It only took 15 weeks but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have finally found their groove.
The Bucs marched up to Green Bay and absolutely cooked the Packers, taking a crucial tiebreaker and maintaining control of the NFC South. Tampa Bay's path to the playoffs is clear, but for the first time all season it truly feels like they're playing as though they deserve to be there.
Sunday's win marked the first time all season the Bucs have strung together three straight wins, and it vastly improved their positioning in the NFC Playoff Picture.
Updated NFL Playoff Picture after Bucs win in Week 15
The Bucs were already in a good spot heading into Sunday thanks to a crushing loss by the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday. That loss by Minnesota added value to the tiebreaker Tampa Bay owns, but also created a path outside of simply winning the division for the Bucs to make the playoffs.
With a win over the Packers, that lane widened even further.
Here's a look at how things stand after Tampa Bay's huge win in Green Bay on Sunday:
1. San Francisco 49ers (10-3)
2. Dallas Cowboys (10-3)
3. Detroit Lions (10-4)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
5. Philadelphia Eagles (10-3)
6. Minnesota Vikings (7-7)
7. New Orleans Saints (7-7)
Tiebreakers over the Vikings and Packers mean that a Wild Card spot is very much on the table for the Bucs. It's a safety net the team outright earned by winning three straight games, but the victory in Green Bay is hopefully a sign that bigger things are on the horizon than simply limping into the playoffs.
Even winning the NFC South felt like it might be a default entry into the playoffs, but the Bucs are playing on a level we haven't seen them on this year and it's a beautiful sight for sore eyes.
Meanwhile, the Packers dropped out of the playoff picture for the time being thanks to the loss. The Saints moved into the No. 7 seed for the time being, and the Vikings dodged a bullet in terms of the Packers keeping pace with them for what could end up being the same playoff ticket.
It's impossible to overstate how amazing and thrilling it is that all of the chaos is happening below the Bucs, who are eleveting themselves higher and higher in ways nobody expected.