Buccaneers' Sunday Night Football loss sets up this doomsday Week 17 playoff scenario

Because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the Dallas Cowboys in the final seconds of Sunday Night Football in Week 16, they are now on the outside looking in at another NFC playoff berth. By dropping to 8-7 on the year, they have the same record as the rival Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. Since the Falcons completed the season sweep of the Tampa Bay, Atlanta owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Although Tampa Bay has the easier final two games over Atlanta with the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers coming to town, the Buccaneers really need to see the Falcons slip up either at the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football next week or home vs. the Panthers in their season finale. You would think rooting for Washington would be the way to go, but it is complicated...

With Washington ripping victory away from the jaws of defeat in the final seconds on Sunday afternoon vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, one more win for the Commanders would essentially knock the Buccaneers out of the NFC Wild Card race entirely. The Green Bay Packers still have to play three more games, including the Saints on Monday night, but either team getting an 11th win would stink.

There is really only one way for the Buccaneers to make the postseason for the fifth year in a row...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers have odd rooting interests in SNF in Week 17

This is really simple. Tampa Bay is only making the playoff if the Falcons drop a game or lose out, so long as the Buccaneers do not lose out. They have to have a better record than Atlanta to get in, as they do not possess the head-to-head tiebreaker. There are six teams vying for four playoff spots in the NFC, and it feels like Green Bay and Washington are going to be getting in with one more victory.

See, the idea of Tampa Bay getting in now as a wild card team seems too farfetched. They are only making it in as division champs. The good news is the Saints are nowhere near as good as the Commanders. Atlanta split its season series with New Orleans, while the Buccaneers got the best of them on the road earlier this year. Carolina is playing better, but they have already been eliminated.

So yes, the Buccaneers need to root for the Commanders on Sunday night to beat Atlanta. The concern is another Commanders win drives the final nail into the coffin of Tampa Bay having an outside shot of getting in as a wild card team. The good news they still have a better than 50-percent chance of making the playoff. They are at 51 percent, which is just a shade off Atlanta at 55 percent.

Tampa Bay gets in with two more wins and a Falcons loss at the Commanders, which is very possible.