ESPN analyst backs Buccaneers to make the playoffs this year

We're in the home stretch of the regular season, which is perfect timing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to start turning their season around. After four-game losing streak that threatened to undo the team's hot start, the Bucs have ripped off back-to-back wins to take full advantage of growing chaos in the NFC.

Atlanta is in the midst of a three-game losing streak that has helped propel the Bucs back into the race for the NFC South. There's still a lot of work that needs to be done before they're true contenders, but Tampa Bay is just a week away from potentially controlling its destiny the rest of the season.

If the Falcons lose on Sunday and the Buccaneers win, Tampa Bay is back atop the division. Atlanta will still own the tiebreaker, but the Bucs will control the board and would simply need to win out to punch a playoff ticket.

The stars are aligning for that, as Atlanta gets a tough game in Minnesota while the Bucs host a two-win Raiders team. Nobody should start counting chickens just yet, but it's time to start getting excited about the season being back on track.

It's not just Bucs fans who are feeling this, as the national media is once again starting to pay attention to what's happening in Tampa Bay.

ESPN analyst predicts the Buccaneers will make the playoffs this year

Dan Graziano was looking at team currently outside the playoff field has the best chance to sneak in, and thinks the Bucs have the best shot.

"Tampa Bay has a 56.5% chance to make the playoffs, per ESPN's Football Power Index, which is higher than any NFC South team. So while I would have loved to make the case for the Cardinals or Rams and stay consistent with what I said here last week, I can't ignore the math or the fact that the Falcons really aren't playing well," Graziano argued.

Atlanta hitting a wall has really helped Tampa Bay out, as it clamped what should have been a losing streak that bled the Bucs season out. The Falcons were one of the hottest teams in football, but it appears they might have peaked early and are now down so bad that the only thing anyone can discuss about them is whether Michael Penix Jr. will start over Kirk Cousins and save the season.

That's how far the Falcons have fallen, and the Bucs are in a perfect position to take advantage and slingshot past them.

This was always going to be the stretch of games where the Bucs either put up or shut up; games against the Giants, Panthers, and Raiders are ones they should win. So far they have, and while the Panthers game was closer than anyone wanted and the game this Sunday is another potential trap, Tampa Bay is lined up perfectly to make up for the losing skid that almost derailed things.

What caused those losses still needs to be worked on, but the Bucs closed out a game in overtime for the first time this year last week. That's a massive step in the right direction and the team has a chance to prove it's building momentum with another win on Sunday against the Raiders.

If that happens, Graziano probably won't be alone in picking the Bucs to make a push to the playoffs.

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