Buccaneers' NFC South Hopes Look Grim Following Falcons Loss

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a lot of work to do for the rest of the year if they want to win the NFC South over the Atlanta Falcons.

Oct 27, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (15) gets tackled by Atlanta Falcons defensive back Mike Hughes (21) in the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons was a very important one. And now that the Bucs have lost it, things are looking grim for their division hopes for the rest of the season.

The Buccaneers played the Falcons on Sunday for the second time after dropping the first game against them in Week 5 in heartbreaking fashion. Tampa Bay lost that game by six points in overtime, but they dropped this game by five, losing 31-26 at home. The Bucs can still make the playoffs as a wild card — and even still win the NFC South — but their playoff chances took a big nosedive on Sunday.

Here's what the current NFC South table looks like:

Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA	Home	Away	Strk.
Atlanta Falcons	5	3	0	.625	194	195	2-3	3-0	W1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4	4	0	.500	235	214	2-3	2-1	L2
New Orleans Saints	2	6	0	.250	185	206	1-3	1-3	L6
Carolina Panthers	1	7	0	.125	124	271	0-3	1-4	L5

READ MORE: 3 Up, 3 Down From the Buccaneers' Week 8 Loss to the Falcons

Tampa Bay no longer holds the divisional tiebreaker over the Atlanta Falcons, who are 4-0 in the NFC South and 2-0 on the Bucs. As a result, the Buccaneers would have to finish the remainder of the season having won one more game than the Falcons — in other words, they'll have to win two more games over the Falcons in the next nine weeks of play. This is possible, as the Bucs have an easy schedule from here on out, but it's highly improbable given that they no longer control their own destiny.

Per the Athletic's playoff projections, the Buccaneers have just a 24% to make the playoffs and an 11% chance to win the NFC South. Meanwhile, the Falcons have an 86% chance to make the playoffs and an 83% chance to win the division.

The Bucs have a lot of work to do, and it won't get easier before the bye week. Tampa Bay will play the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 9 and then will face the San Francisco 49ers at home in Week 10.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 season.

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