Buccaneers Playoff Picture: Can Tampa Bay win the NFC South?

For all the hate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have received over the past few weeks, a lot of people seem to recognize that these losses outside of the division are extra more than anything. Is it nice to see a better record from beating teams like Houston? Absolutely, but at the end of the day, […]

Rob Leeds
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Nov 5, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) walks on the field after the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

For all the hate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have received over the past few weeks, a lot of people seem to recognize that these losses outside of the division are extra more than anything.

Is it nice to see a better record from beating teams like Houston? Absolutely, but at the end of the day, the only games that truly matter are the ones against the other members of the NFC South.

The good news for the Bucs is that they still have plenty of these games left, and the opportunities in those matchups could lead to a playoff appearance for Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers are playing some ugly football, but so is the rest of the division. The Falcons just benched their starting quarterback, the Panthers barely have a starting quarterback or any offensive weapons to speak of, and the Bucs already beat the Saints 26-9.

"The division still runs through Tampa" has lost a little steam after the Bucs dropped a game against the Falcons and the Saints were able to get their identity together a little, but acting like the Bucs are out of this race at this point is a little too pessimistic.

None of the other teams are juggernauts, and it stands to reason that Tampa could very easily go 3-1 in the remainder of their division games and change their playoff hopes dramatically.

When you add in other games against the Titans, Colts, and Packers with inferior quarterbacks and offense, the Bucs could drag themselves back to a record near .500, and that was all they needed last year.

It may not be pretty and the fanbase doesn't have the be happy with the results on the field right now, especially not when making the playoffs isn't the same badge of honor in the weakest division in football, but the chance is still as good as it was at the start of the year.

This defense can be great. We have already seen as much. Baker Mayfield is still playing some pretty good football. The pieces are there.

Getting those pieces to work in tandem when needed is a different story, but don't count the Bucs out just yet. The real race has barely started.

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