The Tampa Bay Buccaneers closed out their season with a come-from-behind win against the New Orleans Saints. Was it enough to clinch the NFC South?
What Is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Current Playoff Picture?
Since the Atlanta Falcons held the head-to-head tiebreaker over Tampa Bay, the Bucs had to finish with a better record than Atlanta. Fortunately for the Bucs, their win over the Saints means they clinched the NFC South for fourth straight season.
At one point, the Falcons were up multiple games over the Bucs, but Tampa Bay was terrific down the stretch to come from behind and clinch the division crown.
The Bucs couldn’t earn a Wild Card spot, so their postseason hopes came down to the division. Not only did they clinch, they got Mike Evans his 11th straight 1,000-yard season, which tied Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history.
Now, all that is left to be determined is the Bucs’ playoff seed.
What Is the Buccaneers’ Playoff Seed?
The Buccaneers were initially the No. 4 seed after their win over New Orleans. However, because the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Tampa Bay climbed to the No. 3 seed, and the Rams dropped to the No. 4 seed.
Rams head coach Sean McVay recently said he didn’t care about seeding, which is why he chose to rest his stars in Week 18, including Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and Kyren Williams.
Still, this feels like a win for the Bucs, who will now host the Washington Commanders in the Wild Card Round rather than having to face the loser of tonight’s Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings clash on Sunday Night Football. The Bucs defeated the Commanders in Week 1 of this season.