TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons were supposed to be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ top competitor for the NFC South title.

Instead, they’re reduced to playing a spoiler role .

Kirk Cousins and the Falcons (4-9) visit Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers (7-6) on Thursday night in Tampa with a lot at stake for the home team.

The Bucs were cruising along to a fifth straight division championship before running into a difficult stretch. They returned from a bye with a 6-2 record and were aiming to earn a top seed in the second half.

But they’ve hardly played like a team that even belongs in the playoffs. The Bucs lost three straight games to winning teams, barely held on to beat the lowly Cardinals and then lost at home to the dismal Saints .

They’re tied with Carolina for first

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