TAMPA, Fla. — Win, and you're in. It is that simple for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they look for their fourth straight NFC South division crown and a berth in the NFL playoffs.
Tampa Bay's path to the playoffs became clear Sunday after the Bucs demolished the Carolina Panthers 48-14. It was the third time the Bucs had scored at least 40 points in a game this season and featured quarterback Baker Mayfield throwing five touchdowns and just five incompletions in the game.
The Bucs' attention then turned north to the nation's capital for a Sunday night game between the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders. A thrilling game ended when Commanders tight end Zach Ertz caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jayden Daniels to secure a 30-24 victory.
Tampa's victory, combined with the Falcons loss, moved Tampa Bay to first place in the division with a one-game lead and one week to play in the regular season.
That made the Bucs' path to the NFL playoffs simple: beat or tie the New Orleans Saints next Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, and Tampa Bay will make the playoffs. Alternatively, hope for a Falcons loss or tie, and Tampa Bay will also be in the playoffs.
When Tampa Bay last saw the Saints, the Bucs were walking out of the Superdome with a 51-27 victory that was filled with turnovers for both teams. In the game, Tampa ran the ball 35 times for 277 yards and added another 325 yards through the air.
The Bucs' 594 yards of offense helped overcome Mayfield's three interceptions, bringing the team to 4-2 at the time.
Now, the Saints come rolling into Tampa for the final game of the season and a chance to play spoiler to the Bucs. If New Orleans beats Tampa, and the Falcons beat the woeful Carolina Panthers, then Atlanta wins the NFC South and heads to the playoffs, thanks to two victories over the Bucs.
Tampa Bay brings all the momentum into the game with New Orleans, featuring the NFL's fourth-best scoring attack and third-best offensive attack by yards. And the offensive attack is driven by quarterback Baker Mayfield.
This season, Mayfield has thrown for 4,279 yards, 39 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions while posting a passer rating of 107.6. He's done that while losing multiple offensive players at different times, most notably wide receiver Chris Godwin, who was lost for the season in a Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
But it's not just been the Baker Mayfield show. The Bucs finally have a rushing attack they can put up against any team in the league. Tampa Bay ranks fourth in the league in rushing yards and third in yards per rushing attempt.
That's quite an improvement from the last few seasons when the Bucs' run game was perennially at the bottom of the NFL in multiple categories.
Tampa's one weakness is its pass defense, which ranks 30th in the league in passing yards allowed, 20th in passing touchdowns allowed, and 25th in interceptions.
Against that backdrop comes a New Orleans team that has lost four of its last five games, including a shutout loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 16. The Saints' lone win came against the woeful New York Giants, 14-11.
Outside of that victory, the Saints have been outscored in their four losses down the stretch by a margin of 100-43.
After all of the training, regular season games, injuries, and comebacks, the Bucs need just one more win, and they will be division champs.
A pile of rubble is what’s left of what had been the happy home that Victoria Sowell shared with her military veteran husband Casey and their son and daughter.
