A team nobody wants to play.
Going 6-1 to end the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting hot at the right time.
Tampa Bay played leapfrog with the Atlanta Falcons all season. The Bucs’ 10-7 record eventually coming out on top of the Falcons’ 8-9.
The Bucs took home their fourth straight NFC South title, tying the New Orleans Saints for most in division history at seven.
Tampa also became – along with the Buffalo Bills – the first two teams in league history to beat two 14+ win teams in the same season. They beat the Eagles (14-3) in Week 4, and the Detroit Lions (15-2) in Week 2.
Tampa also now become the only NFC team to be in the playoffs in each of the last five seasons.
Mike Evans also became just the second player ever to record 1,000+ receiving yards in 11 straight seasons.
He got just the right amount of yards needed, in a final emotional play against the Saints who – in fairness – essentially let Evans get the five yards he needed.
All my respect for a very classy move, Saints.
Onto Wild Card Weekend
The Bucs will now host the Washington Commanders on Wild Card Weekend, a repeat of the first game of this season.
Tampa came out 37-20 victors in that game.
Jayden Daniels threw for two touchdowns on that occasion, showing what kind of player he would become.
Washington are looking for their first playoff win since 2006. That win was ironically against Tampa, also in the NFC Wild Card round.
It should be an exciting game: two great offenses and two poor defenses, with two great quarterbacks to boot.
I believe that Tampa will have the edge. The Bucs have been here before, this squad has done this before.
After that, who knows how far the Bucs can go. They would probably play the Philadelphia Eagles, and then most likely the Detroit Lions.
This means that the Bucs’ most likely playoff opponents to reach the Super Bowl are all teams they have played this season.
The Bucs are 3-0 this season against the Eagles, Commanders, and Lions.
Could this mean that the Bucs might be on course to make the Super Bowl for the third time since 2000? Only time will tell.
If everyone can stay healthy, and Baker Mayfield can limit turnovers, there is no team that Tampa Bay cannot beat.
The Super Bowl is absolutely on the cards, why not?
