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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into Sunday’s regular-season home finale with high stakes, as they welcome the Carolina Panthers to town with a division title on the line.
Here are the top storylines for the Bucs in this Week 17 matchup:
Banners & Bragging Rights
(Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
As Bruce Arians would say, this is a “hat and t-shirt game,” as the Bucs have a chance to clinch the division championship with a victory. A win would give them back-to-back NFC South titles for the first time, and a third consecutive trip to the postseason.
The Bucs would be the No. 4 seed in the NFC, giving them the opportunity to host a first-round playoff game against the top wild-card team. Considering how disappointing this season has gone for Tampa Bay compared to preseason expectations, finishing on the positive note of a division crown would be a huge win.
Milestone M1K3
(AP Photo/Alex Menendez)
Mike Evans is inching ever closer to another 1,000-yard season, needing just 83 yards to eclipse the mark this year. He’s already the only player in NFL history to start his career with eight consecutive seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards, so he’ll extend his own historic mark if he’s able to make it happen again over the final two weeks of the regular season.
Even with all of Tampa Bay’s offensive struggles this season, and a connection with Tom Brady that has seemed off at times, Evans is still on the doorstep of yet another 1,000-yard campaign, which would further boost his already-strong case for the Hall of Fame.
Brady’s Home Finale?
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
It’s still unclear what Tom Brady plans to do after this season, but if the Bucs were to lose Sunday, it might be the last time Bucs fans get to see him play a home game at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay would need help to get into the playoffs should they fall to the Panthers this week, and Brady’s contract with the Bucs expires after this season.
Whether he would retire or play elsewhere remains a mystery, but a win Sunday would ensure that this isn’t the last time Brady treats the home crowd at RJS to his presence as their quarterback.
Revenge Game
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
One of the low points of Tampa Bay’s season so far was a 21-3 road loss to Carolina earlier in the season, and this rematch gives the Bucs a chance to avenge that defeat in the best way possible.
It’s never fun to be upset by a division rival with a dismal record, but if given their chance to pick, it’s a good bet Tampa Bay would prefer to win this one in front of their home crowd, with the division title on the line.
Story originally appeared on Buccaneers Wire