RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers will likely have to do well in each of their six divisional matchups if they are to finish the season as NFC South champions.
Tampa split each of their series against the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints last season. Had they won just one more game, the Bucs would have won the division instead of narrowly missing out of the playoffs.
The three divisional losses were by a combined eight points, and the one against Atlanta is probably the most painful.
Any Buccaneers fan is aware of "3rd and 28," as well as coach Todd Bowles' profanity-laced tirade that followed Atlanta's 29-28 win on Thursday Night Football.
Tampa's first chance at revenge against Atlanta will take place Sunday, Nov. 1, at Raymond James Stadium, the scene of the crime. From Atlanta's perspective, the Thursday Night win proved to be a launching pad. The Falcons came into that matchup 4-9, and after beating Tampa, they won their last three games to finish 8-9, tied for the best record in the NFC South.
Although Atlanta lost out on the division championship due to a tiebreaker, the Falcons ended the season flying high. The same can't be said for Tampa Bay, which looked to be a lock to win the South when it was 6-2, but ended up losing seven of its last nine. Things will have to be different in 2026 for Bowles to silence his critics, and they already look different.
Two days after the end of the regular season, Tampa f ired offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard after just one season. Tampa replaced Grizzard with the man who engineered "3rd and 28."
The Falcons' late surge wasn't enough to save head coach Raheem Morris' job. When Morris got fired and new head coach Kevin Stefanski came in, Stefanski understandably wanted his guys on staff, including the offensive coordinator.
That made Zac Robinson a free agent, and the Bucs took advantage.
So come November, Robinson will be taking on his former team, and Robinson's quarterback, Baker Mayfield, will be taking on his former head coach.
Stefanski was Cleveland's boss when Mayfield led the Cleveland Browns to their only playoff win since the "new Browns" emerged in 1999.
He was also Cleveland's boss when the Browns made the now-infamous DeShaun Watson trade 14 months later and essentially kicked Mayfield to the curb.
Mayfield hasn't forgotten how things ended in Cleveland, and made it clear that he's no Kevin Stefanski fan.
Beating the Falcons would make a lot of people happy, perhaps Mayfield most of all.
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