Bucaneers fans who aren't sick of watching football as a result of Thursday night's collapse will be interested in what happens in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome this Sunday.
It would be reasonable for Tampa Bay Buccaneers' fans to not watch any football this Sunday.
The team's Thursday night collapse against the Atlanta Falcons was the type of outcome that could make some fans hate the sport for a while.
But the good news is, Tampa Bay can still win this weekend even though it isn't playing.
If the Carolina Panthers-- sole owners of first place by a half game-- lose to the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome, Tampa will be back in a tie for first. The bad news for Tampa Bay fans is that, well, New Orleans is 3-10, and a Carolina win would only put the Bucs a full-game in the hole.
But as Bucs fans know all too well, games against the Saints aren't guaranteed wins.
Tampa had a home game against the 2-10 Saints last weekend, which seemed like a slam-dunk win. It didn't turn out that way, and the Saints pulled out a 24-20 stunner.
Interestingly enough, one of New Orleans' other two wins came over Carolina. The Saints beat the Panthers 17-7 in Charlotte Nov. 9, not allowing a point after the first quarter.
But Carolina has played well over the last three weeks, with thrilling wins at Atlanta (30-27 OT) and the Los Angeles Rams at home (31-28).
Former No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young is starting to come into his own at quarterback.
Against Atlanta, he had his best game as a pro, completing 31 passes on 45 attempts for 448 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
He didn't put up as big of numbers against the Rams (206 yards), but he had his most efficient game of the season, completing 15 of 20 passes for the same three touchdowns and no picks.
In Young's first game against the Saints, he wasn't much of a factor, throwing for just 124 yards on 17 completions. He did suffer an interception. For all of New Orleans' problems, the Saints do have a good secondary, with their pass defense ranking sixth in the NFL (182.6 yards per game).
The Saints haven't had the same success against the run, ranking in the bottom 10 of the league. Yet, Carolina couldn't get anything going on the ground in the first meeting, picking up just 73 yards on 23 carries.
Regardless of what the Panthers do Sunday, Tampa Bay still controls its destiny. Two of its last three games are against the Panthers, with the first being next Sunday in Charlotte.