Buccaneers playoff scenario: Where does Baker Mayfield's team stand ahead of Week 14 clash vs. Raiders

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New York Giants 30-7 in Week 12 to end their run of four games without a win. They followed it up with another win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 13 to record their first back-to-back wins since Week 2.

With their recent surge, the Bucs have returned to .500, but they remain outside the NFC playoff picture.

However, the Buccaneers' chances of winning the NFC South division and qualifying for the playoffs have significantly increased as a result of the Atlanta Falcons losing their last three games.

Buccaneers playoff scenarios after going 6-6

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the verge of returning to the NFC playoff picture. They can get themselves back in as soon as Week 14.

The Falcons will play the Minnesota Vikings this week, while the Bucs will take on the Las Vegas Raiders, who have already been eliminated from postseason contention. If Tampa Bay wins and Atlanta loses, these results might cause the Bucs to take a significant turn for the better.

The Falcons still lead the NFC South by one game since they have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bucs, but if results go Tampa Bay's way this week, the standings might change.

With five games remaining, the Bucs are essentially back in the running for the playoffs. They will almost certainly play postseason football in January if they win their next five games and finish with an 11-6 record.

The Bucs' remaining games include home games against the Raiders, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints. They will also have to play on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' playoff scenario explored

Sportskeeda's NFL Playoff Predictor tool fancies Tampa Bay Buccaneers' chances of making the playoffs, even with the team holding the No. 8 seed in the NFC conference.

Sportkeeda's Playoff Predictor

The tool projects that the Bucs will win four of their next five games to finish with a 10-7 overall record despite their current 6-6 record. According to this prediction, they would beat the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints to win the NFC South title and finish fourth in the NFC.

Sportkeeda's Playoff Predictor

The predictor tool indicates that the Bucs will host the fifth-seeded Minnesota Vikings in a wildcard playoff game.

Tampa Bay would probably need to win four of its final five games in order to have a good shot of qualifying for the postseason, given the present state of the NFC playoff picture.