After the Bucs took first place in the NFC South with a win over the Falcons last week, quarterback Baker Mayfield stressed the importance of carrying things over into Week 15. Because with a loss to the Packers, the Bucs’ slim lead was as good as gone given the Falcons matching up with the Panthers and the Saints taking on a resurgent-but-still-average Giants team.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

“We need to carry this mentality over into next week,” Mayfield said. “This game won’t matter unless we take care of business next week. So, have the same mentality, approach the week the same, be intentional about it and come out one play at a time and find a way to win.”

Tampa Bay did find a way to win in Green Bay, with Mayfield throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-20 victory.  With that, Todd Bowles and the Bucs maintained their lead in the division with three games to go in the regular season. But that wasn’t the only big development of the day for Tampa Bay in its quest to three-peat as NFC South champions.

That’s because elsewhere in the NFC South, the Falcons were upset by the Panthers by a score of 9-7. Carolina looked like it was headed for 1-13, but Xavier Woods intercepted Desmond Ridder inside the 5-yard line halfway through the fourth quarter to keep the team’s hopes alive. From there, the Panthers drove 90 yards in 17 plays, taking the last 7:35 off the clock before Eddy Pineiro connected on a 23-yard field goal as time expired. That loss dropped the Falcons to 6-8 and has them out of what was previously a three-way tie atop the division.

As for the Saints, they dominated the Giants on their way to a 24-6 win. Derek Carr threw for three touchdowns while the New Orleans defense held New York to 193 total yards. The Saints only led 7-6 at halftime, but they scored the game’s final 17 points to keep pace with the Bucs and remain in a tie atop the division. However, Tampa Bay still has the tiebreaker thanks to a 3-1 record within the division. New Orleans is 2-2 inside the division.

The Bucs and Saints are set to meet in two weeks at Raymond James Stadium in what will be a monumental game for the division race.

Updated NFC South Standings Through Week 15:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-7 (3-1 in the NFC South)
New Orleans Saints 7-7 (2-2 in the NFC South)
Atlanta Falcons 6-8 (3-2 in the NFC South)
Carolina Panthers 2-12 (1-4 in the NFC South)

Bucs Retain Control Of Their Own Destiny Going Forward

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today

The NFC South has been criticized all year long for being a bad division — and rightfully so. But now, the two teams vying for the NFC’s No. 4 seed in the playoffs and a home playoff game are at least at .500. The Bucs and Saints are both 7-7 with three weeks left in the season.

And, as we’ve known all along, this division race will come down to the very end. Tampa Bay still has control of its own destiny, as it will win the NFC South for a third straight year if it wins out. But there’s still plenty of time for this narrow lead to disappear, as the next three weeks will ultimately decide everything.

Here’s how the schedules shake out for the Bucs, Saints and Falcons over the final three weeks of the regular season:

Bucs: vs. Jaguars, vs. Saints, at Panthers

Saints: at Rams, at Bucs, vs. Falcons

Falcons: vs. Colts, at Bears, at Saints

Bucs Also Helped Themselves In Another Way With Week 15 Win

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs have their sights set on winning the division for the third straight year and the ninth time ever. But the state of the NFC means that at 7-7, Tampa Bay could be in the mix for a Wild Card spot even if it doesn’t manage to close out the division. And with that in mind, it’s worth noting that Todd Bowles and his team helped themselves out in a big way by beating the Packers on Sunday.

As Fox Sports’ Greg Auman pointed out Sunday afternoon, the Bucs now have tiebreakers over the Vikings and Packers — two other teams in contention for a Wild Card spot. Tampa Bay beat Minnesota back in Week 1 and took down Green Bay this week. In fact, a look at the NFC playoff picture shows just how attainable a playoff spot can be for the Bucs even if they don’t win the division. The Saints, who are right there with the Bucs atop the NFC South at 7-7, currently hold the No. 7 seed in the NFC.

But the Bucs won’t want to back into that No. 7 seed. They’ll want the division title and a home playoff game. If the season ended right now, they’d be hosting the No. 5 seed in a Super Wild Card Weekend contest at Raymond James Stadium in January. The Eagles held the No. 5 seed going into Week 15, but that’s certainly undecided as their race for the NFC East crown with the Cowboys also appears like it’ll go down to the wire.