The Bucs have won the NFC South in each of the last four seasons, and they have their sights set on a division title five-peat in 2025. But the goals and expectations are bigger than just that this year. Tampa Bay wants what it got the year before this division championship streak began – another Lombardi Trophy.

Still, winning the division is the first step. The Bucs know that their aspirations within the postseason itself aren’t achievable in September, October, November or even December. They have to get to the dance first, and they’re off to a fantastic start three weeks into this season.

The Week 1 win in Atlanta over the Falcons was significant for the Bucs, as it was important to get a head-to-head win as well as a divisional win. As early in the season as that game was, that result could come back to aid Tampa Bay later this season if the division comes down to a tiebreaker, whether with Atlanta or in general terms with the divisional record. But it wasn’t just that win that has the Bucs in a strong position heading into the final week of September.

Bucs CBs Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum – Photo by: USA Today

Todd Bowles and Co. followed up that win over the Falcons with wins over the Texans and Jets, which has the team at 3-0 for the first time since 2005. That, paired with other results, has our early look at the NFC South standings looking awfully favorable for Tampa Bay.

The Falcons rebounded from their Week 1 loss to the Bucs with a win over the Vikings in Week 2, but Week 3 saw them lose to the Panthers, 30-0, in Charlotte. That was the Panthers’ first win of the season. Meanwhile, the Saints were blown out by the Seahawks in Seattle in Week 3, which leaves things looking like this:

NFC South Standings Through Week 3

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 3-0 (1-0 in NFC South play)
Carolina Panthers – 1-2 (1-0 in NFC South play)
Atlanta Falcons – 1-2 (0-2 in NFC South play)
New Orleans Saints – 0-3 (0-0 in NFC South play)

Bucs Can’t Let History Repeat Itself And See Hot Start Slip Away

It’s a two-game lead for the Bucs through only three weeks of the 2025 season, but that’s the thing: It’s only been three weeks.

Tampa Bay has seen hot starts slip away in recent years, with midseason slumps creating situations where the team has had to catch up with some late-season runs. In 2023, a 3-1 start turned into a 4-7 record heading into December. It took a four-game winning streak and a 5-1 finish for the Bucs to capture a third straight NFC South crown. Last year, a 3-1 start became a 4-6 record heading into the bye week. It took a 6-1 run out of the bye for the team to finish 10-7 and earn a fourth consecutive division title.

Bucs DT Vita Vea and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

So, it’s up to this year’s group to not let that happen. They’re 3-0 and have an early two-game advantage in the NFC South race, and playing with some consistency throughout the middle of the season and into the late stages could prove huge. It could mean wrapping up the division before Week 18, and it could have them fighting for higher seeding rather than simply a playoff spot.

It won’t be easy, of course, as Tampa Bay hosts 3-0 Philadelphia next week before hitting the road to face 2-1 Seattle. San Francisco and Detroit follow after that, then there’s a matchup in New Orleans before a Week 9 bye. Getting through that stretch of games against the Eagles, Seahawks, 49ers and Lions will prove tough, but if the Bucs can get through it with even a 2-2 record and then beat the Saints, they’ll be 6-2 heading into their bye before seeing a bit of a lighter stretch after the week off.

The point isn’t to get ahead of themselves, it’s just that there needs to be a sense of proceeding with caution. The 3-0 start is fantastic, especially given how short handed the team has been. But there’s more work to be done.

As it stands, though, the Bucs are off to a great start on their quest for an NFC South five-peat and an NFC South-best eighth division title.