The Bucs were not supposed to be where they currently reside. After being given terrible narratives before the season and being pegged by many to finish last in the NFC South and be one of the worst teams in the league, they instead won the NFC South with a 9-8 record after their 9-0 win over the Panthers to finish the regular season.

That is a testament to the culture the coaches and players have created. After losing six of seven games earlier this season, Tampa Bay could have packed the season in and currently debating making big changes. Instead, they won five of their last six games to get into the playoffs. Once you’re in, the record resets to 0-0, and anything can happen. Although they will be underdogs Monday night against the Eagles, for the Bucs, being counted out is right where they want to be.

Bucs Turned Their Season Around To Make The Playoffs

When the team was sitting at 4-7, nearly no one expected the Bucs to make the playoffs.

Except for the Bucs themselves.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

That is a credit to head coach Todd Bowles for not changing the message and letting the losses continue to pile up. The momentum slowly started to shift after wins over the Panthers and Falcons, and they got hot at the right time to win the NFC South. As Bowles said after the team’s Week 18 win over Carolina, it feels great and he is happy for everyone involved to make it happen.

“It’s great to win three straight,” Bowles said on the three consecutive NFC South championships. “Especially how people counted them out. I’m happy for the fans. I’m happy for the players, the coaches, the management, the scouting department. They worked so hard to get everything done, and to hear all they had to hear and to come out and win the division title is outstanding for those guys. I’m very happy for them.”

Bowles also reiterated what was the belief outside of the building. The Bucs could not do it. They should look toward the future. Despite the outside noise, the team held firm and changed its story.

“Nobody turned on each other,” Bowles added. “Everybody battened down the hatches. We knew we had work to do and mistakes to correct, and when everybody counted us out, we didn’t, and that’s the biggest thing. That’s the main thing we got out of it, and you see the fruits of our labor winning the last five out of six to get in.”

Bucs Have “Guys That Are Comfortable Being Counted Out”

There is maybe no player that more embodies the mentality of being counted out than quarterback Baker Mayfield. On his fourth team in just three seasons, Mayfield was seen by the national media as someone brought in to put a band-aid on the position. Rather than just be a bridge starter, he has a strong case for a new contract to remain in Tampa Bay.

The veteran signal-caller is known for his leadership and rallying the guys around him, and the whole team has embraced the mentality of being told they can’t do it and believed in themselves when no one else did. He shared his thoughts after the game coming off the field and in during his press conference.

“We have a locker room full of guys that are comfortable being counted out,” Mayfield said during his press conference after Sunday’s game. “That’s when we’re most comfortable. All we wanted was a chance to get in, and now we’re here. Got to handle it the right way.”

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

For Mayfield specifically, he exacted a little revenge as he beat the team that released him just last year. After the Browns traded for and signed Deshaun Watson to a massive contract, he was the odd man out in Cleveland. He was then traded to the Panthers and went just 1-5 as the starter there before they let him go. Well, Mayfield beat them twice this year, including in a game to win the NFC South.

“Yeah,” Mayfield said on if beating the Panthers was some personal redemption. “This room we’re standing in right now is where I found out that I wasn’t going to be part of the team anymore so there’s a lot of things that bring me back here.

“That’s what happens when you go to a team within the division, you have memories of playing them or playing with them. Got to keep it about us. Can’t say enough about this team and the stuff we’ve been through this year. Handled it correctly and found a way to win five of six at the end to get in the playoffs and win the division.”

The Bucs have had quite the journey to get where they are now. Todd Bowles, Baker Mayfield, and the rest of the team will have a chance to continue proving their doubters wrong on Monday Night Football against the Eagles.