After losing Chris Godwin for the season and having Mike Evans sidelined for three games, it’s a minor miracle that the Buccaneers are in the playoff hunt.
Tampa Bay has fought their way through adversity and found themselves with an 8-7 record ahead of Week 17. With two weeks to play, the Buccaneers have a pair of pivotal matchups that will play a key role in their ability to make an appearance in the postseason.
Carolina is up next on the schedule for Baker Mayfield and company. Let’s take a look at the Buccaneers’ updated playoff picture as they prepare to host the Panthers this week.
WEEK 17 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers
Buccaneers playoff picture
After losing former offensive coordinator Dave Canales to the Panthers, there were questions as to whether Tampa Bay would be able to recreate their offensive success from last year. Well, Liam Coen has stepped in and the offense seemingly hasn’t missed a beat.
Baker Mayfield is having a career year and he’ll have to keep the offense going in order to send the Buccaneers to the playoffs for a fifth straight season.
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Lions | 13-2 |
| 2 | Eagles | 12-3 |
| 3 | Rams | 10-6 |
| 4 | Falcons | 8-7 |
| 5 | Vikings | 13-2 |
| 6 | Packers | 11-4 |
| 7 | Commanders | 10-5 |
| 8 | Seahawks | 9-7 |
| 9 | Buccaneers | 8-7 |
At this point, the Buccaneers are on the outside looking in when it comes to the 2024 playoffs. They’re not eliminated just yet, but they’ll need some help to clinch a playoff berth.
Tampa Bay’s clearest path to making the playoffs is by winning the NFC South. However, with the same record as the Falcons, while also losing the head-to-head record tiebreaker to Atlanta, the Buccaneers no longer control their own destiny in the division.
In order to win the division, one of two things need to happen in the next two weeks. Tampa Bay will have to go 2-0 with the Falcons losing at least one game. The Buccaneers can also go 1-1 while Atlanta finishes the year 0-2.
MORE NFL WEEK 17:
Buccaneers remaining 2024 schedule
Luckily, the Buccaneers have a relatively easy remaining schedule to close out the season.
There are no free wins in the NFL, but the Panthers and Saints are two teams you don’t mind seeing on the schedule if your team needs to rattle off a couple of wins.
If the Buccaneers are able to win both of these games, they’ll need Atlanta to drop at least one game against the Commanders or Panthers to secure the NFC South.
| Date | Matchup | Opponent’s current record | Time (ET) |
| Dec. 29 | vs. Panthers | 4-11 | 1:00 p.m. |
| Jan. 5 | vs. New Orleans | 5-10 | TBD |
NFL DRAFT NEWS:
Buccaneers’ updated playoff chances
As we move into Week 17, ESPN’s power index places Tampa Bay’s odds of making the playoffs at 58.1 percent. Relatively easy matchups for the Buccaneers and a meeting with the Commanders for the Falcons are quite helpful for Tampa Bay.
