This is going to be the most important game the Bucs have played in a very long time. The last time the Bucs clinched a playoff appearance? The Tampa Bay Rays were still the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, LeBron James was still in a Cleveland Cavalier uniform (the first time), and George W. Bush was president.
Needless to say, it’s been a long time coming, Tampa Bay. The Bucs may be frustrating as hell to watch, and Tom Brady may make me want to tear my hair out at times, but you know what? Tampa Bay could be on its way to the playoffs by Sunday.
But the Bucs still gotta get through the Detroit Lions. It may sound like a stress-free game that ends with everyone celebrating and happy, but if you have watched the Bucs as long as I have, then you know damn well that nothing is guaranteed with this God-forsaken team. I’ve seen it blow leads, miss game-winning field goals, and throw enough interceptions for a lifetime (I’m still only 21). Besides, Ronald Jones is not expected to go for a second consecutive week, so expect the Bucs to have to rely on Leonard Fournette and LeSean McCoy again.
In other words, I’m not counting my chickens before they hatch. Plus, the Lions have Matthew Stafford, an underrated QB in a league where team success is determined by how good you are under center. And by those standards, Stafford is certainly not great. But look past the Lions’ 5-9 and you’ll see a quality QB who puts up 20plus TDs and 4,000-plus yards every year, numbers that he is well on his way to repeating this year as well. He has 23 TDs on only nine interceptions and 3,774 yards. The Bucs’ secondary has been described as, at best, inconsistent. It got absolutely picked apart by Atlanta's QB-wideout duo Matt Ryan and Calvin Ridley last week, and while the Lions may not have a receiver nearly as good as Ridley, they do have a guy in Marvin Jones, Jr. who is a nightmare in his own right. Jones has 779 receiving yards and seven TDs, and is coming off a game where he racked up 10 catches and 112 yards with a touchdown reception (I should know, I had him benched in my fantasy football playoff game).
All of that to say, the Bucs still very much need to come out and play their A-game. They cannot afford to continue those sleepy starts that the Bucs seem to come out and play every week. Today, there’s a lot more on the line than in weeks’ past. And the Lions know that just as much as the Bucs do. Expect Detroit to try to play spoiler, but honestly, the Lions have such a putrid defense that it probably won’t end up mattering. The Bucs will win this one 38-28, with TB12 finding Mike Evans and Gronk in the end zone with Leonard Fournette reaching the end zone once himself.
Around the NFL, the Saints take on the Vikings on Christmas day, with the Saints still searching for that elusive 11th win to secure the NFC South. Don’t expect Santa to deliver the Bucs another Saints loss, though. The Saints may struggle against the Vikings in the playoffs, which should cause concern for Saints fans everywhere, but Drew Brees is no slouch. He may be past his prime and unable to throw the ball more than eight yards past the line of scrimmage, but he can still orchestrate an offense better than almost anyone in the NFL.
So while the Bucs will likely be celebrating a playoff berth, I would not expect them to be anticipating a shot to win the NFC South next week.
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This article appears in Dec 24-30, 2020.