The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are spiraling out of the playoff race, and unless Todd Bowles can steer his team to a safe landing, the season will end in a horrible way.
After starting 5-1, the Buccaneers have won just two of their last nine games, with just one win in their last six.
But the biggest reason for that has been the self-inflicted wounds on both sides of the ball. It has plagued Tampa Bay all year.
Yet, with two games left in the year, the Buccaneers are in an odd position. Win their final two games, and they punch their ticket to the postseason.
“We understand we control our own destiny, but our biggest enemy right now is us, and we understand that as well,” Bowles said. “So, going into the week, that's all we'll focus on, and we'll focus on the things that we can do better as coaches and players, and we'll go into the game against Miami.”
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Buccaneers' playoff path clear
It does seem unfathomable that a team that has lost six of its last seven games can still make the playoffs.
But the Buccaneers' hot start to the year has given them a good cushion, but now the margin for error is zero.
The Miami Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers have to be games Tampa wins, otherwise the NFC South will have a different winner for the first time in four years.
So, the path to the playoffs is clear.
But it requires the Buccaneers to do something they have struggled to do consistently for the past two months -- win.
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