Bucs' playoff hopes: A milkshake, missed field goal and chicken tenders

The Bucs have gone from recently rooting for the Commanders to soon facing them. A loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16 snapped the Bucs' four-game winning streak and put them in a tie with the Falcons, and Atlanta held the head-to-head tiebreaker after sweeping Tampa earlier in the season. A little help from the Commanders was all the Bucs were hoping for as they watched along with the rest of the world. With two seconds left in regulation and the game tied at 24-24, Falcons kicker Riley Patterson trotted out to attempt a 56-yard field goal. The kick was up, and rookie running back Bucky Irving raced out of the house in frustration. "I thought it went in," Irving said. "Watching it, it looked like the kick was in," All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs added. Wirfs hung his head down, and all of a sudden "I felt two big bear paws smack me," he said. It was swing tackle Justin Skule -- "He missed!" Skule shouted. "It looked like it was on line," left guard Ben Bredeson added. "I couldn't see that it had fallen short." Mayfield had to go get Irving and bring him back inside. "I sat down and watched the game some more," Irving said, before punching in a DoorDash order. "I got a milkshake after that.... Oreo." It would end up being a celebratory milkshake at that, as the Commanders went on to win in overtime 30-24, and the Bucs' social media accounts reacted by posting a photo of Mayfield hugging Daniels from their Week 1 game with a handshake emoji. With a game in hand in the standings, the Bucs went into their Week 18 finale with the New Orleans Saints knowing a victory would clinch the division. A Falcons loss or tie to the Panthers would also seal it for them, but why leave things to chance? Especially after everything it took to get here. After a Week 10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Bucs fell to 4-6 with a 23.7% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN Research. Eight weeks later, after a little help from the Commanders, they had clawed back to the top of the division but were trailing 16-6 at halftime against the Saints. Jalen McMillan's 32-yard, toe-dragging touchdown catch in the fourth quarter gave them the first lead of the game, and the Bucs became the first team since the 2013 Chargers to overcome a double-digit deficit in the season finale to clinch a playoff spot with a 27-19 victory. "It feels good, but our goal wasn't just getting into the playoffs. We want to go all the way," Mayfield said. "This is a tough, resilient group that's been tested throughout the year, and so we're built for the playoffs." After winning six of their final seven games, the No. 3-seeded Bucs (10-7) are set to host the No. 6 Commanders (12-5) on Sunday (8 p.m. ET, NBC) in the wild-card round. "The guys truly care about one another, play for each other," Bredeson said, "and I think when we get in those tough situations, we're able to lean on each other and rely on some of that personal relationship to maybe push you through."