ESPN Analyst Gives Take on Buccaneers' NFC South Chances After Week 12

Will the Tampa Bay Buccaneers upend the Atlanta Falcons for the NFC South?

East Rutherford, NJ -- November 24, 2024 -- Sean Tucker of Tampa Bay scores a TD in the first half as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to MetLife Stadium to play the New York Giants. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started off hot after their bye week, defeating the New York Giants handily 30-7. They're 5-6, they have an incredibly easy rest of their schedule and the Atlanta Falcons seem to be on a bit of a downturn as of recent. Should the Bucs continue this run, a fourth-straight division title may not be as out of reach as it seems.

Still, that's a tough ask. The Bucs don't control their own destiny, and it's something ESPN writer Dan Graziano noted in an ESPN article detailing overreactions and underreactions from the NFL's Week 12 slate. Graziano mentioned that the Buccaneers deserve respect for what they've done in the past, but given their reliance on the Falcons, them winning the division would be an overreaction at this stage.

Here is a little of what Graziano had to say about Tampa Bay:

"But the problem with coming from behind is very specific: Tampa Bay doesn't play Atlanta again, so it can't make up ground by beating the Falcons head-to-head. Plus, the Falcons won both of the games they played against the Buccaneers earlier this season and own the tiebreaker, which means simply tying Atlanta wouldn't be enough to give Tampa Bay the division. The Falcons should come back from their bye rested and able to win three of their final five games, which would mean the Bucs would have to go 5-0 the rest of the way to pull this off."

READ MORE: Who Was Tampa Bay Buccaneers 'X-Factor' in 30-7 Win Over Giants?

Tampa Bay's two losses to the Falcons do, in fact, put it in a bit of a tough spot. It will need the Atlanta Falcons to falter, too, and although Atlanta has looked worse, it's hard to rely on another team to help you make the playoffs. The Buccaneers could make a Wild Card too, of course, but with three dominant teams in the NFC North in the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, 10 wins may not even be enough for that.

That won't stop Tampa Bay from trying, though. And that quest continues on Sunday when the team faces off against the Carolina Panthers on the road in Charlotte, North Carolina for the team's first matchup against former offensive coordinator Dave Canales.

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