Buccaneers fans will love Baker Mayfield's division message ahead of Falcons showdown

Adam Schultz

•
Buccaneers fans will love Baker Mayfield's division message ahead of Falcons showdown image

© Brett Davis

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be on edge entering Week 15 because they know the precarious position they are in regarding the division, and they know the Atlanta Falcons will be looking to put a serious dent in their playoff chances.

Taking on the Falcons at home, the Buccaneers should be taking care of business here, and Baker Mayfield has his team in the mindset that every game from here on out is playoff football.

They control their own destiny. Win out, and the playoffs and the division will be secured.

But Baker knows the Falcons will be all gas. No brakes on Thursday night.

“It's that playoff mentality, and we're playing a divisional opponent,” Mayfield said. “They would love nothing more than to beat us and screw up our chances. So, you go into it expecting, okay, do they really have a lot on the line? Yeah, because they're trying to knock us out of the playoffs.

'So, it's that's the mindset. It's playoff mentality for us, and we have to expect to get their best.”

More: Baker Mayfield reveals perfect playoff mentality for Buccaneers ahead of Week 15

Buccaneers ready for NFC South war

Given the state of the division, this Week 15 game will be of huge importance because if the Buccaneers beat the Falcons, a home game against the Carolina Panthers is up next, and that could create a nice buffer within the division.

With the Panthers having the New Orleans Saints, who just beat Tampa Bay, and the Seattle Seahawks on the schedule, they also have it tough.

So, the Buccaneers have to take care of business against the Falcons, who just got curb-stomped 37-9 by the Seahawks in Week 14, so they will want retribution.

Beware the wounded animal, Tampa Bay.

More Buccaneers news:

Contributing Writer