Buccaneers are focused on playing the Panthers, knowing they’ll need help to win the NFC South

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed up for practice on Tuesday for the first time since losing control of their playoff hopes.

After a major collapse, the Buccaneers need help to get in.

First, they must beat Carolina on Saturday to snap a four-game losing streak. Then, the Falcons have to lose or tie to the Saints on Sunday.

If that happens, the Buccaneers (7-9) would secure their fifth straight NFC South title and second with a losing record under coach Todd Bowles.

“We just have to win the game on Saturday and then we’ll see,” Bowles said Tuesday. “We’ve made this bed (and) we understand that. We can’t do anything on Sunday unless we win Saturday.”

For a team that started 3-0, 5-1 and was 6-2 at the bye, it’s taken a lot of poor football to reach this point. The Bucs had a soft schedule over the past month and still couldn’t beat teams with losing records. They lost at home to the Saints, blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead at home to the Falcons, lost at Carolina and to a backup quarterback in Miami.

“I don’t think I’m stunned to be in this position — it’s disappointing, it’s frustrating and it’s part of the ebbs and (flows) of the season,” Bowles said. “This is the first season we’ve gone through something like this at the end of the season, so you try to make the best of it, and you try to come out of it. You put your head down and you keep working.”

Baker Mayfield, who played at an MVP caliber over the first month of the season, has thrown critical interceptions in the fourth quarter in each of the past three losses. He had his full complement of wide receivers in only those three games this season.

“It’s how well can you execute,” he said. “You look at the things we’ve messed up in these last few games, you’ve got to be able to do the little details, right. Everything — you never know when that play is going to really make the difference. So, be on your p’s and q’s on normal downs and distances, and obviously, third downs and red zone (we) have to be really locked in. How well can we do our jobs? That’s the goal.”

Pro Bowl left tackle Tristan Wirfs missed the previous game because of a toe injury and didn’t practice Tuesday. Cornerback Jamel Dean (shoulder), cornerback Benjamin Morrison (hamstring) and linebacker Anthony Nelson (knee) also didn’t practice.

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