There’s no more room for error in Tampa Bay’s bid for a fourth straight playoff appearance. Win Sunday’s regular-season finale at last-place Carolina, and the Buccaneers are in as NFC South champions. “All we need is a chance to get in,” quarterback Baker Mayfield reiterated, “and we’re still sitting where we need to be.”
Quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wasted an opportunity to clinch their third consecutive NFC South championship. “Ribs don’t feel too good," said Mayfield, who finished the game and expects to play in next Sunday's regular-season finale at Carolina. The successful 2-point throw to Chris Godwin was wiped out by a penalty when officials determined the receiver stepped out of the end zone before stepping back in to make a catch that would have trimmed what once a 20-point deficit to 23-15 with 1:37 remaining.
The tight NFC South race is going down to the final week of the regular season. Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints beat Tampa Bay 23-13 on Sunday, climbing back into a tie with the Buccaneers for first place in the NFL's only division that doesn't include a team with a winning record. The Bucs (8-8) missed out on an opportunity to clinch their third straight NFC South title, sputtering most of the game offensively while Carr threw for two touchdowns and the Saints (8-8) intercepted Baker Mayfield twice and also forced two fumbles.
It doesn’t seem to matter who’s coaching or playing quarterback, the NFC South almost always comes down to who seizes the upper hand between New Orleans and Tampa Bay. The teams have combined to win the past six division championships and are locked in another tight race this season, with the first-place Buccaneers (8-7) aiming to clinch a third straight title when they host the Saints (7-8) on Sunday. “It’s definitely hard to dominate any division,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said.