ST. LOUIS -- With a 6-8 record and a last-place position among seven NFC wild-card contenders, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have virtually no chance of qualifying for the NFL's postseason party.
But that doesn't mean they have nothing for which to play in the final two games of the season.
The Bucs still can finish at .500 for the first time since going 10-6 in 2010. And rookie quarterback Jameis Winston is more than capable of putting an exclamation point on a potential Rookie of the Year season.
"The long-term message (to the team) is that we have come up short, but we are headed in the right direction," coach Lovie Smith said Thursday night after Tampa Bay lost 31-23 to the St.