The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered Week 18 with their backs against the wall and the season on the line.
The odds were, and remain, stacked against them. A loss against the Carolina Panthers would automatically eliminate the Bucs from playoff contention. And even with a win, Tampa Bay still needs to root for the New Orleans Saints to beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, as a Falcons win will send the Panthers to the playoffs.
All the Bucs could do was control what they could control in order to keep their playoff hopes alive, and they did just that, defeating the Panthers 16-14 thanks to big performances from a few unexpected heroes.