I’ll take an edge wherever I can find it.
We got one last night from an unexpected source.
Allow me to explain. The Atlanta Falcons victory on Monday night over the Los Angeles Rams gives the Carolina Panthers two paths to the playoffs. They can earn the final playoff slot by beating he Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or even if they lose that game, if on Saturday night the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers and the Falcons down the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, that would create a three way tie for first place in the NFC South Division and the Panthers would win that logjam based on the tie-breaking procedure.
Now, the Buccaneers and Panthers are going to battle each other on Saturday night to determine the winner in their division. Neither team looks up to the task of winning this game, but one is going to lose.
I saw no edge in this contest based on the Panthers proving they couldn’t just win it on their own, having lost to the New Orleans Saints a week ago when they had a chance to move two games up on the Buccaneers and again last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Meanwhile, since their bye week in the first week of November, the Buccaneers have only one win in eight decisions. That victory was over the pitiful Arizona Cardinals, and it was by only three points in a game played at Raymond James Stadium.
In other words, only two teams in the league have a worse record over the past two months than the Buccaneers, that being the winless for two months Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals.
And the Buccaneers have a chance to win their division with an 8-9 record if they only beat the visiting Panthers on Saturday. They are favored … do you really want to bet on a team that has had so much trouble winning for two months as a favorite?
Seems like a bad idea.
But as I said, we got a gift motivational boost from the Falcons surprise win over the Rams on Monday night. With the win, and a victory over the New Orleans Saints next week, the Falcons could end the season in a three-way tie with the Buccaneers and Panthers with an 8 and 9 record. Had they not beaten the Rams, the Falcons would not be able to cause this three-way tie in wins and losses.
While the Buccaneers are in a do or die situation, needing both a win and either the Seahawks or Falcons to lose, the Panthers can lose on Saturday and still gain a playoff berth with a Seattle win later that day and an Atlanta win on Sunday. Do you see this? From a motivational perspective having no backdoor is a boost, having a saving grace even in defeat is a trap.
There is a story of the ancient general who noticed his troops were afraid of the battle scheduled for the next day and were content to escape danger by the only bridge to the battle site. To assure his army was all-in for the battle, his first order after crossing the bridge to where the battle would take place was to blow up the only bridge they could have utilized for an escape.
With no way out, the army succeeded.
The Buccaneers are like that army on Saturday; they have no way out while the Panthers will be hoping the bridge to the playoffs can be provided by Seattle and Atlanta victories.
This is great motivation for the team that has to win and swings the pendulum for success squarely in the Buccaneers favor.
Qoxhi Picks: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2½) points over the Carolina Panthers