Believe it or not (and like it or not), the 2-5 Bucs now have a lifeline back into contention in the NFC South race.

Even though they started 1-5 and looked dead in the water, they hadn’t played a single one of their six games within the division through the first third of their schedule. That changed Sunday when they matched up with the 3-2, division-leading Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. And wouldn’t you know it? Tampa Bay played its most complete game of the season, dominating Carolina in all three phases en route to a 43-13 win.

The 30-point win for the Bucs ended a streak of 12 straight one-score games they had been involved in dating back to last November, and it put them right back into the thick of things in the NFC South — at least for now.

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum and OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Tampa Bay will have to show some consistency and keep it rolling in Week 8 when the 3-4 Atlanta Falcons come to Raymond James Stadium. The Bucs haven’t won back-to-back games since Weeks 5 and 6 of last season, and they’ll need to break that streak against the Falcons in order to really give themselves any kind of sustainable lifeline in the division.

But for now, a win in a must-win Week 7 game has them within striking distance, especially with a 1-0 record within the NFC South. Tampa Bay is only one game behind Carolina in the win column heading into November. After a miserable 1-5 start, how could you ask for much more?

NFC South Standings Through Week 7

Carolina Panthers — 3-3 (1-1 vs. NFC South) 
Atlanta Falcons — 3-4 (1-1 vs. NFC South) — 0.5 games back
Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 2-5 (1-0 vs. NFC South) — 1.5 games back
New Orleans Saints — 2-5 (0-1 vs. NFC South) — 1.5 games back

Bucs Now Face Another Must-Win vs. Falcons In Week 8

After facing a test and passing it with flying colors Sunday afternoon against the NFC South-leading Panthers, the Bucs will turn their attention to another must-win game coming up next Sunday against the second-place Falcons, who just handed the 49ers their first loss of the season in Week 7.

This could prove to be a pivotal game within the division race one way or another. If Tampa Bay returns to its losing ways, it’ll be 2-6 and 1-1 within the NFC South with a key loss to Atlanta, which would then be 4-4 and 2-1 within the South. At that point, the Falcons would be right there in the mix for the division title heading into the second half of the season. The Bucs would be back into the depths of the division.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

That result would make the rematch at Atlanta in Week 16 that much more important for Tampa bay — if it’s even still in contention that late into the season.

Flip the result, though? A Bucs win next week would not only give them their first victory of the season at Raymond James Stadium — it would get them to 2-0 in NFC South contests while dropping the Falcons to 1-2. Both teams would be 3-5, and it would be Todd Bowles’ squad with the head-to-head tiebreaker.

When you also take into account the fact that Carolina just lost Sunday’s game by 30 points at home and now has to turn around on a short week to face a tough Packers team at Lambeau Field on Thursday Night Football, Week 8 becomes that much bigger for the Bucs. If things break their way, it could even serve as a true turning point in their season — even after a 1-5 start.

Bucs WR Tez Johnson and RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

The schedule ahead for the Bucs isn’t all that favorable, to be clear. The Falcons are their most immediate worry, but then comes a Sunday Night Football game in Chicago against the 5-2 Bears. Then, after a bye week, they’re on the road against the Lions in Detroit. That leads into a Monday Night Football rematch against the Panthers in Tampa.

Those looming games in Chicago and Detroit make next Sunday’s game against the Falcons even more critical. Tampa Bay needs that one, or else Sunday may very well have been for nothing.

But the Bucs have given themselves a chance. For even as little as a week, they’ve given themselves a lifeline and set the table for another game with real stakes as November begins. String together a couple of wins over the next month and you’re playing meaningful football games into the holiday season.

Who would’ve thought that could be on the table when this team was 1-5?