The future of the Bucs franchise could change dramatically with a loss to the Chargers at home on Sunday

Joe is thankful the Chargers (6-8) still have something to play for when they take on the Bucs in Tampa on Sunday.

As fans, we would learn nothing about the Bucs if the Chargers came to RayJay with no incentive and the Bucs beat them by two touchdowns. That would be a truly meaningless result for assessing the Bucs’ playoff readiness.

Now, at least, the Chargers have a realistic shot at the AFC West title — they need to beat Tampa Bay and have the Broncos lose to Buffalo on Sunday, then Denver and San Diego would meet in Week 17 for the division crown.

The Chargers are a rough matchup for the Bucs because they can score points. And if the Bucs need Brian Griese to rally them from behind, well, let’s just say Santa Claus only comes once a year.

While the Chargers are possibly the NFL’s biggest flop of 2008, they are always competitive, losing their eight games by only a combined total of 34 points. 

This game could go a long way toward determining the direction of the franchise. The Bucs likely need to win their last two games to make the playoffs. And if they miss the postseason, Joe is convinced Chucky might join Barry Melrose at ESPN.