When the NFL released its 2023 regular season schedule, the Week 18 calendar was left full of “TBA”, with bigger bets in better time frames as the regular season concludes Saturday and Sunday. That left flexibility to schedule expensive games. Week 17 is over and the league has announced next week’s schedule. That means the Bucks will have kickoff time for their final game of the season against the Panthers in Charlotte.
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today
After missing out on the NFC South title in Week 17, there is a scenario in which Tampa Bay can win again in Week 18. That game at Carolina is scheduled to kick off next Sunday, Jan. 7, at 1 p.m.
The NFC South race is still undecided, so the Bucks Week 18 This game has implications for the playoffs. Tampa Bay needs to beat Carolina to win the division and secure the No. 4 seed in the NFC. Tampa Bay will host either the fifth-seeded Cowboys or Eagles in Super Wild Card Weekend in two weeks.
However, since the Bucs lost, the winner of the Saints-Falcons game in New Orleans will win the division. That game will also kick off next Sunday at 1pm. So by the end of the early window, the NFC South will have been decided.
Tampa Bay’s game at Carolina will be televised on FOX, and Atlanta’s game at New Orleans will be televised on CBS.
The Bucks look to close out the NFC South on the final day of the season.
Saints TE Taysom Hill and Bucs S Antwon Winfield Jr. – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Bucks missed opportunity in Week 17If they had defeated the Saints at home, they could have won their third consecutive NFC South title. The team fell behind 17-0 in the first half and never recovered. In many ways, Tampa Bay didn’t look like a team that would compete for a division title. It looked like the team was making moves at the end of a 4-13 or 5-12 season.
“It’s very disappointing,” said Bucs linebacker and longtime captain Lavonte David. “It was like they didn’t know what was at stake. It ended up being very flat on both sides of the ball. That’s something we have to take on the chin. They beat us. We definitely have to improve. We’ll learn from it and be even better next week.”
With the Bucs trailing 17-0 at halftime with just 44 total yards, left tackle and first-time captain Tristan Wirfs spoke in the locker room before the team entered the third quarter. The speech may not have led to a rally, but the sentiment still held true after the game. And the Bucks would be wise to listen to Wirfs as they prepare for Week 18.
“This was a district game and it was for a third consecutive district title,” Wirfs said. “We came out like that. We said that’s not acceptable. We have to do something different. Next week is marbles. There’s no ‘next week.’ [after that]So we have to forget about it and move on, look forward to next week and do our best to put on our hats and T-shirts and go home. ”
Bucs FS Antwon Winfield Jr. and Panthers QB Bryce Young – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
If the Bucks come out there defeating the Panthers in the final game of the regular season, everything from Sunday will almost be forgiven. But the pressure is on for Tampa Bay, and the team will need to play an even better, more complete game than the first game against Carolina. The team’s four-game winning streak in December began with a 21-18 home victory over the Panthers, but it was an uninspired victory for the most part.
The one-game-at-a-time mentality that Tampa Bay used to halt a four-game winning streak will really be key in the final game against the Panthers. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield said so after Sunday’s game.
“Same thing. One game at a time mentality. That doesn’t change for us,” Mayfield said. “We have to win the next game in Carolina to win the district and move on from there. Obviously, we wanted to do it today with two games left, but that didn’t happen. So, with a game-by-game mentality, our season is on the line.”
Tampa Bay has won the season series against Carolina for the third time in four seasons, and is looking to win the NFC South for the third straight year and cap off a four-year playoff appearance. Week 18 is all about it.
