TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) are the NFC South division leaders — alone in first place with four games to play.
The Bucs control their own fate to win a fourth division title, but if they slip up and lose a game, the Atlanta Falcons (6-7) own the tiebreaker over Tampa Bay if the Bucs and Falcons finish with the same record.
“Just like I am telling these guys, just because we are in first, it’s one thing,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “Staying in first is a whole ‘nother deal.”
“We knew we could go on this streak and trying to continue this thing,” wide receiver Sterling Shepard added. “We’re not stopping, we’re not slowing down.”
The Bucs beat the Las Vegas Raiders 28-3 on Sunday, but the game was much closer than the score. Tampa Bay survived a series of turnovers and has more injury concerns.
Safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. has a knee sprain, which will require him to miss “a couple” of weeks. Running back Bucky Irving is also dealing with a back injury.
“We knew we were going to face adversity at some point in the season,” Shepard said. “Coach talked about it during camp. We talked about how’s our mental going to be when that stuff does it. You know it’s going to hit.”
The schedule gets tougher this Sunday, with the Bucs traveling to Los Angeles to take on the playoff-bound Chargers and the Falcons visiting the 2-11 Raiders.
"He was just a very outstanding person."
Pat Carter, second cousin to Jimmy Carter, thinks back on her happy memories with the late president, including movie nights and lunches with special guests like the Pope.
