Last week the Tampa Bay Buccaneers blew a golden opportunity to move a step closer to clinching the NFC South, and a week later the same thing happened to their division rivals.
Atlanta marched into Landover with the chance to put Tampa Bay's playoff hopes on life support but failed to thread the needle. The Commanders pulling out a last-second victory sends the Falcons into second place and hands control of the division back to the Bucs -- in addition to punching a playoff ticket of their own.
Now the Bucs head into the final week of the season with control of the division and the final playoff spot in the NFC. The work is far from over, but clouds are parting at the exact right moment for Tampa Bay.
Updated NFL Playoff Picture after Week 17
After the way things went on Sunday there's only one ticket left to the playoffs on the NFC side, and right now the Buccaneers hold it in their grasp. Whether they can hang onto it long enough for it to be punched is yet to be seen, but the odds are very much in their favor.
Here's how things look heading into the final week of the season:
Playoff Seed | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
No. 1 | Minnesota Vikings | 14-2 (Clinched) |
No. 2 | Philadelphia Eagles | 13-3 (Clinched) |
No. 3 | Los Angeles Rams | 9-6 (Clinched) |
No. 4 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9-7 |
No. 5 | Detroit Lions | 13-2 (Clinched) |
No. 6 | Washington Commanders | 11-5 (Clinched) |
No. 7 | Green Bay Packers | 11-5 (Clinched) |
The Vikings and Lions will play for the No. 1 seed next week in a game that directly impacts the Buccaneers. If Tampa Bay wins and clinches a playoff spot but the Rams also win, then the Bucs will get the loser of that NFC North battle.
How can the Buccaneers clinch a playoff berth after Falcons lose to Commanders?
There are two ways the Buccaneers can clinch a playoff berth next week, but one is a lot easier than the other.
If the Buccaneers beat the New Orleans Saints they clinch the NFC South title outright and it doesn't matter what happens in Atlanta's game against Carolina. The only way that game will matter is if Tampa Bay somehow loses to the Saints, in which case the Bucs would win the NFC South with a Falcons loss.
That would be a nightmare scenario, as it would mean limping into the playoffs in the most sheepish way possible. There's no reason the Bucs should lose to the Saints, an inferior team missing most of its key players. Then again nothing has come easy for Tampa Bay this year so there's a justifiable amount of anxiety going around heading into next week.
If things play out the way they should, though, the Bucs will wear the NFC South crown for a fourth consecutive season. After all that happened this year -- from ups-and-downs to a rash of injuries to key players -- the Buccaneers head into the final week of the season with control of their own destiny and are a win away from punching a playoff ticket.
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