Family-owned Bill Currie Ford is a 60-year Tampa treasure, one mile north of Raymond James Stadium. Ira Kaufman wholeheartedly endorses them. Amazing year-end sales happening right now. Start shopping at BillCurrieFord.com!

BY IRA KAUFMAN

For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there should be no rest for the weary.

If the Bucs handle their business tomorrow afternoon in Motown and officially end this brutal playoff drought, there will still be plenty of incentive to win against the Falcons in the regular-season finale.

That’s because an 11-5 record would guarantee the NFC’s No. 5 playoff slot for Tampa Bay, assuming the Saints lock up the division title.

That could happen before the Bucs even take the field at Detroit.

The Bucs would grab the highest-ranked wild-card spot with two more victories because the Rams and Seahawks face each other. If Seattle wins that matchup and the Bucs win out, Tampa Bay would finish ahead of the Rams. If Seattle loses to Los Angeles and then finishes 11-5, the Bucs would win the third tie-breaker because of a better record than the Seahawks against common opponents.

The Drive For Five

What’s the big deal about that No. 5 seed?

Isn’t it more important to give some of your veterans a break against Atlanta in Week 17?

Bruce Arians will think about it, but in the end, momentum and logistics should win out.

Easy Choice

An opportunity to take a four-game winning streak into the postseason is quite appealing. That would give this club added confidence – no matter where they are playing in the opening playoff round.

But more importantly, the chance to wrest that No. 5 seed away from the Rams or the Seahawks should be a driving force because the Bucs would then face the winner of the NFC East on the road.

And that division champ won’t even boast a winning record.

The 6-8 Redskins are currently in first place, but the Giants, Cowboys and even the 4-9-1 Eagles remain in the hunt. Yes, the Eagles are still alive. That’s how crazy this division looks through 15 weeks.

You could conceivably have the 11-5 Bucs travel to face the 6-9-1 Eagles in a couple of weeks.

That would be a bad look for the NFL shield, but a welcome sight for Buc fans.

Think about it. Would you rather travel to Washington or Seattle?

Let’s be serious for a moment.

History Versus Hope

Washington has an elite defensive line, without question. Former first-round picks are lined up across the board in the nation’s capital, but that’s the extent of the concerns.

No-brainer calls lies ahead for Bucco Bruce Arians, writes Ira Kaufman.

Keeping Tom Brady upright would be the obvious focal point against a team that lacks big-time offensive weapons.

Meanwhile, Russell Wilson looms in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle’s defense won’t scare you, but Wilson’s career 101.8 passer rating ranks fourth in NFL history, well ahead of Drew Brees and Tom Brady. He’s also 9-6 in the postseason, so he’d be slightly more challenging than either caretaker Alex Smith or Dwayne Haskins, who is now under siege off the field.

The Giants are inept on offense, the Cowboys can’t stop anybody and the Eagles are in disarray. If the streaking Bucs end up facing the NFC East champions, Tampa Bay would be a favorite … perhaps a prohibitive favorite.

The thought of giving Tom Brady or Ndamukong Suh a breather in Week 17 surely has its merits, but the prospect for an 11-5 finish should trump all other considerations.

Of course, all of these intriguing scenarios become moot if the Bucs leave Motown tracing the tracks of their tears.

The talent disparities between these two teams are enormous, on both sides of the ball, but we’ve seen Tampa Bay’s first-half foibles emerge as a disturbing pattern for more than two months.

The tantalizing prospect of securing a playoff berth should be enough to motivate this club. Brady doesn’t want to sit out Week 17.

He figures he can get plenty of rest on Feb. 8, the day after he hoists another Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Ira!

Joe’s good friend Sean Sullivan, the general manager of ⁦@BillCurrieTampa⁩, is ready for the playoffs. Imagine tailgating at a Bucs game in a new 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. Bill Currie Ford has them. Stop in and talk to Sean (about that Alstott jersey, too). pic.twitter.com/4HxSkZSPjs

— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) December 16, 2020