The Tampa Bay Buccaneers escaped their home game today against the New Orleans Saints with a 27-19 victory. Tampa Bay had a clear path to make the NFL Playoffs: Defeat the hapless New Orleans Saints. That task proved to be easier said than done. Tampa’s offense, one of the best units in the league this season, came alive when needed and the defense came up with a few critical stops this afternoon. Tampa Bay trailed 16-6 at halftime and needed a second half comeback to lock up their playoff spot.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield tossed two passing touchdowns in the second half to hold onto the division. On his final pass of the game, Mayfield completed a 9-yard pass to Wide Receiver Mike Evans to give him his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard season. That tied him with Jerry Rice for the most consecutive such seasons.
With the Atlanta Falcons needing a win against the Carolina Panthers, coupled with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss, Week 18 in the NFC South was full of drama. It all became a moot point as the Falcons lost to the Carolina Panthers as Atlanta’s defense could not come up with a stop when needed. How will the Buccaneers fare in the NFL Playoffs this year?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Playoff Path
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have clinched their fourth straight NFC South title 🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/fpGHAd8rSH
— ESPN (@espn) January 5, 2025
Tampa clinched their fourth straight division title against the New Orleans Saints. They are currently the No. 4 seed in the NFC, but they could end the day as the No. 3 seed. The current third seed, the Los Angeles Rams, host the Seattle Seahawks later today. Los Angeles is resting many of their key players, including Quarterback Matthew Stafford, so a win is not a guarantee.
The No. 4 seed will face the winner of tonight’s marquee matchup between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. The third seed will take on the sixth-seed Washington Commanders. Tampa Bay would much rather face the Commanders than the winner of the NFC North showdown. Buccaneers fans should be rooting for a Rams loss later today.
Final Thoughts
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did enough to win the division and set themselves up for the NFL Playoffs. As was the case for the Buccaneers during the regular season, they will need to rely on their high-powered offense to have success.
