It's going to be a jam-packed final week of the regular season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the team is only playing in one game, there are three others that could have an impact not only on whether or not the Bucs make the playoffs but where they could be seeded.
The scenario is pretty straightforward: if the Buccaneers beat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday they'll clinch a fourth consecutive NFC South title. That's the main order of business to take care of, but there's an annotation that could prove to be useful for Tampa Bay.
Heading into Sunday, the Bucs have the No. 4 seed, while the Los Angeles Rams control the No. 3 seed. However, a loss by the Rams to Seattle coupled with a win by the Bucs would flip the two teams in the standings. Tampa Bay's ticket to the postseason would have them sitting in the third seed which could be potentially massive.
It's not the main scenario everyone is looking at on Sunday, but it's starting to look increasingly likely to be triggered.
Rams resting their starters could be a huge break for the Buccaneers playoff chances
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Rams plan to rest their starters on Sunday, including quarterback Matthew Stafford. This means that the fate of the No. 3 seed rests on the arm of Jimmy Garoppolo.
Outside of Garoppolo starting, the fact that the Rams aren't going to take their Week 18 game seriously bodes well for the Buccaneers getting one more lucky break before the season ends. Right now things are lined up for Tampa Bay to land the No. 4 seed, which would mean hosting the loser of the Vikings-Lions game on Sunday night.
If the Bucs can land the No. 3 seed, it would mean playing either the Commanders or Packers at home in the Wild Card instead. Tampa Bay matches up well against all four teams, but getting the third seed would give them a slightly easier game and also help the Bucs avoid a scenario where they play the No. 1 seed on Divisional Round weekend.
All of this only matters if the Bucs win on Sunday, which is easier said than done. Just like how the Seahawks are playing to potentially spoil the Rams neatly laid out playoff plans, the Saints will be doing the same against Tampa Bay. It's been a miserable season for New Orleans so a chance to potentially knock the Bucs out of the playoffs is pretty much the Saints' Super Bowl.
The Bucs should win, and if they do then all eyes will be on what happens out west in Los Angeles where scoreboard watching could lead to Tampa Bay finishing with an even higher seed than we thought.
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