Mark Eckel’s NFL Monday takeaways

Is Tampa the best 4-6 team in NFL?

Kansas City and Detroit keep finding ways to win in the NFL. The New York Giants and Jets keep finding ways to lose. 

And then, there are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay fell to 4-6 on the season, Sunday, when they lost at the buzzer to the San Francisco 49ers on a field goal. The loss was the fourth straight for the Bucs who are two games behind Atlanta (and were swept by the Falcons) in the NFC South and two-and-a-half games behind Green Bay (6-3) for the final NFC wild-card spot.

Let’s look closer at the Bucs, however. They have three wins against the three teams with the best records in the NFC — Detroit (the Lions only loss), Philadelphia (an easy win) and Washington (easy win). The San Francisco loss Sunday came just six days after they lost to undefeated Kansas City in overtime. A team with impressive wins (and impressive losses) such as those three, should not be 4-6.

But as legendary coach Bill Parcells said many times, “You are what your record says you are.’’ And Tampa Bay is 4-6.

Can the Bucs, who own the NFC’s current longest streak of playoff appearances at five straight years, bounce back? The schedule says yes.

Six of their remaining seven games come against teams with losing records, including the two-win Giants and Raiders, the three-win Saints and the three-win Panthers, twice. The only good team the Bucs face the rest of the way are the Chargers (6-3). 

You’ve been warned. Watch out for the Bucs.

Say What?

The Green Bay Packers scored as many touchdowns as their two NFC North rivals, the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings, Sunday. The Packers had a bye.

Chicago, which lost 19-3 to New England, went its second straight game without a touchdown (eight quarters, 23 possessions) and managed just a total of 142 yards against the Pats. Quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked nine times. The Bears last TD came in the final minute of their loss to Washington, just seconds before Jayden Daniels’ Hail Mary.

Minnesota beat Jacksonville, 12-7, on four field goals. It was the first time this season the Vikings did not score at least 20 points. Before Sunday NFL teams that did not score a touchdown and had three or more turnovers were 0-147 since 2010. Now they’re 1-147. 

Dallas Sucks

I’ve heard Eagles fans chant that for years and years. Now, it’s really true. This might be the worst Cowboys team since Jerry/Jimmy’s first year when they went 1-15. There have been some bad years since then, but not this drastically bad. Consider Dallas is 0-4 at home and have been outscored, 153-57. The Cowboys haven’t scored a TD at home since the fourth quarter of a loss to Baltimore in week three. This team needs to be blown up and rebuilt. The question is will Jerry do it?

Young and Restless

Bryce Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, was 2-18 in his first 20 games as a starter for Carolina. Since being benched and then returning to the lineup, Young is 2-1 and has won two straight games. He’s still not No.1 overall pick good, but he might not be that bad.

King Henry 

Baltimore’s Derek Henry has scored a touchdown in all 10 games this season. That’s the fourth longest streak of touchdowns from the start of the season all-time. O.J. Simpson has the longest streak with 14 straight games for Buffalo in 1975, while Jerry Rice (49ers) and John Riggins (Redskins) had 12 straight in 1987 and 1983 respectively. The Ravens visit Pittsburgh this week.

Charging Ahead

Is anyone surprised the Chargers, who were awful a year ago, are 6-3 and likely headed to the AFC playoffs? If you are, you shouldn’t be. All Jim Harbaugh does is win and it doesn’t take him very long to do so. Harbaugh would be a lock for Coach of the Year if it weren’t for Washington’s Dan Quinn. But let’s see what unfolds over the final weeks of the season. 

Current NFL Playoff Seeding

AFC — Kansas City, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Houston, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Denver. NFC — Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Arizona, Minnesota, Washington, Green Bay.