The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to 1-5 on Sunday after a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and with just six games played, they're already right on the edge of a lost season.
Only four teams have ever made the playoffs on a 1-5 start in NFL history. Tampa Bay started the season 0-4, and only one team in NFL history has ever made the playoffs off that — their win against the Dallas Cowboys helped a bit, but another loss could plunge them too far down to make it up.
The Bucs face a weak division in the NFC South, though, which could be keeping their playoff hopes alive. What does the competition look like in the division? Are the Bucs close enough to claw their way back to the top, even at 1-5?
Here's what the NFC South looks like six weeks in:
Buccaneers Hold Worst Record in the NFC
Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA | Home | Away | Strk. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carolina Panthers | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 146 | 123 | 1-1 | 2-1 | W2 |
Atlanta Falcons | 2 | 4 | 0 | .333 | 142 | 153 | 0-3 | 2-1 | L2 |
New Orleans Saints | 2 | 4 | 0 | .333 | 152 | 178 | 0-3 | 2-1 | W1 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 | 5 | 0 | .167 | 119 | 138 | 0-4 | 1-1 | L1 |
As it stands, the Buccaneers are the worst team in the NFC — the Washington Commanders also have one win, but they have a tie as well, putting them ahead of Tampa Bay. The Bucs drop to 1-5 on the year after losing to the Steelers and, unbelievably, are one of three NFC South teams that have not won at home. The Bucs are still just two and a half games back from the Panthers, so they have time to string some wins together.
The Carolina Panthers remain at the head of the division after a win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Panthers are the only team in the NFC South with a winning record, and they've played one less game than everyone else in the division because they've already had their bye week. They're the only NFC South team with a positive point differential and the only NFC South team that has won a game at home this season.
The Falcons were at one point 2-2 on a two-game win streak, but they've since developed a two-game losing streak and just fell to the Chicago Bears. The Falcons remain second in the division because they have an NFC South win over the New Orleans Saints already this year.
The Saints are third in the division behind Tampa Bay. They got a win on Sunday, defeating the New York Giants, so they're back in the win column and moved up in the standings after falling below Tampa Bay last week. The Falcons and Saints have the same record, but New Orleans falls behind because they've lost to the Falcons this year in a divisional matchup.
The Bucs and Panthers play each other next Sunday for Tampa Bay's first divisional matchup. The Falcons play the red-hot San Francisco 49ers, while the Saints will play the Steelers in Paris.
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