Having already clinched a playoff spot in Week 16, the Buccaneers weren’t satisfied with just being in the dance. Instead, they stuck with the starters in Week 17’s home finale against the Falcons and it paid off in the form of a 44-27 win and the NFC’s No. 5 seed.
With their fourth straight victory, Tampa Bay finished the regular season with an 11-5 record for the first time since 2005. The team also earned a 4-2 record within the division, with those two losses to the Saints proving costly. The Bucs finished just one game behind the division winners, with the two head-to-head losses looming large.