The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t just keep their season alive in Week 7 - they blasted their way right back into the NFC South conversation.
After a 43-13 win over the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay sits at 2-5 and has clawed to within 1.5 games of the division lead. That’s a wild sentence this late in October, but the NFC South has made room for exactly this kind of comeback.
The Buccaneers were staring at an 0-4 start not long ago. Now they’re suddenly in striking distance.
What makes the picture even more interesting is where Tampa Bay sits in the standings right now. The Bucs are third in the division, but they’re the only team in the NFC South with a positive point differential. That’s a notable twist for a team still technically chasing from third place.
Sunday brings a massive swing game at home against the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta is 3-4, and if Tampa Bay wins, both teams will be sitting at 3-5. At that point, the Buccaneers would jump to second place in the division thanks to more division wins and a better point differential than the Falcons.
They still wouldn’t officially take first place, though. Tampa Bay would match Carolina’s win total, but the Panthers have played one fewer game, which would leave the Bucs just half a game out of the top spot.
New Orleans will be on bye in Week 8, and that keeps the Saints at 2-5. After Tampa Bay’s win and their own loss on Sunday, they’re stuck in last place and can’t move up this week.
So Sunday at 1 p.m. at home is simple for Tampa Bay: win, and the Bucs are firmly in the race for the NFC South title. Lose, and they’re back to chasing again.
In Other News...
Bucs May Have Found The Identity Todd Bowles Has Been Chasing
Todd Bowles has spent much of the season talking about the kind of team he wants the Buccaneers to be, and Sunday in the 43-13 win over Carolina offered another clear example of the blueprint. Tampa Bay leaned into its running game, stayed physical and handled the Panthers with the sort of discipline Bowles has pushed for since camp, turning a lopsided division win into another sign that the offense can impose its will when the ground game is humming.
Bucky Irving has become a big reason why. The second-year back has climbed to eighth in the NFL in rushing yards and is on pace for a career-best season after last years injuries slowed him down, giving the Bucs a runner who can keep drives moving and help control games. With the backfield producing and the offense looking more balanced, the bigger question now is whether this version of Tampa Bay can keep that edge when the competition tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Suddenly Have A Trade Deadline Decision Fans Didn't Expect
At 2-5, the Buccaneers are in a spot where every week can reshape the conversation around the trade deadline. A team that still sees a path in the NFC South has to balance the urge to stay patient with the need to patch obvious holes, and inside linebacker has emerged as one of the areas worth watching if Tampa Bay keeps itself in the race after Week 8.
One possible name being tossed into that conversation is Philadelphias Zack Baun, a player whose recent rise has made him a natural fit for teams looking to upgrade the middle of the defense. The question for Tampa Bay is whether the cost of making that kind of move matches the urgency of its season, since any pursuit would have to line up with both the salary and the draft capital such a deal would demand. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Win Didn't Silence One Big Baker Mayfield Debate
The Buccaneers win over Carolina gave them a needed lift and nudged the record to 2-5, but it did not erase the larger conversation around how this roster is built around Baker Mayfield. The offense has had enough moments to stay competitive, yet the long view still points toward the same question Tampa Bay has been wrestling with: how much help can the quarterback realistically expect from the players around him?
One recent evaluation of the roster frames the next stretch of team building around the skill positions, where the Bucs need more impact and consistency to take pressure off Mayfield. There are still contract questions, current production to weigh, and younger pieces trying to establish themselves, but the bigger concern is whether Tampa Bay can keep asking the passing game to carry so much of the load without adding more difference-makers on the outside and at tight end. [Read more 🡒]