A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Every week, Pewter reporters tackle a different tough question. This week’s prompt: How many games will the Bucks win by the end?
Scott Reynolds: “I’d like to say the Bucks finished 3-1, but…”
Bucks HC Todd Bowles – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
The final month of the Bucks’ 2024 regular season has arrived, and with last week’s win over the Raiders improving their record to 7-6 and the 6-7 Falcons losing their fourth straight game, the team is in control of its own destiny. I am doing it. . If Tampa Bay wins its final four games of the season, it will retain its division title regardless of Atlanta’s future results. So, first of all, I believe in Tampa Bay. can They won this year and actually finished 11-6 and won their fourth consecutive NFC South title. That’s not impossible, especially considering Liam Cohen’s offense is averaging 28 points per game.
I also believe there’s a pretty good chance the Bucks will finish 3-1, as this Sunday’s game against an 8-5 Chargers team in Los Angeles will be quite difficult. If the Bucks are going to lose a game, I suspect this is the one they will play. All of the Pewter reporters, myself included, predicted Tampa Bay to be 10-7 this year. Then your prediction will come true. Still me too Revised my prediction from a previous PR roundtable to 9 wins, 8 losses After the team fell to 4-4, he accurately predicted a 4-6 record heading into the bye week. I hate to say it, but I think the Bucks will finish 2-2. If I had to guess, the losers would be the Chargers and Saints.
I want to believe in this year’s Bucks team, but you know I’m a straight shooter. There’s something unreliable about this year’s Tampa Bay team. I don’t know if the Bucs can overcome losing any more starters, perhaps because this team is ravaged by injuries. This team seems to lose a game or two every week. Maybe I don’t have much faith in Todd Bowles’ in-game strategy. I think he’s gotten better, but can Bowles make the right decisions down the stretch with his clock management and timeout usage? Or maybe he doesn’t fully trust the Bucks’ defense to continue playing this well. In what other game does Bowles’ unit allow 30 points? I hope not, but who knows?
Matt Matera: Bucks lead, end on 7-game winning streak
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today
The only way the Bucs can guarantee a playoff berth and another division title is to go 4-0 in their last four games and maintain at least a one-game lead over the Falcons with no chance of an upset. Tampa Bay’s game against the Chargers is the toughest of the Final Four, but with injuries to several remaining opponents, the Bucks are actually in a more reachable position than expected.
Tampa Bay will have a different game against Los Angeles compared to other teams it has faced this season. The Chargers are a team that wins through ground and pound. They don’t get into shootouts like the Bucks do. But they may be without their top receiver, Rad McConkie, and quarterback Justin Herbert took a pretty bad hit against the Chiefs, so he might not be 100 percent either. The Bucs’ next opponent, the Cowboys, has already replaced Dak Prescott with backup quarterback Cooper Rush, and their offense has taken a big hit.
While the Panthers are finding a rhythm at quarterback, it’s important to remember that the Bucs just came to the brink against Carolina in overtime and can’t be taken lightly. The Bucs benefit from finishing the season with two home games against the Panthers and Saints. New Orleans has its own quarterback problem as Derek Carr was just injured again. It would be great if the Bucks could win and finish the season with seven straight wins. It certainly gives the team momentum and is reminiscent of their 2020 winning streak that ended with a Super Bowl win.
Bailey Adams: Bucks are 3-1 but (barely) win NFC South again
Bucks TE Cade Otton – Photo courtesy of USA Today
I have complete faith in the Bucks. It was done Won 4-0 next 4 weeks They ended the season with 11 wins and 6 losses. If that happens, it will be a significant turnaround from their 4 wins and 6 losses before the bye week, and the team will be riding high into the playoffs with seven straight wins. But as much as Tampa Bay It was done Even with a win, I think this group could still fail again at some point in the coming weeks. I don’t know where that will happen, but I feel it’s likely.
That could happen as early as this weekend, which would be less of a failure and more of the Bucks running into a playoff team on the West Coast. The Chargers employ the all-out mentality that Jim Harbaugh loves, and it looked like Los Angeles was simply finding a way against this Tampa Bay team. At the same time, there could be a blunder on Sunday Night Football next week in Dallas. Most likely, it will be one of the remaining home games, against a resurgent Panthers team that was supposed to beat the Bucs in Week 13 and a Saints team that often proves difficult regardless of the situation.
Now, the Bucks are on the verge of a comeback at 3-1. NFC South Lead He led the Falcons to the district championship with a 4-0 record. But does Atlanta have that kind of finish in store at this point? I won’t say no because I don’t want to be responsible for any jinx. However, I believe Tampa Bay can win their fourth straight division title even with 3 wins and 1 loss. I think the Falcons will lose at least one more game, whether it’s the Commanders or the Panthers. And with both teams finishing the final four weeks with a 3-1 record, the 10-7 Bucs will defeat the 9-8 Falcons to win the division.
Josh Quaipo: 3 wins is too much of a hedge in these parts
Bucks head coach Todd Bowles – Photo courtesy of USA Today
The Bucks have defeated three of the best teams in the NFL this year. Detroit has just one loss this season. It was at the hands of Tampa Bay. The Eagles have only lost twice. One of them was against the Bucks. The Bucks then defeated the Commanders, won four straight games, and now qualify for the playoffs. The Bucks can and have beaten good teams. The Bucks tied with the Commanders before rookie Jaden Daniels fully figured out Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. Detroit lost due to some poor time management at the end of the first half. And the Eagles lost the game because they were without their two top receivers.
And that brings me to the Bucs’ biggest challenge. Next week they will play the Chargers, who are 8-5. But this isn’t the Chargers team from four weeks ago. Renaissance running back JK Dobbins is on injured reserve and will definitely miss Week 15. There’s no guarantee that breakout rookie receiver Ladd McConkie will be available on Sunday, and even if he is, he won’t be 100%. The Chargers’ receiving corps behind him is one of the shallowest in the NFL. And even quarterback Justin Herbert is dealing with his own illness after suffering a knee injury Sunday night against Kansas City.
Everything is lined up to lead to one of those “Oh, the Bucks won, but…” scenario. But the most important part of that quote is “The Bucks won.” And a win against the Chargers should be the final springboard for the Bucks, who are 7-0 after the bye week and now 11-6, to win their third straight NFC South title. and No. 3 seed in the NFC playoff picture.
Adam Slivon: Bucks reach double digits with three wins, secure playoff berth
Bucks OC Liam Cohen and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Looking at the rest of the Bucks’ schedule, there are a lot of winnable games. Tampa Bay is in control of its remaining destiny, and a win would clinch a fourth consecutive NFC South title. That’s the ultimate goal, but I see three wins as the team can get as they play a tough test this Sunday in Los Angeles against the 8-5 Chargers. The Chargers have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, and with the defense allowing just 15.9 points per game, Tampa Bay’s offense will struggle to replicate the success they had all year. Sho.
This puts more focus on the rest of the schedule if they lose in Week 15. Last month, the Cowboys looked pretty tough to draw with Dak Prescott on board, but they had an elite passing offense and plenty of “star power.” You will be victorious. With Prescott out this year and Dallas sitting at 5-8, the Bucks should be back in the win column at 8-7. The Panthers’ matchup with the Saints bodes well for the team, as they have already won once this season.
Bryce Young has been playing better lately, but Tampa Bay is a more talented team on both sides of the ball. Seeing Dave Canales’ offense again should give Todd Bowles an added advantage in knowing what to expect and game-planning against their weapons. The Saints have had some ups and downs, dropping 51 points to their division rival in Week 6, but should have no trouble beating a team looking to rebuild completely. At one point it looked like a tough situation with 4 wins and 6 losses, but the Bucks’ schedule looked very good. Things are starting to go well and he’s shown enough fight to win three straight. If they win three more games, they will go to 10-7, which would be enough to secure either the district championship or the final wild card spot.
