With the Bucs hitting their bye week in Week 11, the playoff landscape was always bound to be a half-game different – for better or worse – when they returned to action against the Giants next Sunday. As much as the schedule lightens up down the stretch for Tampa Bay, it’s going to be an easier path to the postseason if they can get some help elsewhere each week.

While the Bucs rested up for the final seven weeks of the season, their fortunes as far as results throughout the league in Week 11 can best be described as a mixed bag.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: USA Today

Perhaps the biggest development for Tampa Bay came within the NFC South race. If the Bucs are going to fight their way back into contention for a fourth straight division title, they’ll obviously have to win a lot of games the rest of the way.

But because of the two-game deficit they dug themselves into – as well as the Falcons owning the head-to-head sweep to essentially make it a three-game deficit – they’ll also need Atlanta to drop some games.

That’s exactly what Atlanta did on Sunday, and it did so in a big way. The Falcons never led in Denver as they went on to lose to the Broncos by a score of 38-6. Raheem Morris’ team was within 14-6 just before halftime, but the Broncos scored 24 straight points the rest of the way.

The Falcons have now lost back-to-back games and will head into their Week 12 bye at 6-5. Their loss meant the Bucs picked up a half-game in the division race during the week off.

Elsewhere in the division, the Saints won their second straight game under interim head coach Darren Rizzi. That meant they picked up a half-game on the Bucs, as well as the Panthers – who were also on their bye.

The NFC South standings now look like this through 11 weeks:

Atlanta Falcons 6-5 (4-1 in the NFC South)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-6 (1-2 in the NFC South)
New Orleans Saints 4-7 (2-3 in the NFC South)
Carolina Panthers 3-7 (1-2 in the NFC South)

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and Falcons QB Kirk Cousins Photo by: USA Today

As the Bucs try to catch the Falcons and fend them off en route to winning a fourth consecutive division title, here are the two teams’ remaining schedules:

Week 12: Bucs – at Giants (2-8); Falcons – BYE
Week 13: Bucs – at Panthers (3-7); Falcons – vs. Chargers (6-3)
Week 14: Bucs – vs. Raiders (2-8); Falcons – at Vikings (8-2)
Week 15: Bucs – at Chargers (6-3); Falcons – at Raiders (2-8)
Week 16: Bucs – at Cowboys (3-6); Falcons – vs. Giants (2-8)
Week 17: Bucs – vs. Panthers (3-7); Falcons – at Commanders (7-4)
Week 18: Bucs – vs. Saints (4-7); Falcons – vs. Panthers (3-7)

Where The Bucs Now Stand In The NFC Playoff Picture

While the Bucs picked up a half-game in the NFC South race, there was good and bad news in the NFC Wild Card race in Week 11.

The Vikings unsurprisingly took care of business and beat the Titans 23-13, getting to 8-2 and keeping the NFC’s No. 5 seed in the process.

The Packers may not have played all that well and ultimately needed a last-second blocked field goal to do it, but they beat the Bears in Chicago on Sunday. That win got Green Bay to 7-3, which is good enough for the No. 6 seed in the NFC right now. What did help the Bucs in this result is that the Bears dropped to 4-6 and fell below Tampa Bay in the overall NFC standings. Chicago’s upcoming schedule is tough, too, so this loss could set them up to fall out of the picture soon enough.

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels – Photo by: USA Today

On Thursday Night Football, the Commanders came up short in a battle for first place in the NFC East. The Eagles used a 23-0 mid-game run to go up 26-10 and went on to win 26-18, giving them a 1.5-game lead atop that division. What that also means is Washington fell to 7-4 and currently holds the NFC’s No. 7 seed.

As things stand, that No. 7 seed is the spot the Bucs will be chasing down the stretch. With Tampa Bay at 4-6, that’s a 2.5-game deficit. The good news there, though, is that the Bucs hold the tiebreaker over the Commanders thanks to that Week 1 win in Tampa.

Where things got more complicated in the Wild Card race is with the NFC West teams. The 6-4 Cardinals were on a bye, and they remain atop that division. But it looks like it’s going to be a close four-team race, which will complicate the Wild Card picture down to the very end.

On Sunday, the Rams beat the Patriots, 28-22, getting themselves to 5-4 and a half-game back of the Cardinals. In the 4:00 window of games, a late Geno Smith touchdown run helped the Seahawks escape with a 20-17 win over the 49ers. Both of those teams are now 5-5 and a full game back of Arizona.

Bucs OC Liam Coen and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Here’s a look at the NFC Playoff Picture through Week 11:

1. Lions – 9-1 (NFC North leader)
2. Eagles – 8-2 (NFC East leader)
3. Cardinals – 6-4 (NFC West leader)
4. Falcons – 6-5 (NFC South leader)
5. Vikings – 8-2 (NFC Wild Card No. 1)
6. Packers – 7-3 (NFC Wild Card No. 2)
7. Commanders – 7-4 (NFC Wild Card No. 3)
——–In the Hunt——–
8. Rams – 5-4
9. Seahawks – 5-5
10. 49ers – 5-5
11. Bucs – 4-6
12. Bears – 4-6

Right now, Tampa Bay is ultimately closer to clinching a playoff spot by coming back and beating out Atlanta in the NFC South. The NFC North and NFC West are both strong from top to bottom, which is making for a crowded Wild Card scene – one that the Bucs may have a hard time emerging from.

Baker Mayfield and Co. will be back at it next Sunday against the Giants, looking to snap a four-game losing streak and get themselves firmly back into the playoff race heading into December.