Tampa Bay Buccaneers Have A Really Longshot At Making The Playoffs

By NPR Staff

Going into the last weekend of the NFL’s regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the longest of odds to make the playoffs. Seven different things need to go right for them.

(SOUNDBITE OF SAM SPENCE SONG, “THE EQUALIZER”)

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

We’re heading into the last weekend of the NFL’s regular season, and there’s just one wildcard playoff spot still up for grabs. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still mathematically eligible.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Technically, but to say they’re longshots is putting it mildly. Seven different things need to go their way on Sunday if they’re going to make it to the postseason.

SIEGEL: First of all, Tampa needs to beat the Carolina Panthers – fair enough. That’s within their control.

SHAPIRO: Then it gets ridiculous. The Bucs need to sit back and pray that Green Bay and Houston and Jacksonville and Philadelphia and Seattle all lose their games.

SIEGEL: And amazingly, that’s not all. Washington and the New York Giants need to tie at the end of their game. No one can win. No one can lose. They must tie, which almost never happens in the NFL these days.

SHAPIRO: Still, mathematically, there is a chance. Given the long odds, the Bucs might have a few extra fans watching this weekend, folks who love rooting for the ultimate underdog and perhaps a few mathematicians as well.

(SOUNDBITE OF SAM SPENCE SONG, “THE EQUALIZER”)

Copyright © 2016 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

This article passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
Recommended article: The Guardian’s Summary of Julian Assange’s Interview Went Viral and Was Completely False.

Source:: http://www.npr.org/2016/12/29/507446862/tampa-bay-buccaneers-have-a-really-longshot-at-making-the-playoffs?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=sports