The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were once a top five team in the NFL at the begining of the season, however, things have changed since their Week 9 bye.
Since starting the year with a 6-2 record, the Bucs have gone the opposite way, winning just one game in their last five contests. The slump has put their playoff chances at risk as they face a must-win game this weekend against the Carolina Panthers. Now the Bucs have been ravaged by injuries, which in their own right have contributed to the slump, but they're starting to get healthier, especially on offense.
After a tough loss Thursday night to the Falcons, the Bucs saw themselves slip down national power rankings again and with just three weeks to go it's unlikely they will be able to climb much higher than where they are now. Here where the national media ranks the Buccaneers in Week 16
ESPN: No. 21
The franchise's all-time leading scorer is at the top of the list, but Evans has to decide if he wants to play another season at 33. He has another year left on the $52 million deal he signed in March 2024, but Evans has missed nine games this season because of injuries (hamstring strain, broken collarbone, and a concussion). In his first game back this past Thursday from the broken collarbone injury, Evans finished with a season-high 132 receiving yards on six receptions. -- Jenna Laine
Last Week: No. 20
Yahoo Sports: No. 18
The Buccaneers got lucky with that Panthers loss at New Orleans. They should have been penalized more for losing to the Falcons at home, blowing a 28-14 lead. Head coach Todd Bowles was obviously fed up after the loss, calling it inexcusable.
Last Week: No. 17
NFL.com: No. 17
The Buccaneers walked off the field at Raymond James Stadium last Thursday with some seriously bad vibes, having blown a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead in a 29-28 loss to the Falcons. Baker Mayfield threw a careless interception, and Atlanta overcame third-and-28 and fourth-and-14 on its final drive before ultimately nailing the game-winning field goal. Yet somehow, the Bucs came out of the weekend -- thanks to New Orleans finishing a season sweep of Carolina -- in a remarkably similar position to how they started it: in first place, with a ton of questions. Whom do you trust more at this point, the Bucs or Panthers? The division comes down to the teams' two head-to-head games over the next three Sundays, with this week's showdown taking place in Charlotte. Can Mike Evans help Tampa regain a little of its early-season magic? The offense needs to step up with the defense seemingly in tatters.
Last Week: No. 17
USA Today: No. 16
They've just gotten a lot of (expletive) players like WR Mike Evans back in the (expletive) lineup. We still feel fairly confident (expletive) Baker Mayfield and Co. can win the (expletive) NFC South for a fifth straight time.
Last Week: No. 20
CBS Sports: No.13
They haven't been right in a while, but they still lead the NFC South as they ready to play the Panthers. The defense has been bad.
Last Week: No.13
Fox Sports: No. 19
Todd Bowles was right. Their Thursday night loss, when they gave up three scores and 15 points to the Falcons in the last 10 minutes, was "inexf---ingcusable." So is the fact I once had this team ranked No. 1.
Last Week: No.18