Buccaneers’ Playoff Path Takes Brutal Turn After Falcons Beat Rams

The losses have finally caught up to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it did so in the most frustrating way possible on Monday night. 

After the Atlanta Falcons beat the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night, Tampa Bay officially lost control of its playoff destiny. 

This has been a reality that had been looming for weeks but is now unavoidable. 

As Yahoo Sports noted, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman pointed toward the Bucs loss on Sunday to the Dolphins. 

“Had they won, they’d have full control. They lost control of their destiny with the loss.” 

Now, with the Falcons win over the Rams, if Atlanta beats the Saints in Week 18, the Carolina Panthers win the NFC South regardless of whether the Buccaneers beat Carolina.

Even with all three teams finishing 8-9, Carolina would win the three-way tiebreaker based on head-to-head results. 

In other words, Tampa Bay’s season could end without the Bucs having any say in it. 

---

Bucs No Longer Control Their Own Destiny 

This is the nightmare scenario Buccaneers fans hoped to avoid tonight. 

This scenario was not talked about a lot in mainstream media because many just assumed the 11-4 Rams would easily take care of the Falcons as heavy favorites. 

But that did not happen as Atlanta pulled off the major upset.

The Buccaneers-Panthers game is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The Bucs can win and do their part but it still might not matter.

If the Falcons follow up their Rams win by beating New Orleans on Sunday, the division is over. Carolina clinches. Tampa Bay is out. That’s the math, and there’s no spinning it.

The cruel timing only adds to the tension.  

The Buccaneers will finish their game Saturday night and immediately be forced into scoreboard-watching mode the following day. 

For a franchise that’s dominated the NFC South, winning the division each of the last four years, this position is extremely unfamiliar territory. 

---

Tampa Bay’s Missed Opportunities 

That’s what makes this sting the most. Tampa Bay didn’t get unlucky. They let this happen.

The Bucs have not been playing good football since the midway point of the season, losing six of their last seven games after a 6-2 start. 

But the real unraveling started with the home loss to Atlanta in Week 14, a game the Buccaneers had in hand before collapsing late. 

They blew a 14 point lead with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to lose 29-28. 

The next week, the Bucs had yet another chance to take control of the division until Baker Mayfield threw an interception on the final drive against Carolina. 

Sunday’s loss to Miami only made matters worse. 

It was yet another missed opportunity, another game defined by mistakes and poor execution when it mattered most. 

Now the Buccaneers have to take care of business against Carolina and need additional help. 

Even with a win over the Panthers, Tampa still needs the Saints to beat Atlanta just to keep their season alive. 

For most of the season, the Buccaneers controlled their own destiny. Now, in Week 18, their season rests in the hands of a divisional rival.

Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.

This article was originally published on Heavy Sports

The post Buccaneers’ Playoff Path Takes Brutal Turn After Falcons Beat Rams appeared first on Heavy Sports.