A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough question. This week’s prompt: Who is the biggest threat to the Bucs in the NFC?

Scott Reynolds: The Eagles Remain An Obstacle For The Bucs In The NFC

I know what you’re thinking. Why would I pick the Eagles as the biggest NFC roadblock for the Bucs? After all, Tampa Bay has beaten Philadelphia quite easily their last two meetings – a 32-9 whupping in the 2023 Wild Card game and a 33-16 beatdown last year. Both of those games were at Raymond James Stadium and the two teams will square off again this season in Week 4 in Tampa Bay. Don’t the Bucs have the Eagles’ number by now?

Former Bucs DB Dee Delaney and Eagles WR AJ Brown – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Yes they just might, and that might be part of the problem. I’m giving the Eagles the respect they deserve by beating Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs and winning last year’s Super Bowl. When Philly comes to Tampa Bay this year the Eagles will likely want some revenge for the big defeats the Bucs dished out on their last two trips to Florida. The Bucs won’t be intimidated by the Eagles because of their two-game winning streak over Philly, but let’s hope they don’t think they can just show up and win, either. Complacency can be a killer in the NFL.

The other reason I’m picking the Eagles is because when they are at full strength offensively they can be quite deadly. Philadelphia’s top receiver, A.J. Brown, didn’t play against Tampa Bay in the last two games and that was a huge advantage for the Bucs. The last time Brown did play against Todd Bowles’ defense was in Philly’s 25-11 win at Ray-Jay on Monday Night Football in Week 3 of the 2023 season. Brown caught nine passes for 131 yards (14.6 avg.) against the Bucs in that game. We’ll see what happens in the Week 4 rematch this year. If Brown plays, I don’t expect such an easy win by the Bucs yet again.

Matt Matera: The Commanders Will Be An Issue For Years

Half the battle of becoming a good NFL team is finding the the franchise quarterback. The Washington Commanders found theirs with Jayden Daniels, who won Rookie of the Year honors and took the Commanders to an NFC Championship Game appearance last year. The Bucs were involved in Daniels’ experience, too. He made his NFL debut in Tampa Bay, as the Bucs defeated Washington in Week 1. But the Commanders got the last laugh by knocking out the Bucs at Raymond James Stadium during the rematch in the Wild Card round.

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels and Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: USA Today

Adding in the fact that the Commanders traded for wide receiver Deebo Samuel, their offense became that much more of a threat. Washington already has a great talent in Terry McLaurin, so they gave Daniels some more help with Samuel heading into year two. There’s no doubt that Washington has to deal with the Eagles in the NFC East division, but as we know, the Bucs have fared much better against Philadelphia lately.

We all expect the Bucs to win the NFC South division once again, meaning they’ll host a playoff game against a Wild Card team unless they are the number one seed. Even if the Commanders fall short in the NFC East and finish behind the Eagles in second place, the odds are they’ll come across the Bucs in a playoff scenario. Washington has a high-flying offense with a defensive-minded head coach in Dan Quinn, and Daniels, who now has playoff experience. They’re an opponent that the Bucs might see often in the postseason in years to come.

Bailey Adams: Make No Mistake, The Lions Are Still Dangerous

I know there was an element of “they missed their chance” about the Lions after they were eliminated by the Commanders in last year’s playoffs. Because after an NFC Championship loss to the 49ers and that NFC Divisional Round loss, head coach Dan Campbell lost both of his coordinators. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn left to take the Jets head coaching job, and Ben Johnson stayed in the division and accepted the Bears head coaching job.

Lions HC Dan Campbell and Bucs HC Todd Bowles- Photo by: USA Today

There’s no doubt that losing two top coordinators is a major obstacle to overcome. But Detroit has too much talent to be overlooked because of that. The Eagles and Rams promise to be the top dogs in the NFC, but even if the Packers and Vikings may threaten for the NFC North crown, the Lions should still be looked at as a team firmly in the mix.

Jared Goff has thrown for 13,642 yards and 96 touchdowns over the last three years, and he has an insane group of weapons to work with. The collection of Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta are hard for any defense to defend. And the Detroit offensive line, anchored by Penei Sewell, ties that group together as a dangerous one.

Defensively, Aidan Hutchinson will be back. Jack Campbell should continue to ascend. And a secondary led by Brian Branch and Terrion Arnold should remain strong even under new leadership after Glenn’s departure. The Lions face a tough schedule in 2025, but I’d back them to be firmly in the mix once again this season. And the Bucs will have their work cut out for them when the two sides meet in Week 7, as Todd Bowles and his team have to travel to the Motor City for Monday Night Football.

Josh Queipo: The Rams Are Todd Bowles’ Kryptonite

Any offense led by head coach Sean McVay is going to give Todd Bowles trouble. Since Todd Bowles joined the Bucs, they are 2-3 against the Rams while allowing 28.8 points per game. McVay has been a puzzle Bowles has struggled to solve. And the Rams figure to be a huge obstacle for the Bucs in 2025 as the two teams play before Thanksgiving on Sunday Night Football out in Los Angeles. The Rams matched the Bucs’ 10-7 record while winning their division as well last year.

Since then, the Rams have upgraded their receiver room with the addition of Davante Adams and bolstered their formidable defensive front with defensive tackle Poona Ford in free agency. Then in the draft they fortified their offense with playmakers in the second round (tight end Terrance Ferguson) and fourth round (running back Jarquez Hunter) to give quarterback Matthew Stafford the weapons needed to make a deeper playoff run than their Divisional Round appearance last year.

A smart organization headed by a brilliant and charismatic Super Bowl winning coach leading a talented roster that got better in the offseason. That’s a dangerous and formidable foe that the Bucs will need to keep an eye on.

Adam Slivon: The Packers Are Another NFC Team To Watch Out For

Admittedly, the Packers were not my first choice. Each of the Eagles, Lions, and Rams have stronger track records in recent years of success than the players donning the green and gold. Still, Green Bay is another team the Bucs will have to watch out for in the NFC come playoff time. Both teams have followed an eerily similar pattern of success in this decade.

Packers QB Jordan Love – Photo by: USA Today

Many remember the 2020 NFC Championship game that Tampa Bay narrowly won to advance to the Super Bowl. In 2023, both teams made it to the Divisional round. Last year, each were bounced in the Wild Card round. Expect both to be close again when it comes to the 2025 playoff picture.

The parallels between the Packers and Bucs gets deeper when assessing how each has built their roster. Doing so primarily through the draft, each team is filled with young talent. Led by quarterback Jordan Love, Green Bay’s offense was the eighth-highest scoring last season and a more consistent year by Love should improve that ranking, especially after adding receiver Matthew Golden. The defense was surprisingly efficient as well, allowing just 19.9 points per game, good for sixth in the league.

While the Packers are not the most stacked NFC team on paper, they have enough playmakers to make things interesting this season. The rest of the NFC South does not look as imposing, while the other three divisions will likely be paced by the teams mentioned above. That makes the Packers a team the Bucs will have to keep tabs on and hope they do not see in January if they are hitting their stride and looking to exact revenge.