[](https://www.joebucsfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Vealeft23.png)Joe sure hopes the Bucs understand what’s on the line tonight after the Bears beat back the Steelers for a 31-28 victory in Chicago.
The Bears now sit atop the dangerous NFC North with an 8-3 record.
That means a Bucs loss tonight to the Rams would put them two games behind the Bears, three games behind the NFC West–leading Rams and at least two games behind the Eagles, the top dog in the NFC East and a team Tampa Bay lost to in September.
In short, that means the Bucs might need a miracle to catch any of those clubs in the standings, if the Bucs fall to the Rams tonight in Los Angeles and fall to 6-5.
Joe’s not assuming the Bucs automatically beat the Panthers to win the NFC South. While that’s likely, the Bucs will have long odds to secure anything but the No. 4 seed with a loss tonight.
The Bucs were the No. 3 seed in the NFC last year, a slot they achieved with an assist from the Rams. Los Angeles started backups in Week 18 and lost to Seattle. Both the Bucs and Rams finished with a 10-7 record.