NFL playoff picture: What does Bucs-Cowboys mean for NFC standings

Game result: Well that was not good news for the Buccaneers, as their loss dropped them completely out of the playoff picture. They currently sit eighth in the standings and need some help in the last two weeks. The Cowboys knew they were eliminated heading into the game.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys face off on Sunday Night Football to close out the Week 16 Sunday slate. The Bucs are firmly in the playoff mix while the Cowboys are officially eliminated from playoff contention. The Bucs are a 4.5-point favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Bucs head into the game with a half game lead on the Falcons for the top spot in the NFC South. The Falcons beat the Giants to at least maintain pace. If Tampa Bay wins, they’ll remain a game up on Atlanta headed into Week 17. If the Bucs lose, the Falcons take over first place due to sweeping the head-to-head series.

Tampa Bay remains alive in the wild card as well regardless of the result. If they lose, they would be two back of the Commanders with two games to go. The Bucs beat the Commanders in Week 1, and thus hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Cowboys were eliminated during Sunday’s 1 p.m. slate and are playing for draft positioning.

There is a chance conference record could factor into a tie between the Bucs and either the Rams or the Seahawks, but neither result seems likely to come into play.