Things could not have gone worse for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night. The bright lights of primetime blinded the team and cost them a chance to move a step closer to closing out another NFC South title.
Losing to the Cowboys did more than just wound pride, it knocked the Bucs out of the playoff picture and has forced them into a position of needing help to get back in. Everything went poorly, from the offense faltering to the defense getting gashed in the first half to allow what ended up being an insurmountable lead to be amassed.
It was a collective failure, as the defense allowing just three points in the second half was chased by the offense being unable to muster up more than 10. A brutal fumble by Rachaad White ended things just moments after J.J. Russell dropped a potential momentum shifting interception.
Despite all of this, the Bucs' season is far from over and there's still a lot to play for over the last two weeks.
Buccaneers still have a clear path to the playoffs despite massive setback against Cowboys
It might not seem like it in the wake of such a brutal loss, but the Bucs still have a pretty clear path to the playoffs. Unfortunately, they're going to need some help to get there.
Tampa Bay's best shot will come next Sunday night when the Atlanta Falcons head up to Landover to play the Washington Commanders. An Atlanta loss coupled with a Tampa Bay win over Carolina would propel the Bucs back into first place and hand them back control of the NFC South.
If the Falcons win, then the Bucs will be rooting for the Commanders to lose in Week 18 to the Cowboys which would get Tampa Bay in as the final Wild Card team. The simplest way to put it is this:
- Buccaneers need to win out
- Falcons must lose one of their last two
- Commanders must lose out
Of course, the Bucs need to take care of business on their own end which has proven to be tougher than it should be. Carolina almost beat Tampa Bay a few weeks ago and the Panthers have only looked better since then, so it's hardly going to be an easy matchup.
Carolina playing to spoil the Bucs season will no doubt serve as motivation but it's a game the Bucs should win. However, if they show up like they did against Dallas -- another team they should have beat but didn't -- then we could be having some difficult conversations this time next week.
Tampa Bay no longer controlling their destiny stings, but it's hopefully temporary while also serving as a wake-up call. The Bucs already had almost no margin for error but they're officially down to their last chance.
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