Things didn’t look great for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back around Thanksgiving. They had just lost to the Indianapolis Colts, their sixth loss in the last seven games, and their record was now 4-7.
Needing to find a spark if they were going to turn their season around, the Buccaneers found one. They defeated the Carolina Panthers 21-18 in Week 13 and didn’t look back. That kickstarted a hot streak for Tampa Bay, as they won four games in a row and five out of their last six to finish 9-8 and win the NFC South.
Their ninth victory, in Week 18 over the Panthers again, clinched the division title. It certainly wasn’t easy, but the Buccaneers did just enough to get the job done. They will now host the reeling Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium during Super Wild Card Weekend.
NFL News & Rumors: Jason Licht, Cam Jordan, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Updates
This is the third straight NFC South title for the Buccaneers. Their success certainly surprised a lot of people as many believed they would be heading toward a rebuild with Tom Brady no longer their starting quarterback.
One of the people who believed that to be coming was Cameron Jordan of the New Orleans Saints. Tampa Bay’s rival made comments about the team going back to being the Bucs without Brady in the lineup.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht did not forget about the quip Jordan made. So, after his team clinched their division title in Week 18, he took to social media to make sure Jordan knew he didn’t forget.
“Yep, went back to being the Bucs! Champs again,” Licht wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
NFL News & Rumors: Jason Licht, Cam Jordan, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Updates
The 2023 season was actually a more successful one for the Buccaneers than 2022 was. They won the division last year with an 8-9 record and were overmatched in their Wild Card game against the Dallas Cowboys.
This year, they went 9-8 and look like they will have a fighting chance against the Eagles. Tampa Bay’s defense has been playing at a high level and Philadelphia has been scuffling the last few weeks of the season.
The teams faced off earlier this season with the Eagles coming away with a 25-11 victory. But, this is a much different Buccaneers team than it was in Week 3. This is a confident bunch that believes they have what ti takes to advance to the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.
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