A winning record would’ve been nice, but staying healthy for the playoffs took clear priority as the Buccaneers dropped their regular season finale to the Atlanta Falcons, 30-17.
The first half actually looked encouraging, as most healthy starters played and dominated generally looked strong against a Falcons team with nothing to gain other than reps for their young cornerstones.
However, Tampa’s backups looked completely overwhelmed as they slowly trickled in and Atlanta pounded the ground game throughout the second half. The second half was basically a throwaway as the Bucs already turn their gaze toward a rematch with the Dallas Cowboys.