The Buccaneers left Sunday with more than a shutout win over Atlanta. They left with a real boost in the NFC South race.
Tampa Bay handled the Falcons 16-0 without throwing a pass, improving to 3-5 overall and 2-0 inside the division. The result pulled the Bucs closer to the top of the NFC South and gave their playoff outlook a noticeable lift after eight weeks.
The standings around them are tight. Tampa Bay now has the same number of wins as Carolina and Atlanta, and the Bucs have already beaten both of those teams.
The Panthers, though, have played one fewer game, which leaves Carolina just a half-game behind in the division chase. Tampa Bay’s next shot comes Sunday night against the Chicago Bears.
Carolina took a hit on Thursday night, falling to the Green Bay Packers. The Panthers now turn around to face the Denver Broncos on Sunday, another matchup that could go against them at home and help Tampa Bay’s position.
Atlanta, meanwhile, gets the Cincinnati Bengals next. The Bengals beat the Buccaneers in Week 1 and enter the game at 5-2, so the Falcons are staring at another difficult test as they try to keep pace with Tampa Bay.
New Orleans is back from its bye and also draws a tough opponent. The Saints will host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
According to The Athletic’s playoff predictor, Tampa Bay’s current playoff chance sits at 41 percent. That number can swing quickly depending on what happens this weekend.
A win over Chicago would push it to 54 percent. If every NFC South opponent loses on Sunday, it climbs to 62 percent.
If the Bucs lose while all NFC South teams lose, the number would still be 43 percent. If Tampa Bay loses and either Carolina or Atlanta wins, it drops to 35 percent.
A Saints win, paired with a Bucs loss and losses by the Panthers and Falcons, would leave Tampa Bay at 39 percent.
The division remains the Bucs’ biggest obstacle, and they still have four more games left against NFC South opponents. For now, though, they’ve given themselves a much better path - and they get their next chance to keep it moving Sunday night against the Bears.
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Bucs Secondary Is Forcing A Much Bigger Conversation
The Buccaneers defense has turned into the kind of unit that changes the conversation around a team, and the secondary is a big reason why. Tampa Bay sits first in expected points added per play allowed this season, with Jacob Parrish emerging as one of the leagues most disruptive young corners thanks to his sticky coverage and willingness to help against the run.
Parrishs rise has also given Todd Bowles another piece to lean on as the pass rush keeps coming along behind him, with contributions from players such as Rueben Bain Jr. and Yaya Diaby. The bigger question now is how far this defense can go if the back end keeps erasing throws and the front continues to build pressure, because the Bucs are no longer just surviving on defense, theyre starting to dictate games. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Sees Something Different In This Bucs Turnaround
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Mayfield has pointed to the teams progress and unity since returning, and the Bucs now sit close behind Carolina in the NFC South with more key division games ahead. For a team that looked buried only a few weeks ago, the next stretch will go a long way toward showing whether this surge is a short burst or something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Anzalone Just Changed A Big Buccaneers Defensive Conversation
The Buccaneers defense spent Sunday making a point, and Alex Anzalone was right at the center of it. Tampa Bay controlled Atlanta from the opening series and rolled to a 16-0 shutout, with the defense turning the game into a turnover-heavy slog that never let Michael Penix Jr. settle in.
Anzalone was the most disruptive piece of that effort, helping set the tone for a unit that came away with four interceptions overall. For a defense that has been looking to define itself, the performance offered a clear snapshot of what it can look like when the pressure, coverage and takeaway chances all show up at once. [Read more 🡒]