Buccaneers Overcome Adversity to Clinch NFC South Title
Tampa Bay grabbed their fourth straight NFC South crown, ending 2024 at 10-7. This makes their fourth playoff appearance in a row, an impressive feat, given the situation.
The team managed this while carrying $81.5 million in dead cap space, the NFL’s biggest leftover contract hit. “Because we had Lavonte, because we had Antoine, because we had Vita, because we have Tristan. We have Mike and Chris, obviously. We have a lot of blue-chip players, still, and you can look at other rosters and you might not find a collection of talent that stands up to that group,” said Jason Licht to The Athletic.
The season played out like a roller coaster. A strong 3-1 start put them on top of the division through five weeks. Then came the slump — six losses in seven games dropped them to 4-7. But they bounced back. The Bucs got hot down the stretch, taking five of six. When Godwin got hurt, McMillan stepped in big time with 24 catches and seven touchdowns in just five games.
After winning the starting spot in camp, Baker Mayfield lit it up in the finale against New Orleans. He picked apart the defense for 221 passing yards and two touchdowns while running for another 68 yards. Star receiver Mike Evans made history, matching Jerry Rice’s amazing streak of 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons with a simple 9-yard catch. McMillan shook off a tough break late, turning a costly flag into redemption with a huge 32-yard touchdown grab that put his team up 20-19 against the Saints.
This playoff streak matches a team record from 1999-2002. Despite tough money constraints, management’s gutsy plan worked out.
“We felt like we could still compete and win the division, get to the playoffs, I did, at least, if we took the whole hit, and then be in much better shape this year,” Licht added.
