This year marks the first time since Tom Brady's retirement that the Bucs are realistically being discussed as Super Bowl contenders. Whether it's due to coaching consistency, veteran leadership, or overall talent, this team is in a strong position.
Coach Todd Bowles returns for his fourth year, bringing a steady voice to the locker room. With three consecutive NFC South division titles under his belt, he’s proven he can navigate tough times without losing the team’s faith. Bowles and GM Jason Licht have skillfully replaced offensive coordinators who have moved on to bigger roles, a challenging task they've managed well. It’ll be interesting to see how this year's project unfolds.
Veterans like Mike Evans, Lavonte David, Tristan Wirfs, Chris Godwin, and Vita Vea bring unmatched experience, talent, and leadership. While some may be slightly past their primes, they still have what it takes to carry this team forward.
I'm excited to see what new Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard adds to an already top-5 offense from last year. With returning stars and new additions like rookies Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson, he has all the weapons he needs. The offensive line is “open-box ready” so there’s no excuse for this unit not to perform at a high level again.
On the defensive side, Coach Bowles is back to lead a unit that underperformed last year. With new rookie corners bringing potential and the addition of Haason Reddick to bolster the pass rush, this defense should improve—it has to. If it does, the Bucs can contend for a spot in the Super Bowl.
However, there are still plenty of questions to address. Injuries to key players like Wirfs and Godwin are concerning. No team is as strong without their All-Pro tackle, and it’s unclear how long it will take for him to return. Godwin's timeline is uncertain as well, and we need him to be close to his former self when he’s back. The injury to backup receiver Jalen McMillan adds to these concerns.
Can Grizzard maintain the offensive momentum that Liam Coen built last year? He has the intelligence, but being the play-caller is a different challenge that often takes time to master. How long will it take Grizzard to find his rhythm? Hopefully, it won’t be too long.
Lastly, can Bowles turn around the defense? While there have been some new additions, none are immediate game-changers. Last year, the Bucs were 2-8 when allowing more than 23 points per game, but 8-0 when keeping opponents under that threshold. Our offense was strong last year, but they need the defense to step up. Warren Sapp used to publicly beg his offense, "Just give us 13 points." This offense is pleading, “Just keep the other team to 23, and we’ve got you covered.”
We’re also thin at inside linebacker. If David or SirVocea Dennis go down, we could be in trouble. The outside linebacker position is similarly concerning; if Reddick misses any games or underperforms, we may struggle with the same unit from last year to generate pressure, which won't be good enough to reach our goals.
There are many questions to be answered, and we’ll have clarity on these long before the Super Bowl. Here’s hoping the Bucs rise to the occasion!
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We are a second tier contender until the defense shows it can be top 12
Tampa, without any major injuries, should get to 11-13 wins. This defense looks to be a much improved version of last years defense. Also, our offense got better in the off-season. Few teams at the top can say that. We are in a window for sure.
Nice write up.
We are a second tier contender until the defense shows it can be top 12
Agreed. Its certainly possible the offense takes a step back and so all the more so needing the defense to get off the filed.
the fact that many pundits have us being #1 seed (Nick Wright, Pete Prisco) makes me feel we are about to let down. We never perform well as the favorite.
sure, with Brady, we had the gusto but that was the GOAT. i'm cautiously optimistic but being a Buc Fan for 25+ years just makes me question all the optimism. We are bound to screw this up
the injuries we are facing are being overlooked right now but we will all point to that if we have a sluggish start to the season
the injuries we are facing are being overlooked right now but we will all point to that if we have a sluggish start to the season
Maybe Egbuka picks up some of the slack but last season the Bucs started 3-1 against top flight opponents and a HUGE part of that was Godwin as the Bucs primary receiver. He goes 8/63/1, 7/117/1, 6/67/1 and 6/70/0.
If you take both Godwin and Wirfs out thats two big players out early
FWIW, NFL.com analytics expert Cynthia Frelund's floor/ceiling is below. I think it's about right. As always, injuries (or the lack thereof) will be determining factor and we already have a few key injuries.
- Ceiling: 11.5
- Floor: 8.3
- FanDuel over/under: 9.5
PFT Power rankings
1. Eagles (0-0): They don’t want to call it a repeat. It could be a reiteration.
2. Chiefs (0-0): Their window won’t be closed until someone else in the AFC slams it shut.
3. Bills (0-0): The pressure to get back to a Super Bowl keeps building.
4. Ravens (0-0): Can they finally navigate their way to the top of the AFC playoff tree?
5. Lions (0-0): Having Micah Parsons on the Packers will make things a lot tighter for the defending NFC North champs.
6. Packers (0-0): By giving the green light to the Micah Parsons trade, Ed Policy has quickly put his imprint on the team.
7. Commanders (0-0): It may take a little while to close the gap with the Eagles.
8. Buccaneers (0-0): Every year, they’re overlooked. And they love it.
PFT Power rankings
1. Eagles (0-0): They don’t want to call it a repeat. It could be a reiteration.
2. Chiefs (0-0): Their window won’t be closed until someone else in the AFC slams it shut.
3. Bills (0-0): The pressure to get back to a Super Bowl keeps building.
4. Ravens (0-0): Can they finally navigate their way to the top of the AFC playoff tree?
5. Lions (0-0): Having Micah Parsons on the Packers will make things a lot tighter for the defending NFC North champs.
6. Packers (0-0): By giving the green light to the Micah Parsons trade, Ed Policy has quickly put his imprint on the team.
7. Commanders (0-0): It may take a little while to close the gap with the Eagles.
8. Buccaneers (0-0): Every year, they’re overlooked. And they love it.
hardly would say having us in the top 8 overall has us as overlooked. Shit, CBSSPORTS has us at 6
will see how the team performs under the pressure of having high expectations; we haven't been ranked this high in the Baker era; hopefully we don't trip over our johnsons
I'm bullish on the Bucs to make a serious Super Bowl run. The NFC is way more wide open than the AFC. I feel the Bucs, with the progress they've made since the end of last season, are very capable of beating any NFC opponent.
On paper, TB is a SB contender. in realty, there are concerns on the roster, mostly how thin the Bucs are at certain positions like LB, as well as the uncertainties with the availability of Wirfs, Godwin, etc. If Wirfs, JMac and Godwin get healthy and can play effectively by mid-season, and the defense doesn't see another year of mass IRs, TB should be right in the middle of things come January. At that point the only other questions will have to do with Grizz and Bowles. Can Grizz learn to be a good OC on-the-job quickly, and can Bowles stop making decisions that end up costing the team Ws.
We'll see how it plays out, and at least mathematically we shouldn't have to worry about half the defensive starters ending up on IR again this season. I'm optimistic about Grizz, and hopeful that Bowles will make better decisions in 2025.