Bucs Nation
Well, wins are still wins.
As horrible as the last two months have gone for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their playoff hopes still glimmer after yet another messy, rain-soaked game in the confines of Raymond James Stadium. Despite the defense almost blowing it, again, the Panthers couldn’t surmount their own mistakes and some questionable officiating as the Bucs won 16-14.
All the same struggles of the last 8-9 games were still apparent in some form — turnovers, unacceptable special teams mistakes, busted coverages / limited pass rush — but a repeat of Tampa’s ball-control heavy game plan from the first matchup won out this time around.
Tampa needs to be New Orleans Saints fans Sunday, as a win from the latter over the Atlanta Falcons would grant the Bucs their 5th straight division title and 6th straight playoff appearance. I’m not sure how you could argue they deserve it, but someone’s got to make the tournament.
Let’s do possibly the final shoutouts of the year and then play the waiting game.
It took all season, but Otton finally found the endzone in the team’s most important game. After recording the most targets and catches of any player in the NFL without a touchdown, Otton struck paydirt on the team’s opening drive with an 18-yard grab.
He stayed hot from there, serving as a vital safety valve for Baker Mayfield’s Houdini acts en route to his best stat line of the season: 7 catches for 94 yards and the score, including the game-clinching first down reception at the 2-minute warning. Otton has been stuck doing the dirty work in the trenches for a large chunk of 2025, but he’s proven to be a reliable performer in whatever area the team asks him to contribute.
While it wasn’t perfect, this was also easily Mayfield’s best game in many weeks. He still threw an inexcusable pick, but he largely succeeded in blending decisive strikes in the quick passing games with his trademark swagger and escapability on gotta-have-it downs. He finished 16 of 22 for 203 yards passing, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, as well as 4 carries for 31 yards. If the team squeezes into the playoff picture, it will need this version of him and then some.
If it’s the last time we see Lavonte David suit up in red and pewter, at least it came in a victory.
The franchise legend made it a potential finale to remember. He not only led the team in tackles (6), but in doing so tied Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks for the most tackles in franchise history (1,714) and sixth-most in NFL history. The national media accolades may have evaded David in a way they never did for Brooks, but it’s not at all outlandish to say David’s impact on the franchise sits close to Brooks’.
To add to that sentiment, David also recovered a key fumble late in the...
