Updated NFL Playoff picture and standings after Week 5: Buccaneers catch a huge break
By Josh Hill
We're over a quarter of the way through the season, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look more like contenders than they were given credit this offseason.
Pundits claimed the Bucs didn't do enough to keep pace with the best teams in the conference, but that's already even proven false. Even with a tough loss on Thursday night to the Atlanta Falcons, the Bucs have looked much sharper -- and more dangerous -- on offense than they did last year and have proven they can hang in a shootout.
Thursday's loss was a blow, but hardly a fatal one. Antoine Winfield Jr., Calijah Kancey, and Luke Goedeke were all missing, which likely would have helped swing the outcome, and are absences that cannot be ignored.
If the offense can keep building on what we've seen out of it over the first five weeks of the season, Tampa Bay will be in a position to make a serious run at a top spot in the playoff picture.
Updated NFL Playoff Picture after Week 5
Here's a look at how things stack up in the NFC after the Saints losing on Monday Night Football wrapped up this week's action:
Seed | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
No. 1 | Minnesota Vikings | 5-0 |
No. 2 | Washington Commanders | 4-1 |
No. 3 | Atlanta Falcons | 3-2 |
No. 4 | Seattle Seahawks | 3-2 |
No. 5 | Detroit Lions | 3-1 |
No. 6 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-2 |
No. 7 | Dallas Cowboys | 3-2 |
It's still early, but the bumps in the road that Tampa Bay has encountered haven't thrown things off course. A growing number of teams is knocking on the door of entering the playoff picture, though, which gives the Bucs even more incentive to come away with a win in Week 6.
- Green Bay Packers (3-2)
- Chicago Bears (3-2)
- Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)
Tampa Bay already has a tiebreaker over the Eagles thanks to beating them, and would also move ahead of Washington if they ended up with same record at the end of the season. That could end up being key, as the Commanders are on fire right now and the tiebreaker from beating them in Week 1 could be the difference between the Bucs playing on Wild Card Weekend or getting a first-round-bye.
We have a lot of distance left to run before we get there, but there's peace of mind knowing the Bucs are still sitting pretty in the playoff picture despite the tough loss on Thursday night.
Coming out of this upcoming stretch of games with a winning record will be key, though, as it will not only help them in the hunt for a top seed but will prove that they deserve to be talked about among the contenders in the NFC.
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