TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians loves what he likes to call a “t-shirt and hat game”. On Sunday he got his wish.
In this week’s exclusive ‘Bucs with B.A.’ interview with News Channel 8’s Dan Lucas, Arians noted the mood on the plane ride home from Charlotte after the Bucs 32-6 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Despite clinching the franchise’s first NFC South title since 2007, the Bucs have a lot to play for during the final two weeks of the regular season.
The Bucs are currently the fourth seed in the NFC, losing out on tiebreakers with both the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams.
It is possible to climb as high as the top seed but any scenario for the Bucs hosting more than one playoff game would require them to win both of their remaining games.
On Monday, the team announced the return of wide receiver Breshad Perriman from the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Perriman is a welcomed addition after a two-week absence.
On Sunday, the Bucs relied on the return of wide receiver Antonio Brown as the main target for quarterback Tom Brady.
Brown finished the game with 10 receptions for 101 yards.
The Bucs are still unsure how long they will be without wide receiver Mike Evans as well as running back Leonard Fournette, both players dealing with hamstring injuries.
For one game, backup players stood out with a 70 yard rushing performance by running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn as well as an 81-yard receiving day from wide receiver Cyril Grayson.
The Bucs will be without linebacker Shaquil Barrett for both of their final two regular season games as he deals with a strained MCL and ACL. Arians revealed the injuries but said that neither ligament is torn.
Barrett and Fournette are both candidates to possibly return for the first playoff game.
