The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a pivotal NFC South divisional matchup with the Atlanta Falcons on tap for this Sunday, and they are taking it very seriously.
When asked about the clash, offensive lineman Cody Mauch said it will have a postseason atmosphere.
“We’re treating it like a playoff game, because, really, for us, it is,” Mauch said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN. “You’ve got to keep winning, especially these division games. That’s just kind of the mentality for us.”
The Buccaneers are just 5-7, but due to the weakness of the NFC South, they are just one game behind the Falcons for first place in the division.
Head coach Todd Bowles expressed similar sentiments to Mauch.
“December football,” Bowles said, via the Buccaneers’ official YouTube account. “It’s a round-robin tournament until the end. We understand the importance of this game. If we can win this one, the next game will be more important than that one. It’s the biggest game this week, it’s the only game this week. It’s a division rival. They’re one game ahead of us. We know we’ve got to try to catch up, they know they’ve got to keep a lead.”
Tampa Bay got off to a surprisingly strong start this season, going 3-1 over its first four games. However, the Bucs then proceeded to hit a four-game losing streak, including a three-point loss to Atlanta on Oct. 22. The Bucs snapped the skid with a victory over the Tennessee Titans, but then lost two more games before righting the ship with a 21-18 win against the Carolina Panthers last weekend.
Bowles added that “every game we play from here on out is a playoff game.
Following their road meeting with the Falcons this Sunday, the Buccaneers will face the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and the Panthers to close out the regular season.
Tampa Bay is angling to earn its fourth straight trip to the playoffs.
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