Tampa Bay has now won four games in a row with a 28-21 upset in San Diego to propel the team to a 7-5 record, which ties the team with Atlanta for the division leadin the NFC South. The Bucs defense continues to shine with two big interceptions in the second half, including a pick-six by linebacker Lavonte David. Tampa Bay is now an impressive 5-1 on the road this year, but can they make the playoffs?

It’s time for PewterReport.com’s 2-Point Conversion post-game column, which features two statements, two questions and two predictions based on the latest Bucs game.

TWO BIG STATEMENTS
STATEMENT 1. BUCS WILL BE DANGEROUS IF THEY CAN MAKE THE PLAYOFFS
Tampa Bay’s impressive road record in 2016 improved to 5-1 after Sunday’s 28-21 win at San Diego. What does that mean other than the fact that the Bucs are now 7-5 on the year – a one-win improvement over last year at least – and tied for first place in the NFC South? It means that Dirk Koetter’s team can really be dangerous in the playoffs if Tampa Bay can get in.

The chances of the Bucs winning the division still remain slim. Atlanta has a game at Los Angeles, at home versus San Francisco, a game at Carolina and home versus New Orleans to end the season. Tampa Bay has to run the table with a much more difficult schedule and finish 11-5 to have a real chance in my opinion.

The Bucs have a home game against New Orleans this week followed by a prime time road game at Dallas. Then it’s a trip to New Orleans before the season finale at home against Carolina on New Year’s Day. Tampa Bay must finish no worse than 3-1 down the stretch to get to 10 wins and have a shot at a wild card playoff game, and I think that’s the team’s destiny.

Yet the Bucs’ uncanny ability to win on the road – that’s five straight now – will be key if they make the playoffs because Tampa Bay will likely enter as a fifth or sixth seed and will have to travel in the postseason. When asked what has fueled the team’s success away from Tampa Bay, head coach Dirk Koetter was clueless.

“I have no idea,” Koetter said. “I have no idea, but we are looking forward to being at home this week. The home crowd was awesome a week ago at home against Seattle. We’re coming home to play New Orleans next week and we’re looking forward to have Raymond James rocking that place.”

Tampa Bay’s defense has keyed the team’s turnaround, especially on the road in victories at Kansas City and San Diego. If the team can continue to get sacks and takeaways on the road it has a fighting chance to make some noise in the postseason.

“We were fortunate, but I believe you make your own breaks, and we made our own breaks today,” Koetter said, noting two key interceptions that led to the Bucs winning the second half, 21-7. “I just think we’re one of those teams that’s starting to believe. Starting to believe – it’s crazy what confidence can do. When you start making plays it seems to build on itself.”

The Bucs were 6-2 on the road during Tampa Bay’s 10-6 season under former head coach Raheem Morris in 2010. That tied the franchise-best 6-2 mark set in 2002 by the Super Bowl XXXVII champions. It’s crazy to think that Koetter’s Bucs have a chance at tying that mark in Dallas in two weeks, and even setting a new franchise record with a win over the Cowboys and against the Saints the following week in the Big Easy.

A 7-1 road record in 2016? Why not? Anything is possible with this team.

Bucs QB Jameis Winston – Photo by: Getty Images

STATEMENT 2: WINSTON APPROACHING LEGENDARY STATUS
Any sophomore slump from quarterback Jameis Winston was short-lived earlier this season. Since the Bucs’ win at Carolina on Monday Night Football, Winston has thrown 15 touchdowns and just four interceptions in leading Tampa Bay to a 6-2 record during that span. He’s had a QB rating of at least 90 in all of those games except for the overtime loss to Oakland in which he had an 88 QB rating, but still managed to throw two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Winston has 23 touchdowns on the season with four games remaining, and with his fourth-quarter scoring strike to tight end Cameron Brate, he eclipsed his career-high of 22 he set as a rookie last year. He needs just five more this year to pass Josh Freeman’s 27 in 2012 for the most TD passes in a single season in Bucs history.

Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that Winston currently has 7,222 yards in his career, which are the seventh most passing yards by a player in his first two NFL seasons. Winston will undoubtedly pass Oakland’s Derek Carr (7,257 from 2014-15) and Miami Hall of Famer Dan Marino (7,294 from 1983-84) against New Orleans on Sunday, as well as Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles (7,336 from 2014-15) and move into fourth place.

Winston needs just 975 yards over the last month of the season to surpass Peyton Manning (7,874 from 1998-99), Carolina’s Cam Newton (7,920 from 2011-12) and Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck (8,196 from 2012-13). That’s an average of 244 yards per game, which would put him at 4,155 yards for the 2016 season, which would also eclipse Tampa Bay’s single season record of 4,065, which was set by Freeman in 2012.

Winston passed for 4,042 yards last year as a rookie, which ranks as the second most passing yards in a single season in Bucs history. He has passed for 244 yards or more in seven out of Tampa Bay’s 12 games this year, including 280 yards in Sunday’s win at San Diego.

TWO PROBING QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OFFENSIVE LINE?
The Bucs offensive line will likely get its butt chewed by line coach George Warhop on Monday. Takeaways on defense and the brilliant play by Jameis Winston have fueled Tampa Bay’s four-game winning streak and masked an inconsistent running attack that could come back to bite the team down the stretch.

The Bucs are averaging just 3.6 yards per carry on the year, and Tampa Bay struggled against a run-blitzing San Diego front that overwhelmed the offensive line throughout the game. Tampa Bay rushed for just 81 yards and one touchdown on 30 carries (2.7 avg.) against San Diego.

The left side of the line – guard Kevin Pamphile and tackle Donovan Smith – and center Joe Hawley struggled to get much push off the line of scrimmage throughout most of the game, although the unit deserves credit for picking up 11 yards rushing and a key first down on three running plays to salt away the Bucs’ fifth straight win of the year.

Although Winston was only sacked one time, which came when right guard Ali Marpet didn’t recognize a simple tackle-end stunt and gave up a sack to Joey Bosa, the pass protection was spotty. Smith continues to give up pressure on plays where he shouldn’t due to poor technique due to lunging. And right tackle Demar Dotson continues to struggle bending his knees adequately and had another costly hands to the face penalty for the second week in a row as a result.

Warhop will point out the offensive line did just enough against a 5-7 Chargers team that was missing two starting linebackers, but that level of effort and performance won’t be enough to beat Dallas in two weeks, nor will it be good enough to win a playoff game if the Bucs are fortunate enough to make the postseason.

Bucs RB Jacquizz Rodgers – Photo by: Getty Images

QUESTION 2: WILL RODGERS STEAL MORE CARRIES FROM MARTIN?
Based on how good Jacquizz Rodgers looked in his first game back from a foot injury that caused him to miss four games, don’t be surprised if he gets more opportunities to touch the ball down the stretch for the Buccaneers. Doug Martin has struggled since his return from a hamstring injury and has failed to rush for 100 yards in any game over the past calendar year, while Rodgers has posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games in wins at Carolina and at San Francisco earlier in the season.

On Sunday at San Diego, Martin seemed to injury his leg, and possibly re-aggravated his hamstring on a run for no gain on third-and-2 at the Tampa Bay 38 that led to a 54-yard punt by Brian Anger that preceded Philip Rivers’ pick-six. That injury occurred with 5:21 left in the third quarter, and although Martin made a brief cameo appearance in the fourth quarter after sitting out the Bucs’ next offensive possession, he didn’t touch the ball the rest of the game.

Instead, Rodgers did, taking over in the fourth quarter and producing 21 yards on a big screen pass down to the San Diego 17, and rushing for 15 yards on six carries. Rodgers sealed the Bucs’ win by picking up a key first down after Rivers was intercepted by safety Keith Tandy. He rushed for seven yards on first down, two yards on second down and two more on third-and-1 to clinch the victory.

Martin finished the game with 17 carries for 45 yards (2.6 avg.) and a touchdown, while Rodgers had seven carries for 29 yards (4.1 avg.). Rodgers still leads the Bucs in rushing with 422 yards on 95 carries (4.4 avg.) and one touchdown, while Martin has 313 yards on 105 carries (3.0 avg.) and two scores.

Martin will continue to start for the Bucs as long as he is healthy, but don’t be surprised if Koetter ends up turning to the hotter hand for the bulk of the carries in any game, and that could very well be Rodgers, who is running harder and picking up more yards than any Tampa Bay running back this year.

TWO BOLD PREDICTIONS
PREDICTION 1: HARGREAVES GETS HIS FIRST NFL INT VS. BREES
It’s hard to believe given how well he’s played, but rookie cornerback Vernon Hargreaves doesn’t have an interception this year. Yet the rookie from Florida has caused two big interceptions with tipped passes.

Against Carolina in Tampa Bay’s victory against Monday Night Football, Hagreaves deflected a pass that was intercepted by linebacker Daryl Smith. On Sunday, Hargreaves deflected a pass near the end zone that was picked off by linebacker Lavonte David, who returned the interception 15 yards for a touchdown to give Tampa Bay a 17-14 lead in the third quarter.

Hargreaves has six pass deflections this year, but he gets his first NFL interception against future Hall of Famer Drew Brees at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.

Bucs CB Vernon Hargreaves – Photo by: Getty Images

PREDICTION 2: THE BUCS BEAT THE SAINTS AND RAY-JAY ROCKS
Tampa Bay has won four games in a row, but it has the chance to earn its fifth straight victory with a win over New Orleans on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. Should that happen it could signal a special season for the Bucs.

Tampa Bay has only won five games in a row three other times in franchise history. The first came in 1979 and keyed a 10-6 record for the Bucs, who made it to the NFC Championship Game. The Bucs next accomplished that feat in 1997, starting off 5-0 en route to a 10-6 wild card season. Tampa Bay’s most recent five-game winning streak came in the team’s Super Bowl season in 2002.

If the Bucs beat the Saints on Sunday as I predict – before a sell out crowd of mostly Bucs fans this time – this team will follow suit and make it to the playoffs, too. History suggests that’s the case.