once a year question

[denthor]

Will the buc's make the play offs?

As I see it the next couple of games should be hard but winnable.

This week the Saints that gave them an opening day loss, next the panthers the division leaders. After that it looks easy.

:talk028:

What do you all think?

[Starhawk]

I think the chances are better than even.

Even if the Bucs don't catch the Panthers for the division title, they're a game up on the rest of the NFC in the wild-card race.

TB has beaten CHI and GB, meaning they will trump any wild-card from the NFC North. The NFC West is irrelevant in wild-card discussion.

So the teams you have to worry about, if TB doesn't win the division, are Dallas, Washington, and probably Atlanta.

Dallas has a BRUTAL December coming up. So despite TB's loss to Dallas, I don't think they are much to worry about, unless they really rise up with Romo's return and put the hurt on the tough teams they face in December.

The Redskins have games vs NYG, BAL, and PHI, and some cupcakes. They are a legitimate concern. You'd have to check the W/L in common games for the tiebreaker should the records be the same, I'm too lazy.

Atlanta has a bunch of division games left, as does TB. Those division games will decide a lot of things.

[Detritus]

Will the buc's make the play offs?

As I see it the next couple of games should be hard but winnable.

This week the Saints that gave them an opening day loss, next the panthers the division leaders. After that it looks easy.

:talk028:

What do you all think?
Actually, the Bucs need to avoid the mistake you just made by looking past the game at Detroit this week:

http://www.nfl.com/teams/schedule?team=TB

;)

Detroit has trap game written all over it, partly because Tampa Bay might just get caught looking past the Lions, and partly because it's impossible to tell how much Detroit might improve between Culpepper's first game back and his second game back. It might be just enough to prove annoying.

If TB can take care of business against both Detroit this week and Oakland in Week 17, then they can hold serve at home against New Orleans and San Diego to get to 11 wins. That's pretty much a lock for the playoffs in the NFL.

The road games at Carolina and Atlanta are going to be tough -- Carolina because the Panthers are on fire right now, and Atlanta because it'll come after a short week (the Carolina game is on Monday Night Football). If they can manage to win one of those games, they'll be golden. If they beat Carolina, they may just win the NFC South. If they win them both, they'll make the Giants work for the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs.