"Race to 10" Now "Must Win"

A look at the remaining schedule of the 8-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Past:

WIN 17-14 Cleveland; Buccaneers Ranked #27

WIN 20-7 Carolina; Buccaneers Ranked #20

LOSS 38-13 Pittsburgh; Buccaneers Ranked #22

WIN 24-21 Cincinnati; Buccaneers Ranked #17

LOSS 31-6 New Orleans; Buccaneers Ranked #19

WIN 18-17 Saint Louis; Buccaneers Ranked #17

WIN 38-35 Arizona; Buccaneers Ranked #13

LOSS 21-28 Atlanta; Buccaneers Ranked #13

WIN 31-20 Carolina, Buccaneers Ranked #13

WIN 21-0 San Francisco; Buccaneers Ranked #12

LOSS 17-10 Baltimore; Buccaneers Ranked #13

LOSS 28-24 Atlanta; Buccaneers Ranked #13 

WIN 17-16 Washington; Buccaneers Ranked #12 

LOSS 23-20 Detroit; Buccaneers Ranked #15 (Current NFL expert ranking)

Up Next:

Seattle (6-8)  #22

Upcoming:

@New Orleans (10-4)  #6

Nothing to predict now:  to reach 10 wins the Buccaneers must win their remaining two games.  Due to the top-heavy strength of the NFC this season, even if Tampa Bay wins their next two they still need the correct combination of other teams to lose to make the playoffs.

One year after 3-13 and a 10-win season may not be enough to make the playoffs.  That's harsh!!

Playoffs Situation: Wildcard Is The Only Option

The Buccaneers have moved to the cusp of the NFC Playoffs, and the stars and planets have aligned to possibly push the Buccaneers into an even tighter race by this time next week.

The chart below is a snapshot of "if the season ended today".  The (+) means the Buccaneers would win the tiebreaker if Tampa Bay finishes with the same record (because of a head-to-head win).  A (-) means the Buccaneers would lose the same tiebreaker scenario.  An asterisk (*) means a future opponent.

Remember that division winners, regardless of record, make the playoffs. Here is how the NFC breaks down as of today:

Division Winners With First Round Bye

11-2 (South) Atlanta Falcons (-)

9-4 (North) Chicago Bears

Division Winners With First Round Home Game

9-4 (East) Philadelphia Eagles

6-7 (West) St. Louis Rams (+)

Wildcards

10-3 (South) New Orleans Saints (-)

9-4 (East) New York Giants

Outside Looking In

8-5 (South) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

8-5 (North) Green Bay Packers

6-7 (West) Seattle Seahawks *

Eliminated as Wildcard Possibility

5-8 (North) Minnesota Vikings

5-8 (East) Washington Redskins (+)

5-9 (West) San Francisco 49ers (+)

4-9 (West) Arizona Cardinals (+)

4-9 (East) Dallas Cowboys

3-10 (North) Detroit Lions *

1-12 (South) Carolina Panthers (+)

With two losses to the Falcons and only three games remaining, the Buccaneers are eliminated from winning the NFC South this season.  They can only make the playoffs as a Wildcard team.

With three games remaining and the Giants having 9 wins, nobody with less than six wins can overtake the Giants and qualify for the playoffs as a Wildcard.  Some of the wildcard-eliminated teams can still win their division (49ers, Cardinals) and make the playoffs, but they will not take a spot from the Buccaneers.

Key Games

First and foremost, the Buccaneers must win at home against the Detroit Lions.  A loss would leave the Buccaneers' playoffs chances hanging by the thinnest of threads.

Secondly, The Buccaneers are only competing with four teams for a spot in the playoffs anymore:  the Saints, Giants, Packers, and Seahawks.  We need these teams to lose this weekend.  Their match-ups this weekend:

• New Orleans Saints AT the Baltimore Ravens
• New York Giants HOME against the Philadelphia Eagles
• Green Bay Packers AT the New England Patriots
• Seattle Seahawks HOME against the Atlanta Falcons.

Each team has a competitive game this weekend against another playoff teams -- all four have a respectable chance of falling the right way for the Buccaneers to gain on their competition.

Eliminators

Other playoff implications:

• If the Saint Louis Rams win this weekend, the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals are completely eliminated from the playoffs this season.
• If the Seattle Seahawks win this weekend, the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals are completely eliminated from the playoffs this season.
• If the Seattle Seahawks lose this weekend, they cannot qualify for the playoffs as a wildcard:  they must win their division (and cannot take a Wildcard position from the Buccaneers).
• If the Saint Louis Rams lose this weekend, they cannot qualify for the playoffs as a wildcard:  they must win their division.

This could end up being a watershed weekend for the Pewter Pirates.  The Buccaneers, Saints, and Giants play early games, the Seattle Seahawks player later in the afternoon, and the Green Bay Packers are the Sunday Night Football match-up.  So get everything done Saturday -- there is a full and important day of football coming on Sunday!

"Race to 10" Update: Week 14

A peek ahead at the upcoming schedule of the 8-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Past:

WIN 17-14 Cleveland; Buccaneers Ranked #27

WIN 20-7 Carolina; Buccaneers Ranked #20

LOSS 38-13 Pittsburgh; Buccaneers Ranked #22

WIN 24-21 Cincinnati; Buccaneers Ranked #17

LOSS 31-6 New Orleans; Buccaneers Ranked #19

WIN 18-17 Saint Louis; Buccaneers Ranked #17

WIN 38-35 Arizona; Buccaneers Ranked #13

LOSS 21-28 Atlanta; Buccaneers Ranked #13

WIN 31-20 Carolina, Buccaneers Ranked #13

WIN 21-0 San Francisco; Buccaneers Ranked #12

LOSS 17-10 Baltimore; Buccaneers Ranked #13

LOSS 28-24 Atlanta; Buccaneers Ranked #13 

WIN 17-16 Washington; Buccaneers Ranked #12 (Current NFL expert ranking)

Up Next:

Detroit (3-10)  #28

Upcoming:

Seattle (6-7)  #20

@New Orleans (10-3)  #3

Remaining Schedule Cumulative Record: 19-20

This is it.  Crunch time.  Meaningful games in December.  The Stretch Run.  The Playoff Push.  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a tight race and cannot afford to do what the Green Bay Packers did last weekend -- lose to the Detroit Lions.  Can you believe that 3-13 last year could finish as high as 11-5 this season??

Using the NFL.com expert consensus rankings (which change weekly), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still on course for a 10-6 finish!  I wish I knew for sure it would be enough for a playoff spot but the NFC is top heavy this season -- it should be good enough!!

Buccaneers Can Finish Off Redskins This Weekend

Ahhh, Revenge -- A Dish Best Served Cold!

This weekend, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the 5-7 Washington Redskins and the architect of the Great Collapse of 2007, Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen.  Allen, who prefers 30+ year old quarterbacks (Brad Johnson, Brian Griese, Jeff Garcia, now Donovan McNabb), has constructed one of the oldest rosters in the NFL with 18 players (33% of the 53-man roster) having 8+ years of NFL experience.  The list of long-tooths include the suspended Albert Haynesworth and three on injured reserve:  Clinton Portis, Mike Furrey, and Josh Bidwell (a punter on the Buccaneers roster in . . . 2007).  Allen was the General Manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2004 through 2007 and is best known for the 4 game losing streak which ended his tenure with the team (taking head coach Jon Gruden with him).

For comparison, the 7-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers have just three players on their roster with 8+ years of NFL experience.

There are several current Washington Redskins with familiar faces.  Buccaneer fans may remember Phillip Buchanon, who last played for the Buccaneers in . . . 2007 . . . and left as one of the poorest tacklers in team history.  They may also remember Anthony Bryant, a defensive tackle drafted in the 6th round by Allen in 2005 who appeared in four games over two years for the Buccaneers before being released.  Sadly, Tampa Bay fans will not get to see former Buccaneer Joey Galloway who was cut by Allen this past Thanksgiving weekend after last playing in Tampa in . . . yep, 2007.

Allen, who was unable to orchestrate a playoff win in his five years at the top of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers personnel department, finds himself in familiar territory 13 weeks into the season:  a somewhere-around-.500 record, injuries piling up, and the experienced players on his roster not forming a cohesive whole.

Allen made a splash by getting Donovan McNabb away from the Eagles last offseason, then resigning the 12 year veteran to a lucrative extension, generating preseason expectations of challeging the mighty Dallas Cowboys for supremacy in the NFC East.  Turns out Washington is challenging the Cowboys for the bottom of the NFC East instead, struggling to a 5-7 record (loss to Minnesota; one of only two teams to lose to Detroit) while the Eagles currently sit atop the division at 8-4, including a 59-28 drubbing of the Redskins back in Week 10.  Now, who got the better end of the deal?

The Buccaneers can stop the suffering of the Redskins fans this weekend.  A Tampa Bay win guarantees Washington a non-winning season.  Considering the NFC already has six teams with 8 or more wins this season (the Buccaneers will be the seventh should they beat Washington this Sunday), it is clear Tampa Bay can basically end the playoff run in Washington this Sunday, forcing Bruce Allen to again comb the free agent market for next year's solutions.  Too bad the Redskins are not in the NFC West, eh?

Still not convinced this can be the knockout blow for Washington on Sunday?  The Redskins already have tiebreaker losses to the Green Bay Packers (8-4), the New York Giants (8-4), and the Philadelphia Eagles (8-4).  Add the Buccaneers to the list once they finish their business this weekend.  Clearly, there will not be a scenario where an 8-8 Redskin team (and it is unlikely they reach eight wins this season in any case) can be a wildcard team in 2010.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a position which seems light years away from the 1-11 record at this time last season.  A position they can put to good use this weekend by eliminating the Washington Redskins from playoff contention and keeping pace in the NFC Wildcard Race.

Playoffs Watch: Week 14

The Buccaneers are down but not out after two tough losses.

The chart below is a snapshot of "if the season ended today".  The (+) means the Buccaneers would win the tiebreaker if Tampa Bay finishes with the same record (because of a head-to-head win).  A (-) means the Buccaneers would lose the same tiebreaker scenario.  An asterisk (*) means a future opponent.

Remember that division winners, regardless of record, make the playoffs. Here is how the NFC breaks down as of today:

Division Winners With First Round Bye

10-2 (South) Atlanta Falcons (-)

9-3 (North) Chicago Bears

Division Winners With First Round Home Game

8-4 (East) Philadelphia Eagles

6-6 (West) St. Louis Rams (+)

Wildcards

9-3 (South) New Orleans Saints (-)

8-4 (East) New York Giants

Outside Looking In

8-4 (North) Green Bay Packers

7-5 (South) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

6-6 (West) Seattle Seahawks *

5-7 (North) Minnesota Vikings

5-7 (East) Washington Redskins *

4-8 (East) Dallas Cowboys

4-8 (West) San Francisco 49ers (+)

3-9 (West) Arizona Cardinals (+)

2-10 (North) Detroit Lions *

1-11 (South) Carolina Panthers (+)

The Buccaneers obviously have their work cut out for them.  They are no longer in control of their own destiny and need other teams to help them by losing.  To get to the playoffs, the Buccaneers need the Green Bay Packers and either the New York Giants or Philadelphia Eagles to take a slide.  

The first Good Thing to help the Buccaneers will be when the Giants host the Eagles in Week 15.  The second Good Thing which can help the Buccaneers will be when the Giants visit the Packers in Week 16.

After a game at Detroit this weekend, Green Bay will travel to New England before the Giants game.  Their last game of the season is home against NFC North leader Chicago.  There is a good chance the Buccaneers can make up some games against Green Bay over these last four weeks of the season.

The New York Giants go to Minnesota this weekend, then play NFC East leader Philadelphia before their encounter at Green Bay.  Finally, the Giants finish on the road against the Washington Redskins.  It is within reason for the Giants to go 2-2 over these last four games of the season.

Finally, Philadelphia plays Dallas twice and hosts Minnesota along with their game at home against the Giants. Of the three, Philadelphia appears to have the least bumpy road ahead.

It's a lot to consider, but above all the Buccaneers need to get back on a winning streak!

"Race to 10" Update: Week 13

A peek ahead at the upcoming schedule of the 7-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Past:

WIN 17-14 Cleveland; Buccaneers Ranked #27

WIN 20-7 Carolina; Buccaneers Ranked #20

LOSS 38-13 Pittsburgh; Buccaneers Ranked #22

WIN 24-21 Cincinnati; Buccaneers Ranked #17

LOSS 31-6 New Orleans; Buccaneers Ranked #19

WIN 18-17 Saint Louis; Buccaneers Ranked #17

WIN 38-35 Arizona; Buccaneers Ranked #13

LOSS 21-28 Atlanta; Buccaneers Ranked #13

WIN 31-20 Carolina, Buccaneers Ranked #13

WIN 21-0 San Francisco; Buccaneers Ranked #12

LOSS 17-10 Baltimore; Buccaneers Ranked #13

LOSS 28-24 Atlanta; Buccaneers Ranked #13 (Current NFL expert ranking)

Up Next:

@Washington (5-7)  #24

Upcoming:

Detroit (2-10)  #28

Seattle (6-6)  #20

@New Orleans (9-3)  #3

Remaining Schedule Cumulative Record: 23-26

After two competitive losses, the Buccaneers are preparing for a road trip against the sub-.500 Washington Redskins.  The best path to 10 wins this season is to crush the next three teams, setting up a showdown in New Orleans against the Saints.

Using the NFL.com expert consensus rankings (which change weekly), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still on course for a 10-6 finish and an NFC Playoff birth!

"Race to 10" Update: Week 11

A peek ahead at the upcoming schedule of the 7-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Past:
WIN 17-14 Cleveland; Buccaneers Ranked #27
WIN 20-7 Carolina; Buccaneers Ranked #20
LOSS 38-13 Pittsburgh; Buccaneers Ranked #22
WIN 24-21 Cincinnati; Buccaneers Ranked #17
LOSS 31-6 New Orleans; Buccaneers Ranked #19
WIN 18-17 Saint Louis; Buccaneers Ranked #17
WIN 38-35 Arizona; Buccaneers Ranked #13
LOSS 21-28 Atlanta; Buccaneers Ranked #13
WIN 31-20 Carolina, Buccaneers Ranked #13
WIN 21-0; San Francisco; Buccaneers Ranked #12 (Current NFL expert ranking)

Up Next:
@Baltimore (7-3)  #4

Upcoming:
Atlanta (8-2)  #3
@Washington (5-5)  #17
Detroit (2-8)  #29
Seattle (5-5)  #20
@New Orleans (7-3)  #7

Remaining Schedule Cumulative Record: 34-26

The remaining schedule continues to win.  Only one of the last six teams the Buccaneers will face this year currently has a losing record.  The road ahead will not be easy.

The Buccaneers face one of the top teams in the AFC this weekend needing a win to keep pace in the tight NFC South.  This is perfect time for the Buccaneers to rise up and get a signature win to improve their potential playoff standing and serve notice to the NFC they will challenge for the postseason.

Using the NFL.com expert consensus rankings (which change weekly), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still on course for a 10-6 finish and an NFC Playoff birth!

GO BUCS!!

"Race to 10" Update: Week 10

A peek ahead at the upcoming schedule of the 6-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 

Past:

WIN 17-14 Cleveland; Buccaneers Ranked #27

WIN 20-7 Carolina; Buccaneers Ranked #20

LOSS 38-13 Pittsburgh; Buccaneers Ranked #22

WIN 24-21 Cincinnati; Buccaneers Ranked #17

LOSS 31-6 New Orleans; Buccaneers Ranked #19

WIN 18-17 Saint Louis; Buccaneers Ranked #17

WIN 38-35 Arizona; Buccaneers Ranked #13

LOSS 21-28 Atlanta; Buccaneers Ranked #13 

WIN 31-20 Carolina, Buccaneers Ranked #13 (Current NFL expert ranking)

Up Next:

@San Francisco (3-6)  #25

Upcoming:

@Baltimore (6-3)  #5

Atlanta (7-2)  #2

@Washington (4-5)  #20

Detroit (2-7)  #29

Seattle (5-4)  #21

@New Orleans (6-3)  #6

Remaining Schedule Cumulative Record: 30-24

For the first time this season, the remaining schedule has skewed to one side, in this case to the win column.  Tampa Bay will have to finish strong for a chance at a postseason run.

The Buccaneers have continued to beat the teams they rank above, keeping the playoff drive in high gear.  This weekend they face another foe they need to beat.  Coming up after the run to the West Coast this weekend for a 4:15 PM Eastern game, the Buccaneers will face Baltimore at the newly adjusted 4:15 PM Eastern time slot before returning home for The Game Of The Year against Atlanta at Raymond James Stadium.  This is when the Buccaneers need to rise up for a signature win and improve their potential playoff standing.

Using the NFL.com expert consensus rankings (which change weekly), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still on course for a 10-6 finish and an NFC Playoff birth!

GO BUCS!!

Playoffs Watch: Week 9

With a tough 21-27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday, the Buccaneers slide down the playoff ladder just slightly.

The chart below is a snapshot of "if the season ended today".  The (+) means the Buccaneers would win the tiebreaker if Tampa Bay finishes with the same record (because of a head-to-head win).  A (-) means the Buccaneers would lose the same tiebreaker scenario.  Tampa Bay has played five NFC games so far this season (conference games are important!).

Remember that division winners, regardless of record, make the playoffs. Here is how the NFC breaks down as of today:

Division Winners With First Round Bye

6-2 (East) New York Giants

6-2 (South) Atlanta Falcons (-)

Division Winners With First Round Home Game

6-3 (North) Green Bay Packers

4-4 (West) St. Louis Rams (+)

Wildcards

6-3 (South) New Orleans Saints (-)

5-3 (East) Philadelphia Eagles

Outside Looking In

5-3 (South) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5-3 (North) Chicago Bears

4-4 (East) Washington Redskins

4-4 (West) Seattle Seahawks

3-5 (North) Minnesota Vikings

3-5 (West) Arizona Cardinals (+)

2-6 (North) Detroit Lions

2-6 (West) San Francisco 49ers

1-7 (South) Carolina Panthers (+)

1-7 (East) Dallas Cowboys

Tampa Bay is now the top team on the outside looking in at the midpoint of the 2010 season.  While much improved over last year, the Buccaneers find themselves needing help to get back into a playoff slot.  Being tied with Chicago and Philadelphia, with Washington and Seattle right behind, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cannot afford a loss to a team they should beat.

The Buccaneers remaining schedule contains one game each against Atlanta, Seattle, New Orleans, Washington, Detroit, San Francisco.  From the chart you can see that both wildcard teams could easily come from the NFC South this season.

So much to consider, but first and foremost the Buccaneers need to get back on a winning streak!

"Race to 10" Update: Week 9

A peek ahead at the upcoming schedule of the 5-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 

Past:

WIN 17-14 Cleveland; Buccaneers Ranked #27

WIN 20-7 Carolina; Buccaneers Ranked #20

LOSS 38-13 Pittsburgh; Buccaneers Ranked #22

WIN 24-21 Cincinnati; Buccaneers Ranked #17

LOSS 31-6 New Orleans; Buccaneers Ranked #19

WIN 18-17 Saint Louis; Buccaneers Ranked #17

WIN 38-35 Arizona; Buccaneers Ranked #13

LOSS 21-28 Atlanta; Buccaneers Ranked #13 (Current NFL expert ranking)

Up Next:

Carolina (1-7)  #31

Upcoming:

@San Francisco (2-6)  #28

@Baltimore (6-2)  #1

Atlanta (6-2)  #4

@Washington (4-4)  #21

Detroit (2-6)  #25

Seattle (4-4)  #24

@New Orleans (6-3)  #7

Remaining Schedule Cumulative Record: 31-34

The Buccaneers maintained their best ranking of the season after a hard fought game in Atlanta.  The Buccaneers have two very winnable games up next, then a chance to test their progress against the currently rated #1 team in the NFL.  However, they must win the next two to stay on track for the playoffs

Using the NFL.com expert consensus rankings (which change weekly), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still on course for a 10-6 finish and an NFC Playoff birth!

GO BUCS!!

Who Buccaneer Fans Should Cheer For, Week 9

We want that win in Atlanta!!  That's priority #1 -- take the lead in the NFC South!

The next best things which can happen is for the other division leaders to lose.  Good News!!  The NFC East leading New York Giants play the NFC West leading Seattle Seahawks, so one of them has to lose.  To get the #1 overall seed in the playoffs, a win by Seattle is preferred.  The NFC North is lead by the Green Bay Packers, who play the Dallas Cowboys.  Ugh, yucky game -- but it would be better for the Buccaneers if Dallas won (since the Jets couldn't figure out how last weekend).

One game which could be very important is Arizona Cardinals against the Minnesota Vikings.  If the Vikings can win, it continues the splitting of the NFC which will slowly start eliminating teams from playoff contention.  Go Vikings!

The last four teams to be concerned with this week are the Eagles, Bears, Rams, and Redskins who are all within a game of the Buccaneers in record, but on the outside looking in for playoff positions at this time.  The Rams and Redskins (both 4-4 and therefore two games behind the Buccaneers) are on bye weeks so nothing happening there.  The Eagles host Indianapolis so cheer on the Colts!!  And finally, the Bears go to Buffalo and become the latest team to worry about being the Bills first win of the season.  You can do it, Bills!!

So, to recap:  Buccaneers, Seahawks, Cowboys, Vikings, Colts, and Bills are the teams we want to win this week.

GO BUCS!!  

Playoffs Watch: Week 8

After a 3-13 2009, who would have believed a Playoff Watch would officially begin in Week 8 of 2010?  Welcome as we track the playoff scenarios for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!

Think it's too early?  No way -- a distinct split is growing in the NFC, and the Buccaneers need to stay on the right side of it.  There are five teams with 5 wins, 5 teams with 4 wins, 1 team with 3 wins, and 5 teams with two wins or less.  If the 5-win and 4-win teams can continue to drive the 3-or-fewer-win teams down they can start forcing eliminations and improve their own playoff chances.

The Buccaneers are a case in point -- if Tampa Bay did not defeat the Arizona Cardinals last weekend, the then 4-3 Buccaneers would be on the outside looking in at 4-3 Arizona and 4-3 New Orleans due to head-to-head losses.  But Arizona is currently on the outside looking in instead.  Every game has dire consequences this time of year!

The chart below is a snapshot of "if the season ended today".  The (+) means the Buccaneers would win the tiebreaker if Tampa Bay finishes with the same record (because of a head-to-head win).  A (-) means the Buccaneers would lose the same tiebreaker scenario.  Tampa Bay has played four NFC games so far this season and owns the tiebreaker against three of them (which shows why conference games are so important).

Remember that division winners, regardless of record, make the playoffs.  Here is how the NFC breaks down as of today:

Division Winners With First Round Bye

5-2 (East) New York Giants

5-2 (South) Atlanta Falcons

Division Winners With First Round Home Game

5-2 (North) Green Bay Packers

4-3 (West) Seattle Seahawks

Wildcards

5-2 (South) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5-3 (South) New Orleans Saints (-)

Outside Looking In

4-3 (East) Philadelphia Eagles

4-3 (North) Chicago Bears

4-4 (West) St. Louis Rams (+)

4-4 (East) Washington Redskins

3-4 (West) Arizona Cardinals (+)

2-5 (North) Minnesota Vikings

2-5 (North) Detroit Lions

2-6 (West) San Francisco 49ers

1-6 (South) Carolina Panthers (+)

1-6 (East) Dallas Cowboys

The Buccaneers remaining schedule contains two games against Atlanta, an one game each against Seattle, New Orleans, Washington, Detroit, San Francisco.  From the chart you can see that both wildcard teams could easily come from the NFC South this season.

Finally, it is pretty clear that the NFC West is not as strong this season as the other divisions, which means getting the #1 Wildcard Spot (where the Buccaneers are now) could provide the best matchup for the first round of the playoffs, since the top Wildcard plays at the worst Division Winner.

So much to consider, but first and foremost the Buccaneers need to keep winning!

TAMPA!!!

BAY!!

TAMPA!!

BAY!!

"Race to 10" Update: Week 8

A peek ahead at the upcoming schedule of the 5-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 

Past:

WIN 17-14 Cleveland; Buccaneers Ranked #27

WIN 20-7 Carolina; Buccaneers Ranked #20

LOSS 38-13 Pittsburgh; Buccaneers Ranked #22

WIN 24-21 Cincinnati; Buccaneers Ranked #17

LOSS 31-6 New Orleans; Buccaneers Ranked #19

WIN 18-17 Saint Louis; Buccaneers Ranked #17

WIN 38-35 Arizona; Buccaneers Ranked #13 (Current NFL expert ranking)

Up Next:

@Atlanta (5-2)  #7 (NFL Expert Rank)

Upcoming:

Carolina (1-6)  #31

@San Francisco (2-6)  #28

@Baltimore (5-2)  #2

Atlanta (5-2)  #7

@Washington (4-4)  #22

Detroit (2-5)  #24

Seattle (4-3)  #20

@New Orleans (5-3)   #8

Remaining Schedule Cumulative Record: 33-33

The Buccaneers have reached their highest ranking of the season this week and their first mark within the top half of the NFL since late in the 2008 season.  Tampa Bay still needs a "signature win" this season to start building a reputation as a legitimate post-season threat -- could it be this week against the Falcons?  The "4th quarter" of the season looks pivotal (Redskins, Lions, Seahawks, Saints) in determining the end-of-season fate of the 2010 Buccaneers.

Using the NFL.com expert consensus rankings (which change weekly), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should still finish 10-6 and in the NFC Playoffs!

GO BUCS!!

"Race to 10" Update: Week 6

A peek ahead at the upcoming schedule of the 3-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 

Past:

WIN 17-14 Cleveland; Buccaneers Ranked #27

WIN 20-7 Carolina; Buccaneers Ranked #20

LOSS 38-13 Pittsburgh; Buccaneers Ranked #22

WIN 24-21 Cincinnati; Buccaneers Ranked #17

LOSS 31-6 New Orleans; Buccaneers Ranked #19 (currently)

Up Next:

Saint Louis (3-3)  #23 (NFL expert ranking)

Upcoming:

@Arizona (3-2)  #26

@Atlanta (4-2)  #9

Carolina (0-5)  #31

@San Francisco (1-5)  #29

@Baltimore (4-2)  #4

Atlanta (4-2)  #9

@Washington (3-3)  #16

Detroit (1-5)  #27

Seattle (3-2)  #18

@New Orleans (4-2)   #8

Remaining Schedule Cumulative Record: 30-33

It is starting to appear the pivotal games this season will be at the Washington Redskins and home against the Seattle Seahawks.  To stay on a playoff pace, the Buccaneers need to beat the St. Louis Rams in Raymond James Stadium this weekend.

Using the NFL.com expert consensus rankings (which change weekly), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should finish 8-8, which would put the team in the middle of the NFC Wildcard Race!

GO BUCS!!

The "Race to 10" Update: Playoffs Here We Come!!

A peek ahead at the upcoming schedule of the 3-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Past:
WIN 17-14 Cleveland; Buccaneers Ranked #27
WIN 20-7 Carolina; Buccaners Ranked #20
LOSS 38-13 Pittsburgh; Buccaneers now Ranked #22
WIN 24-21 Cincinnati; Buccaneers Ranked #17 (currently)

Up Next:
New Orleans (3-2) 

Upcoming:
Saint Louis (2-3)
@Arizona (3-2)
@Atlanta (4-1)
Carolina (0-5)
@San Francisco (0-5)
@Baltimore (4-1)
Atlanta (4-1)
@Washington (3-2)
Detroit (1-4)
Seattle (2-2)
@New Orleans (3-2)

Remaining Schedule Cumulative Record: 26-28

Using the NFL.com expert consensus rankings (which change weekly), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers project to finish 10-6, which would qualify as an NFC Playoff Team!

GO BUCS!!