Bucs understand win-and-you’re-in urgency in finale vs. Panthers

Greg Auman

NFC South Reporter

The Bucs were already talking about treating every game like a playoff game five weeks ago, so of course, there’s no need to manufacture any lose-and-go-home urgency for Sunday’s regular-season finale against Carolina.

The threat is very real. If Tampa Bay loses — to the team with the worst record in the NFL — then the Bucs’ season is over, a colossal disappointment after a four-game winning streak had them at 8-7 with two weeks left, one win away from clinching a third straight NFC South title.

“We’ve been stressing that all year: You’ve got to earn everything,” coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday. “Like I told them: ‘Nobody’s going to give you anything.’ You earn everything you get in this league. Whether you’re the best of teams or the worst of teams, you’re going to earn everything you get every week.”

The Bucs could have clinched the division last week on their home field, but they fell well short of that, falling behind 20-0 in the fourth quarter on the way to a 23-13 loss to the Saints. That kept the door open for the Saints and Falcons, who meet Sunday in New Orleans. If the Bucs lose to Carolina, the winner of Saints-Falcons gets the division title, perhaps even with a losing record. 

If win-and-you’re-in wasn’t enough to motivate the Bucs last week, the flip side — lose and you’re out — will add to that drive on Sunday.

And to add more drama to the week, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield took a shot to his ribs on a two-point conversion in the final minutes of Sunday’s loss to the Saints, and while X-rays came back negative, he was in significant pain coming off the field. The Bucs had only a walkthrough practice Wednesday, but Bowles said Mayfield would not have participated had it been a full practice. The quarterback, who has pushed through multiple injuries to start every game and play all but three snaps this season, made it clear he intends to play.

“I’ll do…

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Publish date : 2024-01-03 21:14:35

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