{"id":649139,"date":"2026-01-02T22:19:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T22:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/649139\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T22:19:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T22:19:19","slug":"bucs-fans-brace-for-final-weekend-with-playoffs-and-future-on-the-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/649139\/","title":{"rendered":"Bucs fans brace for final weekend with playoffs and future on the line"},"content":{"rendered":"

TAMPA, Fla. \u2014 When you\u2019ve been a longtime Buccaneers fan, you learn to deal with tough times.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know how to handle it…We\u2019ve done it many years before, and we\u2019ve come out on top,\u201d Farris Roach said.<\/p>\n

WATCH: Bucs fans brace for final weekend with playoffs and future on the line<\/p>\n

Bucs fans brace for final weekend with playoffs and future on the line<\/p>\n

Roach is part of the Leatherheads Tailgate crew along with Sgt. at Arms Allen Brown and Shawn Conner, known as Leatherhead. The group has followed the team through decades of highs and lows, and this season has tested that loyalty once again.<\/p>\n

The Buccaneers opened the season with strong performances and high expectations, but struggled down the stretch. Costly losses and inconsistent play late in the year have left the team on the brink of elimination heading into the final weekend of the regular season.<\/p>\n

During a conversation with the group, fans reflected on how optimism early in the season has faded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been an up-and-down season. It\u2019s been disappointing,\u201d said Conner<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay enters the weekend needing a win against Carolina and help from the New Orleans Saints, who must beat Atlanta, for the Buccaneers to earn a playoff berth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really hoping that over the last few days they\u2019ve found a way to remember what the team was in the beginning,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n

The late season collapse has also reignited criticism of head coach Todd Bowles. Frustrated fans have taken to social media calling for a coaching change, questioning leadership and consistency as losses have piled up.<\/p>\n

This group of fans, however, says judgment should wait until the season is complete.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I step out of my optimistic shoes and I go, ok we lose this next game and we\u2019ve lost seven out of eight, something like that. Would I fire him? I probably would,\u201d Conner said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do hear rumblings that he may have lost the locker room or things like that. That all comes from losing. That all goes away when you win. And if we do and I feel we will get into the playoffs, it will die down,\u201d said Roach.<\/p>\n

If the Buccaneers do reach the postseason, they would do so with a losing record. Still, they would host a playoff game, giving fans at least one more chance to see their team compete.<\/p>\n

\u201cHashtag it\u2019s a Bucs life, and that\u2019s really the only way you can really explain it,\u201d said Brown.<\/p>\n

Share Your Story with Erik

For more than 15 years, Erik Waxler has called Pasco County home. He\u2019s dedicated to helping his neighbors solve problems and celebrate those who help others. Share your ideas and tips with Erik below.
.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Redington Shores landmark Friendly Tavern reopens after devastating hurricanes<\/p>\n

After more than a year of closure following back-to-back devastating hurricanes, the nearly 80-year-old Friendly Tavern in Redington Shores has reopened its doors just weeks before New Year’s Eve.<\/p>\n

Redington Shores landmark Friendly Tavern reopens after devastating hurricanes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TAMPA, Fla. \u2014 When you\u2019ve been a longtime Buccaneers fan, you learn to deal with tough times. \u201cWe…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":649140,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2077],"tags":[15759,211,2956,7,20254,6,704,68749,250,15556,15761,2597,2596,15762],"class_list":["post-649139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa-bay-buccaneers","tag-abc-action-news","tag-buccaneers","tag-bucs","tag-football","tag-hillsborough-county","tag-nfl","tag-tampa-bay","tag-tampa-bay-28","tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","tag-tampa-bay-bucs","tag-tampa-bay-local-news","tag-tampabay","tag-tampabaybuccaneers","tag-wfts"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115827833929859466","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/649139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=649139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/649139\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/649140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=649139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=649139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=649139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}