Saturday, 4 a.m.
One game, and the season seems to be slipping away.
One game, and the Bucs are playing catchup.
One game, and it’s even money whether the Bucs win out or lose out.
Funny how fast things change. A week ago, and Tampa Bay was coming off its most impressive win of the season. One week ago, and the talk was that the Bucs could win out and claim the division.
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But that was before a 26-24 loss, a fall from the division lead and the feel of a team struggling to find itself. Now, it has to play an improving Carolina team. It has the home field advantage (Carolina is 1-5 on the road), but that doesn’t necessarily stop the turnovers and missed tackles, does it?
You’d like to think the Bucs have something that would make them close it out. But the Bucs are 1-6 in one-score games. That’s a lousy portent for the playoffs.
Of course, that one win was against Carolina.
Can you say two?
Prediction: Tampa Bay 27, Carolina 26.
In other NFL games:
Atlanta 30, Washington 28.
New Orleans 28, Las Vegas 20.
Green Bay 31, Minnesota 27.
Bengals 27, Broncos 23.
Lions 34, 49ers 22.
And in the college playoffs:
Penn State 27, Boise State 21.
Texas 30, Arizona State 20.
Ohio State 31, Oregon 30.
Notre Dame 24, Georgia 14.
And in other bowl games:
Miami 26, Iowa State 17.
Alabama 24, Michigan 21.
Washington 28, Louisville 23.
BYU 24, Colorada 21.
Iowa 26, Missouri 21.
South Carolina 24, Illinois 14.