Bucs Could Be A Playoff Team At 8-9
December 21st, 2025
A quick apology for confusion here.
Last week, Joe wrote a post explaining how the Bucs can be an 8-9 team and make the playoffs. That is and was correct.
But a lot of fans have heard otherwise and Joe mistakenly went along with that here and published that incorrectly earlier today.
Simply stated: the Bucs will make the playoffs with a split of the remaining two games against Carolina and a Panthers loss next week to Seattle OR a Bucs loss next week to Miami. That’s the math, as the Bucs would own the “common opponents” tiebreaker in those scenarios. So the Bucs can lose today, then lose in Miami next week if the Panthers lose next week to the Seahawks, and clinch the division by beating the Panthers at home to close the season.
For those who want more detail, you can study all the Panthers’ playoff-cliniching scenarios as published by USA Today. or refer back to Joe’s post that provided detail from the Panthers’ official website.
December 21st, 2025 at 10:09 am
🤮
This is, well has been a BAD football team all year.
Little resemblance to what you see when you watch the top teams play in 2025 .
Hoping and ah wishing ain’t the formula!
🤮
December 21st, 2025 at 10:10 am
Vance Joseph, Brian Flores, or Todd Monken in 2026.
December 21st, 2025 at 10:12 am
Pretty stupid post they don’t win they don’t go
December 21st, 2025 at 10:16 am
No to Vance Joseph. He was Br
December 21st, 2025 at 10:19 am
No to Vance Joseph. He was Broncos HC before and did not do well. Payton brought him back as DC, that seemw to be his ceiling.
Moncken would be perfect.
December 21st, 2025 at 10:22 am
Who cares!!!!!!!!!!
December 21st, 2025 at 10:28 am
🤢🤢🤮
December 21st, 2025 at 10:29 am
No to Joseph, NFL retread. No to Monken, he does not impress me at all with the weapons the Ravens have. Monken is no Ben Johnson.
I wrote on this recently. There are no newbie Ben Johnsons out there that are no brainers. No Jim Barbaughs to hire away from college. Not a good year to need to find a new HC. And there will be 5 – 7 other teams competing to hire a HC. Do you want a another lost decade of Rah, Schiano, Lovie, Koetter?
Flores is possible and I would give Mr Clean another shot, maybe. Neither is ideal for the Bucs. The Bucs need an offensive HC, but there are NONE out there that I would think worthy.
December 21st, 2025 at 10:31 am
with a moderately healthy group on offense the bucs should have a 3 game win streak to finish the regular season.
December 21st, 2025 at 10:34 am
And to prevent anyone from looking completely stupid, please don’t suggest Jon Gruden. The end of his time with the Bucs was really the beginning of the Lost Decade as he left the team with NO TALENT due to his control over personnel
December 21st, 2025 at 10:36 am
Very likely. Or 8-8-1 as close to .500 he can get.
December 21st, 2025 at 10:37 am
With a horrible defense the Bucs should lose the next three games
December 21st, 2025 at 10:42 am
No to Joseph or Flores.
The next head coach HAS to be offensive side. Klint Kubiak.
December 21st, 2025 at 10:45 am
Not sure why making the playoffs even matters. With this defense, this team isn’t going anywhere. Time is past for wholesale defensive changes. When you can’t cover, tackle, or stop a lousy team on 3rd and 28, those are clues.
December 21st, 2025 at 10:46 am
SB~LV Says:
This is, well has been a BAD football team all year.
Little resemblance to what you see when you watch the top teams play in 2025 .
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It’s been a bad team the past couple months but was not a bad team earlier in the year when it beat Seattle and San Francisco, who’s combined record is
22 – 7. (Of the 7 games lost between the two teams, 2 of those losses were to the Bucs).
December 21st, 2025 at 11:24 am
StormyInFl … ‘The next head coach HAS to be offensive side. Klint Kubiak.’
Wouldn’t mind Kubiak, but NOT if he’s gonna dual-hat himself as HC AND OC. Same with Monken. Very few can successfully wear BOTH hats and be successful.
December 21st, 2025 at 11:25 am
Been there done that. Serious regression.
This team does not belong in the playoffs.
I just hope, if they do make the playoffs, it is to a team that travels well. Maybe I won’t have to take a massive loss selling my playoff tickets that way
December 21st, 2025 at 11:36 am
Hire Gruden. He would come back grateful and humble and is exactly what this team needs. Licht is no Bruce Allen. He would easily keep Gruden under control.
December 21st, 2025 at 11:48 am
Defense Rules Says:
Wouldn’t mind Kubiak, but NOT if he’s gonna dual-hat himself as HC AND OC. Same with Monken. Very few can successfully wear BOTH hats and be successful.
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IMO, Bowles should have either stayed as the DC or become HC, but not worn both hats. As DC, his defense held Mahomes & the Chief to ZERO TD’s in the SuperBowl, which was amazing! If something isn’t broken, don’t fix it. The Bucs quality of defense has declined since them. Some of that due to losing players like Suh & JPP, but there’s no way that anyone can focus entirely on defense while also taking on HC duties.
December 21st, 2025 at 12:18 pm
The worst possible outcome will be limping into the playoffs at 8-9 and the Glazers keeping Bowles around. I absolutely see this as the most likely outcome.
December 21st, 2025 at 12:50 pm
I am beyond orgasmic about the possibility of an 8-9 team making the playoffs