After blowing both a golden opportunity and a 14-point lead on Thursday night, Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed a miracle on Sunday to stay atop the NFC South.
That's exactly what they got.
Losing to New Orleans two weeks ago set off a chain reaction that sunk the Bucs into second place in the division. Those same Saints pulled off an upset win over the Panthers on Sunday, flattening the playing field with just three games left in the season.
Tampa Bay is back in possession of first place in the South and once again control their own destiny. A few moving pieces still need to lock into place, but the Bucs enter the final stretch of the season with only themselves to blame if they miss the playoffs.
Some will doubt whether the Bucs deserve to be in the playoffs after falling into the worst slump of the Baker Mayfield era. Right now they don't look like a playoff team, but if they harness the angst they openly displayed after the loss to Atlanta, then it could mean the sort of win next week that gets them hot at the exact right time.
Thanks to the upset win by New Orleans, the Buccaneers now have multiple ways to clinch an NFC South title.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinching scenarios after Panthers upset loss in Week 15
Easiest: Buccaneers win their next two games
This is the simplest -- and most helpful -- route. If the Bucs beat the Panthers next week, they'd just need to win again in Week 17 against the Dolphins to wrap up a division title. Winning the NFC South this way is good not just because it signals the team is getting things back on track at the exact right time, but it means Week 18's game against the Panthers is meaningless.
For a team as banged up as the Bucs have been all season, getting the extra week to rest starters and get everyone as healthy as possible is paramount.
Harder, but not impossible: Bucs lose to Carolina next Sunday, but win out
A loss to the Panthers next week wouldn't eliminate the Bucs, but it would make things more complicated than they need to be. Tampa Bay controls its own destiny right now, and losing to Carolina would fumble that away -- again.
If the Bucs lose, they'd need to beat the Dolphins and then go to Carolina and beat the Panthers in Week 18.
Two ways to clinch the NFC South in Week 17: Bucs and Seahawks both beat the Panthers
This is adjacent to the easiest path, but if the Bucs lose to the Dolphins in Week 17 there's still a way for them to win the NFC South. Carolina hosts the Seattle Seahawks in two weeks, and everything about that matchup favors Tampa Bay.
Sure, there's the whole West Coast team playing on the East Coast thing but the Seahawks will have a ton on the line.
The Seahawks host the Rams this upcoming Thursday, which means they could be heading to Carolina after a 10-day break while also owning the No. 1 seed. There's simply no way the Seahawks lay a dud and cough up a late lead on the top spot in the conference, and fortune favors the Bucs if Seattle loses and needs to pound the Panthers to stay ahead of the 49ers in the NFC West.
All of this is to say, the easiest path for the Bucs is that they win their next two games but if Carolina loses its next two then it doesn't matter how Tampa Bay finishes so long as they win next week.