The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t just trending downward — they may have hit rock bottom.

Once sitting confidently atop the NFC South at 5–1, the Bucs have now lost five of their last seven and are clinging to playoff hopes after a soul-crushing 29–28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football. The defeat dropped Tampa Bay to 7–7 and second place in the division, setting up a do-or-die finish to the season.

How bad was the loss? According to NFL Network’s Peter Schrager on ESPN’s Get Up, it wasn’t just bad — it was the worst loss any NFL team has suffered all year.

“It is the single-worst loss that any team has suffered this entire NFL season,” Schrager said Friday. “When you consider the stakes, and what’s at cost here? That’s an eliminated team already, the Atlanta Falcons… horrid, horrid loss.”

Hard to argue.

"It is the single-worst loss that any team has suffered this entire NFL season."

—@PSchrags on the Bucs' loss to the Falcons pic.twitter.com/XkT3buqjQI

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 12, 2025

The Falcons were already eliminated from playoff contention, playing without their top receiver Drake London and essentially just trying to spoil Tampa Bay’s season — mission accomplished. The Bucs blew a late lead and gave up a game-winning drive capped by a 43-yard field goal as time expired.

The immediate fallout? Tampa Bay’s playoff chances dropped from 71 percent to 54 percent, per Next Gen Stats, and they could fall further if the Carolina Panthers beat the Saints this weekend. Should Carolina win, the Panthers would only need one win in two remaining games against the Bucs to clinch the NFC South and send Tampa packing.

The stakes couldn’t be clearer: lose one more to Carolina, and it’s over.

The postgame vibes were as grim as the performance. Head coach Todd Bowles was reportedly furious in the locker room, dropping an uncharacteristic profanity-laced rant. Star tackle Tristan Wirfs echoed the frustration, calling the effort “flat-out unacceptable.”

Now, with a mini-bye ahead of their Week 16 trip to Carolina, the Buccaneers are battered, bruised, and widely criticized — but not yet eliminated.

They’ll need to win out, hope for help, and most importantly, prove they aren’t the biggest disappointment in football this season.

If not, Schrager’s harsh assessment won’t just be hot air — it’ll be historic.