Tag: Bucs playoffs

Bucs win NFC South for third-straight year, clinch playoff berth

It was far from pretty, but the Bucs are officially playing bonus football in January with a division win.

It was far from beautiful, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to the playoffs.

The team won a very rough game against the Carolina Panthers 9-0, and in doing so, punched their ticket to the playoffs and won the division for a third straight year. This will be Tampa Bay’s fourth-straight playoff appearance, the longest active streak of its kind in the NFC.

The Bucs are locked in as the No. 4 seed in the NFC and will face either the Dallas Cowboys or the Philadelphia Eagles next week. The team will play at home at Raymond James Stadium on either Saturday, Sunday or Monday.

The team bested the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons to the division title, who were both alive for the win heading into Week 18. Despite the Saints winning and moving to 9-8, the Bucs advance to the playoffs via common opponent.

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How likely are the Bucs to make the postseason heading into Week 9?

As it stands, the Bucs will have to pick up some wins to get back in the playoff race.

October hasn’t been kind to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a 3-1 start to the season, it seemed all doubt regarding Baker Mayfield and the Bucs was unwarranted. However, Tampa Bay has fallen back to earth and lost three games in a row.

The Bucs have a 26% chance of making the playoffs heading into Week 9 according to the New York Times.

Tampa Bay will travel to Texas this weekend and take on the Houston Texans (3-4). Led by rookie QB C.J. Stroud, ESPN Analytics predicts there’s a 50.6% chance the Texans will defeat the Bucs at home.

If Tampa Bay is defeated by Houston, its playoff hopes will drop to just 18%. But, if the Bucs can return back to the win column, they’ll have a 33% chance to make the playoffs.

As of Week 8, eight of the next 10 opponents Tampa Bay is set to face are at or below .500. The two teams above .500 are the San Francisco 49ers (Week 11) and Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 16).

Earning a win against the Texans is extremely important if the Bucs want to continue their playoff streak another year and maintain winning football in the Bay.

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Stephen A. Smith believes expanded NFL playoffs benefits Buccaneers the most

See what Stephen A. Smith had to say on ESPN’s “First Take” about the expanded playoffs, and why it benefits the Buccaneers the most.

The NFL announced that the playoffs will expand next season from 12 teams to 14, meaning there will be a total of three wild-card teams per conference. Only the top seeds in the AFC and NFC will receive a bye. It’s a big win for fans who want to see more football, and it could make for some exciting early-round match-ups.

Many fans in Tampa Bay are hoping the 2020 season will bring with it their first postseason berth since 2007. With six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady now the man under center, the Bucs’ playoff-drought could easily end next season. In fact, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN said on “First Take” that he believes the expanded playoffs benefits Tampa Bay the most.

Here’s an excerpt of Stephen A.’s reasoning:

“The NFC South is still the New Orleans Saints’ to lose. Drew Brees re-upped, they acquired Emmanuel Sanders. They still have Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara, and you still have Sean Payton.”

Stephen A. says even if Brady and the Bucs don’t win the division, they’ll still have a good shot of making the playoffs as a wild-card team. The Saints will certainly be the favorites in the NFC South next season, but let’s not sleep on the Atlanta Falcons, either. Not only do they still have Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, but running back Todd Gurley is expected to sign with them… eventually.

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Marc Sessler explains why the Bucs are poised for a return to the postseason

See why Marc Sessler of NFL.com named the Tampa Bay Buccaneers one of three teams poised for a return to the postseason.

The ink has barely dried on Tom Brady’s contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but already there’s excitement and buzz around this team that’s been missing for years. A fan base that has grown used to high draft positions and early offseasons is ready to embrace Brady and his championship ways.

Even if Brady fails to deliver a Super Bowl title to Tampa Bay, a mere trip to the playoff would be a step in the right direction for a franchise that hasn’t made the postseason since 2007, and hasn’t won a postseason game since their victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.

But, after a strong free agency period, coupled with a veteran head coach in Bruce Arians, the Bucs appear ready to take the league by storm in 2020. Marc Sessler over at NFL.com named the Bucs one of three teams, along with the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers, he thinks will make a triumphant return to the playoffs next year. For the Bucs, it would end their 12-year postseason drought.

Per Sessler:

“Mike Evans. Chris Godwin. O.J. Howard. A fiery defense. Plus a refreshing new companion in straight-talking coach Bruce Arians. On paper, the parts exist to make noise in the NFC South. With the Panthers in transition and the Falcons something of an underwhelming mystery, Tampa looms as a candidate to climb after losing six one-score games during last year’s 7-9 output. That came with ex-passer Jameis Winston hurtling for 30 touchdowns — but also 30 interceptions with a record-setting seven pick-sixes. Imagine if Brady — equaling last year’s numbers — tosses just eight interceptions.”

Sessler’s explanation makes perfect sense, and is why many people are jumping on the Bucs bandwagon. But, he does offer a few words of caution about why the Bucs might stumble. He wonders if perhaps Bill Belichick correctly scouted Brady’s demise, and he also warns about the hype that surrounded the Cleveland Browns last year before they spiraled out of control.

There’s plenty that can happen between now and Super Bowl LV next year in Tampa, but the Bucs and their fans have hope for the first time in a while. And that’s something to celebrate and hold on to.

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Buccaneers beat Colts, but still eliminated from the playoffs

Despite a big comeback win against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 14, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were eliminated from playoff contention.

In what became a shootout in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers were able to comeback from a 35-21 deficit in the third quarter and secure a 38-35 win behind Jameis Winston’s 456 yards, 5 touchdown (4 passing, 1 rushing) and yes, 3 interceptions.

Despite getting the win, to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Bucs needed the Detroit Lions to beat the Minnesota Vikings today, which, unfortunately, didn’t happen.

It’s tough to be eliminated from the playoffs, let alone following a win. This late in the season if you’re not a division leader, that’s the name of the game. Don’t expect the Bucs to let off the gas though, with the second youngest roster in the league, this is very much needed experience for the team going forward. The playoffs may be out of the picture for this season, but there is a lot to build on towards next season.

With the Colts scoring 35 points, it would appear that the Bucs defense was gashed, which really wasn’t the case. Jacoby Brissett was held to 256 passing yards and two touchdowns, while the defense only allowed the Colts to generate 66 yards on the ground.

The Bucs will travel to Detroit next week to take on the Lions in an effort to earn their fourth-straight win and hopefully finish this 2019 on a high note.

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