Playoffs Still Within Reach For Tampa Bay Buccaneers

By alanwalsh on October 20, 2014

There are four teams jockeying for one playoff position, and it seems like no one wants to take control of the NFC South. This is sweet music to the ears of the last-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

What looked like a season that was all but lost after a 48-17 meltdown last week against the Baltimore Ravens now presents a cordial invitation to make a run at the NFL Playoffs. The 1-5 cellar dwellers could obviously be in less desirable position after Week ,7 but with 10 games to go and a 2.5 game deficit, a division title is certainly within the realm of possibility.

For the Bucs, it’s no longer about “moral victories” and playing for next season; it’s about getting a winning streak together and praying to the football gods. Tampa’s next five opponents (vs. Minnesota Vikings, at Cleveland Browns, vs. Atlanta Falcons, at Washington Redskins, vs. Chicago Bears) all have a record of .500 or worse and have a combined record of 12-22.

At this point, the team sitting atop the division is the Carolina Panthers, who have a 3-3-1 record after a loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. With the way they are playing of late, it may not be a long stay atop the division. As the season has gone along, Carolina’s running back committee hasn’t been able to stay healthy, thus making them a one-trick pony on offense.

The Panthers’ main offensive weapons, Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen, have been nagged by minor injuries of late, and the chances of them being sidelined increase as time goes on. A matchup next week against an angry Seattle Seahawks team should send the outlook of this division into a tailspin. Three of the Panthers’ next four games are at home, with two of them being divisional games against the New Orleans Saints and Falcons.

Speaking of the other two teams in the NFC South, they have not validated themselves as legitimate threats either. The Saints sit at 2-4 while the Falcons are at 2-5; both teams have the potential to break out with their respective offenses, but that hasn’t been the case. On Sunday, both teams lost in a very uncharacteristic manner.

The Saints’ schedule ahead is one of the toughest in the NFL as every game is against a quality team or division opponent. Next week, they take on the Packers in New Orleans, and while their home crowd is one of the best in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers could very well shake them all off with ease. Other games on the Saints’ schedule include non-divisional games at home against the San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals and Ravens, and their road games are against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Bears. They also play the Panthers twice and close out the season with a home game against Atlanta and a road game in Tampa.

The Falcons were throttled by the Ravens on Sunday and can’t seem to find much success in any aspect of the game plan. Each of their five losses has been by double digits, which has also displayed the harsh reality of their one-dimensional offense. In terms of a tiebreaker scenario, they are currently at an advantage having a 2-0 divisional record. Atlanta’s remaining schedule features tough matchups out of the division against the Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Packers and Steelers. They have yet to play the Panthers, and have one game each against the Saints and Bucs remaining.

In Tampa’s next seven games, they will only face one division opponent (vs. Atlanta in Week 10). During that stretch, the Bucs can watch the rest of the NFC South beat up on each other while they try to improve their record. They are 0-3 in the NFC South, but they will have one more shot at all three divisional opponents.

Bucs quarterback Mike Glennon has been somewhat efficient in his three starts (986 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions), but he’ll need to have his head on a swivel this Sunday against Minnesota. Mike Zimmer, Vikings head coach and 4-3 blitz extraordinaire, will have a variety of looks to add to the misery of an offensive line that has allowed 14 sacks in six games.

If the Bucs can’t figure out their offensive line issues, it may not matter what the other teams in the NFC South do going forward.

Alan Walsh is a Blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @14AdotWalsh. “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.