On Sunday, Jan. 5, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played the New Orleans Saints in the final game of the regular season. The National Football League (NFL) consists of two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).
The Buccaneers, or Bucs, play in the NFC South Division, and with their win against the Saints, they secured first place in the NFC South, guaranteeing themselves a wild-card spot in the playoffs of the 2024 season.
In the first quarter, both the Bucs and Saints scored a field goal, earning 3 points each. The Saints then scored a touchdown and another field goal, while the Bucs added one more field goal in the second quarter. The score at halftime was 16-6 in favor of the Saints.
After halftime, the Buccaneers scored a touchdown in the third quarter, while the Saints added a field goal. The score going into the fourth quarter was 19-13, still favoring the Saints.
In the final quarter, the Bucs scored two touchdowns, adding 14 points and leading to a final score of 27-19, resulting in a home win for Tampa. This game was critical because it assured the winner a spot in the first round of the playoffs and first place in the NFC South.
The Bucs will face the Washington Commanders in the Wild Card round. If they win, they will advance to play another NFC team in the Divisional Round.
With a win in the Divisional Round, the team would face one more NFC team in the NFC Championship. The winners of the NFC Championship and the AFC Championship will meet in the Super Bowl.
The Buccaneers will begin their playoff journey on Sunday, Jan. 12, at 8 p.m. Eastern.