The NFC South title will come down to the final game of the season: Carolina at Tampa Bay this Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. Winner take all into the a first-round home playoff game.
Neither team on Sunday appeared ready to assume the role of division winner.
The Buccaneers fell at Miami, 20-17, to slump to 7-9, but remained one game behind Carolina (8-8) in the NFC South after the Panthers' 27-10 loss to Seattle.
The Bucs can still clinch their fifth consecutive division title and sixth straight playoff berth if they beat Carolina next week to force a two-way tie. If Tampa Bay, Carolina and Atlanta all tie at 8-9, the Panthers would win the division.
But Tampa Bay has lost four straight games, seven of its last eight and has barely looked like a playoff team during that stretch. Those four defeats have all been by one possession.
Throughout the skid, the Bucs have been their worst enemy, and on Sunday there were mistakes in all phases of the game. Among them:
- Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw two interceptions and fumbled on sack.
- A busted coverage in the secondary led to a long Miami score in the first quarter.
- The Dolphins blocked a Tampa Bay field goal at the end of the first half.
- Miami returned a kickoff 57 yards to set up a matching field goal.
Rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers completed 14 of 22 for 172 yards and two touchdowns in his second career start for the Dolphins (7-9), who were already eliminated from the playoffs.
Rookie receiver Theo Wease Jr. took Ewers' first career TD pass 63 yards in another episode of miscommunication by the Bucs' secondary. Tight end Greg Dulcich caught the other TD in the second quarter on an 11-yard pass to give Miami a 17-7 lead.
Running back De'Von Achane had 18 carries for 83 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry against Tampa Bay's seventh-ranked run defense.
Mayfield completed 33 of 44 passes for 346 yards with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Godwin on the game's opening drive. The former No. 1 pick has thrown an interception in each game of the losing streak, including two on Sunday.
The first pick was an underthrow to receiver Jalen McMillan that was picked off by rookie cornerback Jason Marshall Jr.
The second came as the Bucs were driving down the field midway through the fourth, trailing by 10. Mayfield, one play after somehow escaping a sack attempt by Quinton Bell and completing an 11-yard pass to Evans, threw a red-zone interception to safety Ashtyn Davis.
The Buccaneers forced a Dolphins punt, but linebacker Bradley Chubb stripped Mayfield on a sack, which Bell recovered.
Despite the three turnovers and being outgained 145-53 on the ground Sunday, Tampa Bay pulled within three after a three-play, 91-yard drive that Mayfield capped with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans with 54 seconds left.
Chris Godwin had a 59-yard catch and run that set up that score, but Miami recovered the ensuring onside kick to end the comeback attempt.
The Buccaneers took an early lead on a 16-play touchdown drive on their first possession of the game but gave up 17 straight points before Chase McLaughlin's 33-yard field goal cut the deficit to seven points in the fourth.
McLaughlin had connected on 11 straight field goals from 55-plus yards entering Sunday but had a 55-yard attempt blocked late in the second.
Ewers led the Dolphins back down the field to set up Riley Patterson's 33-yard kick that pushed the score to 20-10.
