Playoff Percentages For Bucs Still Favorable
December 3rd, 2025
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
It stands to reason that the Bucs’ playoff hopes that a month ago were damn near a cinch have fallen off since the Bucs got slapped around for three straight losses and finally snapped the losing streak Sunday with an uninspiring, slogging three-point win over a team that has lost 9 of its last 10 games and should have a top-five draft pick next spring.
Good thing the Bucs play in the NFC South and not in college football. North Texas and South Florida may have jumped the Bucs in the playoff rankings by now.
Alas, part of the reason why the Bucs’ playoff chances have dropped is that the Stinking Panthers are making a real charge to take control of the NFC South. Entering a bye week this weekend, Carolina is a half-game behind the Bucs on the heels of upsetting the Rams, the same team that absolutely seal-clubbed the Bucs a week ago.
* The Athletic put out their playoff predictor and they have the Bucs at 79 percent to make the playoffs.
* At BSPN, the Bucs also have a 79 percent shot of hosting a playoff game (by winning the sorry NFC South).
* NFL.com is a bit more kind to the Bucs. The league’s house organ has the Bucs at an 84 percent chance of playing in the postseason.
* Aaron Schatz, the inventor of DVOA and former chieftain of Football Outsiders (RIP) has the Bucs at an 83 percent chance of making the playoffs. Based on DVOA, naturally.
* And the website PlayoffStatus.com has the Bucs at 78 percent to make the playoffs.
(You don’t want to know what these sites have for the Bucs’ chances to win the Super Bowl.)
So yeah, the expectations nationally are the Bucs will still make it. Perhaps they believe the Stinking Panthers is going to trip over themselves a few times in the final five games?
Now we need a Bucs Strongest Man competition 👀💪 pic.twitter.com/YIilpIaSu4
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) December 2, 2025
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:16 am
Sure we got shot for the playoffs, fellow buc fans say, yea but we’re 7-5 of course we have shot, but we can’t tackle. I never seen so many big plays as Bucs fan 20+ years it’s so bad. I feel like ok if you dropping Lb’s in coverage have the players who can do that. Dropping Ant Nelson is not healthy.
Where are our leaders on the field saying no more. When we watch the Bucs as fans rarely can we sit back and say we got this, it is always something.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:17 am
Joe, for some reason Todd Bowles offseason “epiphany” keeps popping into my head. Whatever it was hasn’t seemed to flash just yet.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:17 am
Hmm.
Rams clubbed the Bucs like Todd was a rented mule.
Canales beats the Rams with 31 points when Todd and a supposedly superior offense managed 7.
Seems like Carolina is the one with the 79% chance of winning the division unless there is a dramatic and unexpected intervention with the Loafaneers head coich/defenseless curdinator / deer-in-headlights Gizzard / Mr Magoo. These hippodreciians are trying to be a stellar quartet with a trio of pablum spewers.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:18 am
That vid is great. The article about playoff chances pfffft. Doesn’t matter. They gotta win more than Carolina, which looks like a crap shoot right now.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:19 am
Dogs love treats.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:19 am
Ice will melt.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:20 am
Marsupials scare me.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:29 am
Did the scenarios myself, and basically so long as the Bucs beat the Saints, if they split with the Panthers, they’re almost certainly.
If the Bucs lose both games to the Panthers, and yet win all their other games – then they are almost certainly out.
Personally, I assume the Bucs lose in Carolina, but it’s worth noting they won the last two years there, barely, but vs much worse Panthers teams. But if the Bucs lose that game, then likely it comes down to winner takes all to end the season – and frankly if the Bucs got swept by the Panthers, including losing a home game that decides if they go to the playoffs, then they shouldn’t be in.
But, again, still very much assume the Bucs are in – and frankly, coming off a huge win vs the Rams, going into a bye week, it shouldn’t shock me at all if the Panthers lose to the Saints. Not that I think the Panthers are bad, it’s just one of those things a young team tends to do. Sort of how I said last week I thought the Panthers would win vs the Rams — and then lose to the Saints. I got the first half right, hopefully I got the second half right as well.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:50 am
There is no way the man in the photo at the top of the page can instill the urge for any of his players to dominate the man in front of him. Instead, he has them mentally cramped up with his Fugazi pyramid scheme for a defense. Deception and trickery. How about just brutalizing the man in front of you.
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:11 am
I think the Bucs squeak out wins the next two weeks because the ain’ts & fowlclowns suck. If we get Mike and McMillan back and ready to go for the last three games I like our chances.
GO BUCS
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:45 am
Bowles can prepare his team to outsuck anyone if Bowleszo were coaching in 2008 the 0-16 Detroit Lions wouldn’t have been winless. Expecting 7-7 after the next two games is a legitimate expectation. Todd’s Loafaneers.
December 3rd, 2025 at 2:16 am
Problem with Carolina is inconsistency. They beat the Rams but only scored 7 in a home loss to the Saints and also let the Cards beat them. In other words, Canales occasionally does not have his team ready to play. For that reason I expect the Bucs to sneak into the playoffs and promptly get run, just like last year. The Panthers are just the new ATL, not there yet but we as fans will be stuck with Bowles again if it plays out that way; stuck in a rut of mediocrity like the Steelers.