Bucs should hope the Falcons win in Week 17 and it's actually kind of easy to see why
Let's just go ahead and get this out of the way before we start: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to win the last two games of the 2024 season or else there is zero chance of making the playoffs.How the team gets there, however, can be diced up in two ways and one of them, […]
Let's just go ahead and get this out of the way before we start: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to win the last two games of the 2024 season or else there is zero chance of making the playoffs.
How the team gets there, however, can be diced up in two ways and one of them, surprisingly enough, involves hoping the Atlanta Falcons get a big win in Week 17.
Wait, what? The Bucs want the Falcons to win this week? The same Falcons team they're competing with for an NFC South title and playoff berth?
It's because the Falcons play the Washington Commanders in Week 17. If Atlanta beats Washington, that hands the Commanders their sixth loss on the year. Sure, that would bump the Falcons to 9-7, but the key is a sixth Commanders loss gives the Bucs a little bit of "insurance" for the final week of the season.
If the Commanders were to lose out and the Bucs obviously win out, then Tampa Bay would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker for the NFC's No. 7 seed. They'd make the playoffs regardless of what happens with the Falcons.
It's entirely possible the Commanders lose out, too, in this hypothetical. They play the Dallas Cowboys, in Dallas, in Week 18. As we saw, the Cowboys are a scrappy bunch and they'd love to ruin their top rival's playoff dreams. Plus, there's the fact Dallas has already beaten Jayden Daniels and co. in what was one of the craziest games of the year.
That, honestly, is a bit of a better scenario than the Commanders beating the Falcons this week. Because a Commanders win would officially eliminate the Bucs' chance at getting a Wildcard spot. Even with a Washington win, the Falcons could take back the NFCS in Week 18 with a win and a Bucs loss to the New Orleans Saints.
And as bad as the Saints are, this Bucs team is no lock to beat any team. Especially a division rival. The Falcons play the Panthers in Week 18, which is both a winnable and losable game for them, as well.
Again, none of this matters if the Bucs lose to the Panthers this week, which is totally possible. But if they take care of business then it's easy to see why a Falcons win is actually more appealing than a loss. Especially when considering the Commanders' finale against a Cowboys team that clearly hasn't given up on the 2024 season. In essence, it's kind of a win-win if it goes this way because either way, the race for the NFCS isn't getting solved until the regular season is over – unless the Bucs drop the ball, of course.
