Remember when Dan Orlovsky said, “The Cowboys don’t win when it matters most”? Turns out they surely know how to win when the other team craves a must-win. That same thing happened with Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they fell 26-24 to the Dallas team. And now their postseason fate is hanging on a thread. Tampa Bay fans, it’s time to take out your calculators because there’s some serious competition in the NFC South.

With a four-game winning streak, it’s no surprise Tampa Bay went into Week 16 with their eyes set on a playoff spot. But man, the Atlanta Falcons are really making things tough for them right now. With Tampa Bay dropping a game to the Cowboys and the Falcons snagging a win over the Giants, Atlanta’s now sitting pretty at the top of the NFC South. But still, Mayfield and Co. have a pretty much chance to make it to the postseason.

It’s like the Falcons just keep throwing a wrench in their plans! And it started with their victories over the Tampa Bay team in weeks 5 and 8. Now hear this out. Both the teams are now sitting with 8-7 and considering the tiebreaker is decided, the Atlanta team has an upper hand.

So now, even if Tampa Bay wins out their remaining games, their fate will still depend on the Falcons. That said, the Falcons need to lose one game for the Buccaneers to qualify. And if they go on to win both games, the Bucs are done for the season. Pretty wild, huh? Wait, there’s more to it.

If Tampa Bay and the Falcons both lose their games, still the latter will have their spot confirmed in the post-season. Told you to take out your calculators, right? However, there are still chances for the Buccaneers to earn a wild card berth.

Baker Mayfield’s Buccaneers’s wildcard chances

Let’s talk about the big picture here – of course, for the Buccaneers. They’re currently standing at the number 8 spot. And honestly, they need some solid help from the other teams as well. With 8-6, they’re in the mix, but it’s going to be tough. Thanks to the Cowboys. 

Baker Mayfield and the Co. entered week 16 with an 86% chance to book a playoff berth and an 85% chance of winning the NFC South. And the rest is history. With a loss from the Dallas team, the Bucs now need to finish the regular season with 10-7 if they want to grab a wild-card spot.

Now cut to the chase, shall we? The Washington Commanders who sit at the number 7 spot in the wild-card standings with 10-5, now hold the Buccaneers’ wild-card fate in their hands. If the Washington team loses their next two games, it’s game-on for Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay. But for now, it’s all assumptions. So, let’s see if the Bucs can pull out something extraordinary here or if their fate will bring them down.