It all comes down to this. And yet it, in a way, does not. Because while this NFL Week 18 battle between NFC South rivals the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium should be an instant classics, all cards on the table, for all the marbles, do or die type affair between two 7-9 teams battling for their only hope at the playoffs, the reality is that destiny is not fully in the Buccaneers hands now.
Because after upsetting the very same Los Angeles Rams team that also lost to the Panthers yet embarrassed the Buccaneers in prime time, the Atlanta Falcons can spoil the Bucs making the playoffs, even if the Bucs win, by beating the New Orleans Saints. And not just any Saints team, but a Saints team missing several key players on Sunday, including star wide receiver Chris Olave who suffered a pulmonary embolism.
The Buccaneers can not think about all that at this point. They had enough time to think about the consequences of their own horrible play when they faced the Falcons and Saints themselves - and lost - or when they lost to the Panthers in their last head to head matchup in Week 16. And you think they would have thought about it harder last weekend before losing to a Miami Dolphins organization that is openly trying to tank harder for a top draft pick.
Yet for all of their ills, the Buccaneers have a chance to squeak back into the playoffs with a losing record under head coach Todd Bowles, who, if the fans had their way, would have been fired the second they lost to Carolina the first time.
Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Antoine Winfield Jr., Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin, and all the tried and true Buccaneers stars still too numerous to name need to be the ones to step up and bring back the winning culture Tom Brady, perhaps too briefly, brought to the table in their last Super Bowl run. Because they have to have the mentality that this Sunday in front of their own fans against a hated rival is their own Super Bowl.
What channel is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game on today? (January 3rd)
Here's everything you need to know to catch today's game:
- Date: Saturday, January 3rd
- Start Time: 4:30 pm ET
- Location: Raymond James Stadium| Tampa, FL
- TV Channel: ESPN/ABC
- Announcers: Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick
- Radio: WXTB 97.9 FM
- Live Stream: NFL+ | Fubo