the sun (wins with a combined total offense of 139 points), and the best version of this team is as good as anybody else in the playoffs.
Anything can happen, and if the Bucs get into the playoffs then the rest of the NFC should keep eyes on them at all times or else.
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