Sunday’s Week 7 game against the Falcons is a major NFC South swing

Tampa Bay’s playoff percentage drastically swings depending on the result of Sunday’s matchup against Atlanta.

It isn’t just an ordinary game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday — the fate of the division is at stake.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to make the playoffs this year, and to do that, they’ll likely have to win the division. Whether they can do that could depend on their Week 7 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, as the odds shift heavily depending on the result of that game at Raymond James Stadium.

Pro Football Focus has the Bucs with a 73% chance to make the playoffs with a victory over the Falcons, but just a 40% chance to make it with a loss. The Falcons’ schedule remains very favorable after this game, while the Bucs still have to play the 49ers, Bills and Jaguars in their first-place schedule from last year. As such, winning this game may be imperative to keep Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes alive.

As it stands, the Bucs hold the lead in the NFC South with a 3-2 record. The Falcons are 3-3, so a win for Tampa Bay would have it two losses up on both the Saints and the Falcons. A loss would see Atlanta go one win up on the Bucs, though, so head coach Todd Bowles and his crew will have to be on their a-game heading into this matchup.

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