Are Buccaneers eliminated from the playoffs? Where Baker Mayfield and Co. stand after heartbreaking loss at Cowboys

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a very favorable situation on Sunday 8-6, visiting a Dallas Cowboys squad that had been eliminated from playoff contention before even taking to the field when the Washington Commanders escaped the Philadelphia Eagles earlier in the day.

Their closest rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, were coming off benching $180-million signing Kirk Cousins for a rookie who proceeded to be "meh" in his debut. Just another win, and the pressure could really be on.

That did not happen. Thanks to a strip fumble by DaRon Bland on Rachaad White with 100 seconds left, the Buccaneers lost 24-26, puttiong themselves at an 8-7 tie with the Falcons.

How can they right this and make the playoffs for the fifth straight time?

---

Buccaneers' playoff chances after loss at Cowboys

It is important to realize that any tiebreak will automatically favor the Falcons via series sweep. 8-9 is the minimum senario where this can happen:

8-9 will mean someting different for the Buccaneers from what it did two years ago

Even winning both the last two games for a 10-7 record will not suffice - if the Facons do the same, the series sweep will kick in again:

Enter caption

So how can they even get in? The scenario will be explained below.

---

Buccaneers' playoff scenarios after loss at Cowboys

There are only two scenarios that the Buccaneers can pray for:

1. They sweep their last two games and the Falcons lost at least one of their next two. That means either 10-7 vs. 9-8 or 10-7 vs. 8-9.
2. They lose one of the last two games, but the Falcons lose both their last two, i.e 9-8 vs. 8-9.

As mentioned before, any tie will immediately go to the Falcons via series sweep. If a 10-7 deadlock happens, then it will mark the latest instance of a team winning at least ten games and still missing the playoffs.

The last time it happened was with the 2020 Miami Dolphins, who went 10-6 but were eliminated via the Indanapplis Colts defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars in the final week of the season.

Since the expansion to a 17-game season in 2021, such an ignominious feat has yet to happen, and the Buccaneers will be hoping to avoid that.