Giants win clinches playoff berth for Bucs

By JOANNE KORTH
Published January 1, 2006

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The Bucs are in the playoffs.

Happy New Year!

When the Giants clinched the NFC East title Saturday night with a 30-21 victory against the Raiders, the Bucs clinched a playoff berth. Even if Tampa Bay loses today to New Orleans, it is assured at least a wild card.

The late-night development ended a two-year drought for the Bucs, who will make their first postseason appearance since winning Super Bowl XXXVII.

The worst Tampa Bay can do is a three-way tie for the first wild card with Washington and Dallas at 10-6. The first tiebreaker is to eliminate all but the highest-ranking team from any division. The Redskins and Cowboys play in the East, so one of those teams would be eliminated first.

Washington would eliminate Dallas based on its season sweep, leaving Washington and Tampa Bay. The Bucs would claim the No. 5 seed based on a 36-35 victory against the Redskins on Nov. 13 and the Redskins would again eliminate the Cowboys for the final spot.

But the Bucs can do better.

A win today against New Orleans clinches the NFC South title and the conference's No. 3 seed, which gives Tampa Bay a home playoff game in the first round.

It also would complete a worst-to-first turnaround for the Bucs, who finished last in the division at 5-11 last season.