The Bucs win didn’t help.
The Atlanta Falcons turned in an awful offensive effort against the Los Angeles Chargers, falling 17-13 at home. The loss moved the Falcons to 6-6 in the NFC South, and with the Bucs’ overtime win over the Panthers, FanDuel Sportsbook has Atlanta at -164 to make the playoffs.
The Falcons are now tied atop the division with the Bucs, but hold a tiebreaker courtesy of their 2-0 record against Tampa Bay this season. Atlanta is now slated to travel to Minnesota to take on the 10-2 Vikings, while Tampa Bay hosts 2-10 Las Vegas on Sunday.
The matchups could prove critical for each team.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins was dreadful in the loss, throwing four interceptions and no touchdowns. Cousins has not notched a passing touchdown in the last three games.
There was immediate chatter about the possibility of rookie quarterback Michael Penix taking the reins next week against Minnesota, but head coach Raheem Morris tossed cold water on that in his post-game presser, expressing confidence in Kirk during the playoff push.
Unless something goes a bit sideways during the week, expect Cousins to be under center next Sunday.
The Buccaneers dodged a bullet against the Panthers on Sunday, taking home a 26-23 win and moving to 2-2 in the division. With wide receiver Mike Evans back healthy and quarterback Baker Mayfield continuing to look solid in the offense, they are favored over the Raiders on the road.