NFC Playoff Picture: Win-And-In for Buccaneers After Comeback Victory
Tom Brady loves a good comeback win over the Falcons, and by doing so on Sunday, the Bucs kept their playoff hopes alive and strong.
With back-to-back wins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-5) are right behind the New Orleans Saints (10-4) for the NFC South title. It took a very slow first half to sort things out, but Brady and wide receiver Antonio Brown clicked in the second half, which led to a 31-27 victory over Atlanta.
By doing so, they raised their chances of making the playoffs to 98 percent. A win over the Detroit Lions this week would clinch a playoff berth. A win, plus a Los Angeles Rams loss to the Seattle Seahawks, would bump the Buccaneers up to the No. 5 seed entering Week 17.
Brady is no stranger to coming back against the Atlanta Falcons, having overcome a 25 point deficit with the Patriots to win a Super Bowl at their expense. This time around, it was a 17-point halftime deficit that Tampa Bay was facing before the six-time Super Bowl champion worked his magic for victory.
This team has struggled while on the hunt for their first postseason appearance since 2007. At times this offense has looked like one of the best in the league, but too often, they've looked completely out of sync. Following Sunday's 31-27 win, head coach Bruce Arians reminded his players that these slow starts won't hold any weight against consistent playoff teams.
“That’s what I talked to them about,” Arians said after Sunday’s game. “We lost to the Chiefs and the Rams by three (points). Both of those games spotting them (points) and playing this way. It’s not going to happen. You’re not going to beat those good teams playing this way. We’ve got to play better in the first half than we played today.”
As things stand, there are seven teams in the NFC that are .500 or better. The Bucs are 1-4 against those teams.
Current NFC playoff picture
1. Green Bay Packers (11-3, clinched)
2. New Orleans Saints (10-4, clinched)
3. Seattle Seahawks (10-4, clinched)
4. Washington Football Team (6-8)
5. Los Angeles Rams (9-5)
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-5)
7. Arizona Cardinals (8-6)
In the hunt: Chicago Bears (7-7), Minnesota Vikings (6-8), Dallas Cowboys (5-9), New York Giants (5-9), Philadelphia Eagles (4-9-1)
