By: Garrett Ballard
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost 23-13 to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. This loss means the Buccaneers need to win next week to win the division and make the playoffs.
The Bucs control their destiny. Win and they are in the playoffs. That seemed straightforward against a struggling Saints team, especially after winning four games in a row. However, the Saints were not ready to leave the playoff race.
The Bucs came out flat against the Saints, failing to look creative on offense and failing to stop the Saints on defense.
“It doesn’t matter who we played today,” Todd Bowles said. “A good team, a bad team, a college team, a high school team. We wouldn’t have won the game.”
That is a harrowing quote for Bucs fans everywhere. It is week 17, the Buccaneers are in the playoff hunt, and they are so out of sync that it looks like week one. Every aspect of the Buccaneers was skewed.
The run game reverted to its lackluster, explosiveness style. Baker Mayfield had his worst game of the season, only throwing for 43 yards in the first half. Antoine Winfield Jr., played his worst game of the season, and to top it all off, Jake Camarda shanked multiple punts.
The Buccaneers need to regain focus quickly, as they travel to Charlotte to play the Carolina Panthers next week. The Panthers are the worst team in the NFL, and the Bucs should beat them, but if they come out like they did against the Saints, they will lose again.
Despite the loss, the Bucs still control their own destiny and can clinch a home playoff game with a win. A loss complicates things, they will not host a playoff game, but would still be in the running for a wild card spot.
Winning the division would be three straight NFC South titles for the Buccaneers, marking the first time the franchise has accomplished that feat. In addition to the stress of a potential playoff appearance, coaches will be coaching for their jobs, and players playing for theirs.
This performance has many fans second-guessing the performances they saw from the team just a few weeks ago. It will take a team win to win fans back over.