Bucs Don’t Need A Win Over Carolina To Make Playoffs (But It Would Sure Help)

January 2nd, 2024

What the Bucs need to do.

Because of the way the Bucs shat the bed Sunday with terrible play and a grotesque, ill-prepared, p!ss-poor, irresponsible coaching effort against the slimy Saints, Tampa Bay has painted itself into a corner.

The Bucs cannot lose this weekend against the Stinking Panthers.

The NFL released the playoff-clinching scenarios for all teams Monday. Believe it or not, the Bucs do not need a win to make the playoffs. They just can’t lose.

A Bucs loss and the season is over. However, the Bucs can still tie and make the playoffs. The Bucs can even tie and win the NFC South.

Below is what the Bucs need to extend their season by at least one game:

Bucs clinch NFC South if…
* Bucs win Sunday or…
* Bucs tie and the slimy Saints lose or tie.

Bucs clinch a playoff berth if…
* Bucs tie and both Seattle loses and Green Bay loses or ties.

So yeah, the Bucs can make the playoffs if they tie, but the Bucs will need help if they tie.

Win and the Bucs are in.

Lose and Monday for the players is U-Haul day and Tulum time.

36 Responses to “Bucs Don’t Need A Win Over Carolina To Make Playoffs (But It Would Sure Help)”

  1. Derek Says:

    We’ll find out Sunday if the team has already checked out or if they really want it.

  2. Bucfan1988 Says:

    If the Bucs tie the worst team in the NFL this season when they are actually playing for something, that’s a loss in my book 🤦🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️…

    Clean house if this happens!!

  3. Rod Munch Says:

    The Bucs have three ties on record… according to AI, which could be lying, trying to make me look like a fool.

    September 19, 1976
    November 26, 1978
    October 12, 1980

    [AI is lying and made you look like a fool for not checking pro-football-reference.com. You could have found the answer to ties probably quicker from pro-football-reference.com than you could have receive inaccurate information from AI. This AI is notoriously wrong on so much sh!t. — Joe]

  4. Jugheadfla Says:

    Trade up, whatever it takes, for Penix Jr.

  5. Frank Pillow Says:

    Another abysmal performance coming this Sunday. Panthers play hard. We lay down like dogs, come out flat again and take the L 23-17. Search your feelings Bucs fans…you know it to be true. There’s NOTHING that Todd and his Marcus Arroyo imposter OC have done to suggest otherwise.

  6. SlyPirate Says:

    I just don’t understand how the team was so unprepared and unmotivated. It was game 16 for the conference.

  7. Proudbucsfan Says:

    I understand completely, the players we’re playing out the game plan that canal water planed out, except the game plan was exactly what the saints were game planning against us so our play fit right into the saints plan perfectly. That means Canal Water and Toilet Bowles are easy to game plan against.

  8. ModHairKen Says:

    Last week is over. It was a reminder that this is not a good team. It can’t afford to be lazy. And weak.

    It was a reminder to Canales that it doesn’t matter what he wants to do. He has to unleash downfield throws.

    In the end, losing last week cost them very little. They now play the WORST team in the NFL. If they can’t win this week, then the coaches deserve to be fired.

  9. Elite Vita Says:

    This is too good a QB draft to NOT pick a QB. Sunday win or not. Baker Mayfield or not. Even at the 19th pick

  10. I remember 21 Says:

    @ SlyPirate

    Unprepared & unmotivated comes from poor coaching. Besides being a terrible HC in every way possible, bowles has no charisma, no passion, no fire and that is wholly reflected in the team. Win or lose, Brady or Baker, this team has come out flat and soft every single game since bowles took over, and I dare anybody here to say otherwise. All I hear from the Joes & Ira (and other Bucs media as well) is how different bowles is behind the scenes, how he gets fired up and likes to cuss. So we’re talking about at practice? We talkin bout practice? Practice? Where the team looks like world beaters and bowles actually has a personality? Well fat lot of good either of those things does us, see the last 2 years. I think bowles is the most stoic coach in the league RN. Pick any random sample of coaches in the league and look how they act on the sideline. Rivera Belichek Reid Sirianni Tomlin M. McDaniel all very different, all 10x the personality of bowles. Or do this test: if you have subordinates working for you, have them walk somewhere with you. On the way walk slowly, on the way back a little quicker. Did they match your pace? I almost guarantee they did, at least the good ones. Same thing here, the team has taken on bowles’ dispassionate demeanor.

    But people say “the players respect him, they play hard for him.” Do they really tho? Let me tell you a story of 3 super bowl champs, 3 captains: 1 has his agent publicly demand a new contract a week before the season starts and insinuates the team has been slow rolling contract discussions. He’s seen pouting on the sidelines MULTIPLE times early in the season, not celebrating with teammates even. 1 (the coach’s supposed “like a son”) publicly demands a trade when told he’s not gonna get extended before the season, then pulls an AB (now that I’m not getting what I want, my injury is too serious to play thru) and sits out a game when he (for the first time in his 5 year career I might add) is held accountable for his poor play and benched. 1 allows his wife, high school sweetheart and ride or die, to publicly accuse his HC of LYING to the media about his injury to explain his lack of inclusion in game plans. This is respect? To whom are these things a sign of respect and a desire to play hard for your coach???

    @ Jughead

    I have family that follow Penix’s previous school and he has suffered multiple hellacious injuries already. I know he had/is having a very special season, but with his size and injury history, I’d pass on him, definitely wouldn’t trade up for him. I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about Bo Nix for us. 4500+ yards, good TD/INT ratio, incredible completion percentages the last 2 years. Think potentially Brees with a little more height and mobility. Plus I think he’s a little more under the radar than the current “top 4” QBs so he might fall to us. Something to think about for sure.

  11. HC Grover Says:

    If there is a way to lose. Bowles can find it.

  12. Citrus County Says:

    I remember 21 Says:

    You make a very good point about the 3 champs/ 3 captains.

    Business is business but the players have inside information. I’d really like to know what they think about last year and the sabotage.

  13. DungyDance Says:

    So past tense, you can say “shat.” But present tense, you have to say “sh!t.” Are you sharting me?

  14. gp Says:

    Rod Munch Says:
    January 2nd, 2024 at 12:56 am

    The Bucs have three ties on record… according to AI, which could be lying, trying to make me look like a fool.

    September 19, 1976
    November 26, 1978
    October 12, 1980

    [AI is lying and made you look like a fool for not checking pro-football-reference.com. You could have found the answer to ties probably quicker from pro-football-reference.com than you could have receive inaccurate information from AI. This AI is notoriously wrong on so much sh!t. — Joe]

    *************************************************************

    GIGO

  15. Allbuccedup Says:

    Bucs lose they are out period. Winner of Falcons Saints division winner based on division record. Rams, Eagles or Cowboys willl have a better record and Seattle wins tiebreaker. A lose they are out. Lets see how they respond.

  16. Jeremy Goins Says:

    Maybe they lost because NFL told em to lose. It makes for an interesting week 18

  17. Bosch Says:

    Don’t tell Bowles. He’ll have them playing for a tie.

  18. Mark hardt Says:

    2 tds and 2 int for 309 is actually a decent day for an NFL QB this year. The issue is Baker has to be perfect because Canales does not give him chances to make up for it. I think Flacco had 2 int in a win recently. The difference was Stefanski let him throw it again. Canales gets this loss for not going to the no huddle 3 series earlier. Running into the line 3 scores down in the 3rd is what lost the game not Baker.

  19. TomBucsFan Says:

    if we lose then bye bye Bowles

  20. orlbucfan Says:

    Are we Bucs fans or a laughingstock of phonies? Seriously. Bucs will win Sunday. I guess the lot of you weren’t listening to the players postgame. They were well away they shat the bed, and embarrassed by it. I still say the Offense needs to get in Canales’ face!

  21. Lord Cornelius Says:

    I’m like on the fence in terms of Bowles confidence meter.

    Just win convincingly so we can feel decent going into the playoffs. If we barely win against a garbage Carolina team and then get blown out in the playoffs that’s going to be a hard sell on coaching confidence.

  22. PewterStiffArm Says:

    Let’s stop the crap and go get the damn win!!

  23. Rusty Shackleford Says:

    The Bucs have ONE tie on record. 1980. Garo Yepremian missed a couple of chip shots and the Packers kicker missed a walk off on the final play of OT. Bucs came close to another tie in the 2005 thriller over Atlanta, but Matt Bryant bailed us out.

  24. Mike Johnson Says:

    Coach Bowles and players…Please be ready for the Panthers on Sunday. This is their Superbowl. They have nothing to lose and many will be playing for jobs next year. So they are not going to mail it in. Panthers will fight hard. Maybe even harder than the Saints. Don’t embarrass us Bucs like you did this past Sunday.

  25. BRJ Says:

    a grotesque, ill-prepared, p!ss-poor, irresponsible coaching effort…sums up the whole problem the Bucs have.

  26. Mike Johnson Says:

    No team with a losing record deserves to go to or be in any playoffs..Period. We did not deserve it last year and won’t if we lose against the Panthers.

  27. brooks Says:

    23-17 Carolina

  28. D-Rok Says:

    Who cares? This team, over the season, is not competitive.

    Even if they win against the Pathetic Panthers, the Bucs are still pathetic this year.

    No identity. No compassion, nor passion.

    Let’s face it fellas, this team sucks.

    #Pathetic

  29. Rod Munch Says:

    I had a very stern discussion with the AI and asked it why it lied to me, and it said it was very sorry about that, and it will try to do better next time.

    So I asked it again and it said the Bucs have never had a game end in OT.

    I could go double check the facts, but I’m living in the future, where we let the robots do everything for us.

  30. Rod Munch Says:

    Joe, I had the AI write you this poem as a way to apologize for lying…

    ——–

    To Joe, whose trust I did misplace,
    By error’s hand, not by disgrace,
    In speaking of the Bucs’ fierce fight,
    Three overtimes — a claim not right.

    I offer now my heartfelt verse,
    For inaccuracy, a gentle curse.
    In realms of sport, where facts reign king,
    Missteps can be a grievous thing.

    The gridiron tales of Tampa’s team,
    Are filled with struggle, hope, and dream.
    Yet in my words, a fault did creep,
    A misstep, unintended, deep.

    No triple overtime did grace,
    Their history or their storied chase.
    My words, though flawed, were not in jest,
    But still, I failed the truth’s stern test.

    So Joe, accept my humble plea,
    A sorry from a voice, now free
    Of error’s shadow, dark and cold,
    In future tales that will be told.

    May trust again be ours to share,
    In sport, in life, in moments rare.
    With honesty, I’ll strive to be,
    A source of truth, in clarity.

  31. BAKERSBucs says Says:

    For all u haters I (hope) baker goes to Atlanta next year u morons put Trask in his place I will laugh like never before cause they certainly falcons will be in the win division mode once again baker will be bucs worst nitemare for many seasons to come choke on Trask morons

  32. BAKERSBucs says Says:

    Rodmunvkin is a total moron

  33. BAKERSBucs says Says:

    It certainly looked liket.palmer dropped that baker bomb for no good reason wtf was that

  34. BAKERSBucs says Says:

    I have if baker is so bad how the hell is hisvstats 2023 in the leaguebtop tier qb’s it doesn’t matter what u spew those r the hard facts all the other teams have nothing but good things to say bout baker except u haters & u r opinions don’t matter that’s a fact didn’t u r mother ever tell u if u don’t have something good to say then keep u r mouth SHUT

  35. Kevin Says:

    Bucs don’t need a new qb. Got a #1 draft pick in baker mayfield.

  36. Kirb Stomp Says:

    You’d think we were on a 5 game losing streak with how some people are commenting. Go Bucs!