The Bucs had a lousy season and it could get worse if they win this week. At first blush that sounds like an oxymoron, but upon closer inspection, it couldn’t be closer to the truth. You see whether Tampa Bay ends with a 5-11 or 6-10 record makes no difference in terms of their postseason aspirations because they have none. The only thing that matters in Week 17 is losing to the Atlanta Falcons so that they can secure what could be the fourth overall pick in the draft, while a win could possibly vault them to the No. 10 pick or perhaps just outside of the Top 10. As much as Bucs fans would like to see their team wrap up the season in winning fashion, the victory will be a distant memory come April.

Some of the best online sportsbooks like BetOnline are tagging the Bucs as a slight favorite over the Falcons in their regular season finale but there are others making this game a pick. So, it’s a coin flip in the minds of the oddsmakers but head coach Dirk Koetter may very well give third-string quarterback Ryan Griffin a shot this Sunday as Ryan Fitzpatrick will not dress per the coach’s decision. Koetter had this to say.

“After it was clear where our season was going to end up, Ryan Fitzpatrick did his job for us this year and is going be a free agent, may or may not be back – that’s not today’s topic – I just would like to see Ryan Griffin get a chance to get in a game if the opportunity presents itself. He’s been killing it in practice.”

If Griffin ends up playing it will likely be due to the fact that the Bucs are blowing out the Falcons or getting blown out themselves. Jameis Winston will start the game, but there is a chance we see Griffin at some point in time. Griffin, who is a six-year veteran, has not played a single snap in a regular season game, but that could change on Sunday in Tampa Bay’s 2018 season finale.

Perhaps the only thing of substance that will happen on Sunday is Bucs wideout Mike Evans breaking another franchise record. This time he will be looking to erase Mark Carrier’s single-season receiving record of 1,422 yards set way back in 1989, and should do so with ease as he only needs five yards to break the mark.

Speaking of Evans, he has been one of the few bright spots in yet another dark, grey season in Tampa Bay. The 25-year-old receiver has many outstanding seasons in front of him but the Bucs cannot win without a reliable quarterback and a top-flight defense. Both have been missing this season and the fact that Winston shows only flashes of brilliance is becoming increasingly frustrating. There is undoubtedly chemistry between the two but let’s face it, Evans could catch passes from anyone that can throw a spiral in his immediate area and make that passer look like an All-Pro given his hot start to the season with Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The 2018 season is almost in the rearview mirror so now it’s time to take stock and chart a course for winds of fortune in 2019. But whether Winston will be captaining this wayward ship for much longer is another question indeed. Furthermore, it’s highly unlikely Koetter will set sail next season with the Buccaneers as well but at this point, why shouldn’t the Bucs’ front office want to take a wrecking ball to the whole calamity and start over. Could it get much worse than back-to-back double-digit losing seasons?