Buccaneers Draw Even With Falcons, Have Chance at NFC South Lead in Week 14

Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.

Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Yaya Diaby (0) celebrates with defensive tackle Calijah Kancey (94) after recovering a fumble in overtime in overtime at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Things looked dire for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after dropping three games in a row before the bye week. Now, two weeks after that bye week, the Buccaneers have a chance to reclaim their division.

The Buccaneers won their game against the division-rival Carolina Panthers on Sunday in a 26-23 overtime battle, moving to 6-6 on the year. The win was a necessity to keep the team's playoff hopes alive, and it drew the team even with the Atlanta Falcons, who lost their third game in a row and now stand at 6-6 themselves.

Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA	Home	Away	Strk.
Atlanta Falcons	6	6	0	.500	257	291	3-4	3-2	L3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6	6	0	.500	335	296	2-4	4-2	W2
New Orleans Saints	4	8	0	.333	276	281	3-4	1-4	L1
Carolina Panthers	3	9	0	.250	217	366	2-5	1-4	L2

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Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, they lost both games against the Falcons, which means that Atlanta holds an outright tiebreaker over them for the division lead. As a result, the Buccaneers will have to win one more game than the Falcons do at the end of the year to win the division, so room for error remains slim. That being said, the Buccaneers face a quite poor Ravens team at home in Week 14, while the Falcons face a 10-win Vikings squad on the road — should the Bucs win their matchup and the Falcons lose theirs, Tampa Bay will once again be on top of the NFC South after Week 14.

The New Orleans Saints, meanwhile, dropped their game to the Los Angeles Rams, putting them two games back at 4-8. The Buccaneers will play the Raiders in Week 14 while the Falcons deal with the Vikings, the Panthers face off against the Philadelphia Eagles on the road and the Saints face the New York Giants in East Rutherford.

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