The pieces are starting to fall into place for the Bucs to make a run at the playoffs

Sporting News, The, Dec 13, 2004 by Brian Baldinger

This is a weird season. Eleven NFC teams entered December with losing records, and at least one of them will make the playoffs. My prediction: Tampa Bay will be that team, and by the time the playoffs start it won't look like as much of an embarrassment as it does now.

The Bucs shut out the Falcons last Sunday and improved to 5-7. That's a mediocre record, but the Bucs were 1-5 in mid-October. They've gone 4-2 since that point and are starting to look a lot more like the Super Bowl team of 2002 than the 7-9 team of a year ago.

The Bucs still have one of the league's best defenses. End Simeon Rice dominated the game Sunday, blocking passes, forcing fumbles, sacking the quarterback. He was in Michael Vick's face all afternoon. Linebacker Derrick Brooks looks as good now as he ever did. Ronde Barber, Brian Kelly, Greg Spires, Shelton Quarles--these are all guys with Super Bowl rings who know what it takes to win in December and get to the playoffs.

Offensively, the Bucs are getting healthy at the right time. Receivers Joey Galloway and Joe Jurevicius are back to join Michael Clayton, who has a legitimate chance to be rookie of the year. Mike Alstott is healthy again to help Michael Pittman in the running game. And Brian Griese is playing well at quarterback. The only question is the line, but even that unit has shown recent improvement.

The Bucs' major competition for a playoff spot won't come from St. Louis, which sits a game ahead of them at 6-6. The Rams' defense isn't good enough. No, the Bucs will be vying with Carolina, which won its fourth straight game Sunday to match Tampa Bay at 5-7.

Like the Bucs, the Panthers are getting hot at the right time. Their defense is playing better, and they're starting to move the ball well both on the ground and in the air. As crazy as it sounds, a team that started the season 1-7 is in position to make a playoff run. And Carolina already beat the Bucs this year, although I think Tampa Bay will be the better team when they meet again in Week 16.

The NFC South, which has produced the last two NFC champs, is a strong division, even if Atlanta is the only team whose record reflects it. Come playoff time, I think Tampa Bay's will, too.

(S) Brian Baldinger, an offensive lineman for 12 NFL seasons, can be heard on Sporting News Radio and seen on FOX Sports. Listen online at radio.sportingnews.com.