I’ll take an edge wherever I can find it.
We got one last night from an unexpected source.
Allow me to explain. The Atlanta Falcons victory on Monday night over the Los Angeles Rams gives the Carolina Panthers two paths to the playoffs. They can earn the final playoff slot by beating he Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or even if they lose that game, if on Saturday night the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers and the Falcons down the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, that would create a three way tie for first place in the NFC South Division and the Panthers would win that logjam based on the tie-breaking procedure.
Now, the Buccaneers and Panthers are going to battle each other on Saturday night to determine the winner in their division. Neither team looks up to the task of winning this game, but one is going to lose.
I saw no edge in this contest based on the Panthers proving they couldn’t just win it on their own, having lost to the New Orleans Saints a week ago when they had a chance to move two games up on the Buccaneers and again last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Meanwhile, since their bye week in the first week of November, the Buccaneers have only one win in eight decisions. That victory was over the pitiful Arizona Cardinals, and it was by only three points in a game played at Raymond James Stadium.
In other words, only two teams in the league have a worse record over the past two months than the Buccaneers, that being the winless for two months Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals.