What’s on the Buccaneers’ Christmas Wish List? A Division Title, a Playoff Push, and a Return to Form
As the holiday season wraps up, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers find themselves in a far less festive mood than they were just a few weeks ago. After a promising 6-2 start, the Bucs have stumbled badly down the stretch, dropping six of their last seven games and surrendering the NFC South lead to the Carolina Panthers. What once looked like a smooth ride to the playoffs has turned into a nail-biter of a finish.
But here’s the silver lining: despite the skid, Tampa Bay still controls its own destiny. Two games left.
Two matchups against the Panthers. Win both, and the Bucs are division champs.
Lose, and they could be watching the postseason from the couch.
So, what exactly is on Tampa Bay’s holiday wishlist as they try to salvage their season? Let’s break it down.
1. A Fifth Straight NFC South Title
This one’s non-negotiable. A division crown isn’t just a nice feather in the cap - it’s the only ticket to the postseason for Tampa Bay.
With how competitive the NFC has been this year, there’s no backdoor into the playoffs for a second-place finisher in the South. Even a 9-8 record, if it comes with a tiebreaker loss to Carolina, likely leaves the Bucs on the outside looking in.
The good news? They’ve got two games left, both against the Panthers.
Win both, and they take the division outright. But with how unpredictable this team has been lately, that’s easier said than done.
2. A Strong Finish to the Regular Season
Yes, they could limp into the playoffs at 9-8. But if the Bucs want to carry any kind of momentum into January, they need to finish strong - ideally, with three straight wins to close out the regular season at 10-7.
That kind of run would do more than just secure the division. It would give this team a jolt of confidence heading into the postseason.
Baker Mayfield has shown he can rise to the occasion in big moments - we’ve seen it before. But he needs to get there first.
And doing it on the heels of a three-game win streak would be a massive boost, both for the locker room and for the fanbase.
3. The Rams Slipping Out of the No. 5 Seed
If Tampa Bay does take the division, they’ll earn the NFC’s No. 4 seed - which means a home playoff game against the No. 5. And right now, that spot belongs to the Los Angeles Rams.
That’s... not ideal.
The Rams already handled the Bucs earlier this season, and stylistically, they’re a tough matchup. Tampa would much rather see someone like Seattle or even San Francisco roll into Raymond James Stadium for Wild Card Weekend. The Bucs have already beaten the Seahawks this year, and while the 49ers are no walk in the park, they don’t bring the same matchup problems L.A. does.
So yeah, it’s scoreboard-watching season in Tampa. A Rams loss - or a surprise NFC West title run - could make all the difference.
4. Baker Mayfield Getting Back to Himself
This one might be the most important item on the list.
Baker Mayfield hasn’t looked like himself for nearly two months. The swagger, the confidence, the clutch playmaking - it’s all been missing. And while there are plenty of reasons the Bucs have struggled lately, Mayfield’s slump is front and center.
If Tampa Bay wants to win out, win the division, and have any shot at making noise in the playoffs, they need Mayfield to snap out of it - fast. He’s shown before that he can thrive when the stakes are high. Now would be a good time to tap back into that version of himself.
Because if he doesn’t, and the Bucs drop one (or both) of these final two games, the consequences could be bigger than just missing the playoffs. Jobs - including Mayfield’s and head coach Todd Bowles’ - could be on the line.
Bottom Line
The Bucs have two games to right the ship. The path is clear, but the margin for error is gone. A division title is still within reach, but it’s going to take a full-team effort - and a quarterback resurgence - to get there.
Forget the sleigh bells. In Tampa, all eyes are on the scoreboard, the standings, and the man under center.