Buccaneers Hit With Realistic Projection in 2026 ESPN Guide
https://www.si.com/nfl/buccaneers/onsi/buccaneers-hit-with-realistic-projection-in-2026-espn-guide
OFFENSE
"Baker Mayfield having an average season"
"solid production from Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell"
"Emeka Egbuka leading the group and securing his first 1,000-yard receiving season in the NFL."
"The Bucs' offense doesn't quite return to the levels we saw in 2024, but they do enough to sit around the middle of the pack (16th)"
DEFENSE
"41.8 sacks on the season, with Yaya Diaby leading the way with a projected seven sacks."
"Antoine Winfield Jr. being the high interception guy for the Bucs' defense with two on the season."
"rank slightly above average across the league, finishing as the 13th-best defense in the league."
OVERALL
"would likely place them in the playoffs, albeit with a potential early exit."
ESPN's Projected Wins for Bucs: 9
It's an extremely realistic scenario for the Bucs, as they have finished with 10 or fewer wins in four of their last five seasons. Vegas oddsmakers also currently have the Bucs sitting around a win total of 8.5 to 9 wins.
yeah 9-8 seems about right
status quo under Bowles and scheduling gods. A hot season start, followed by midseason struggles
the schedule is a tough one but that goes for everyone else in the division as well. I could see 8 wins taking it again
Bucs have 3 prime time games which does not bode well for us. The Bucs since 2023 are 1-9 in prime time games.
Road games against Dallas (prime time), Chicago (prime time), Detroit, and Baltimore almost certainly spell losses. Rams at home, away or Antarctica is a loss.
So you have 5 losses and assuming we get back to our ceiling with in division games that's 4-2.
So 4-7 right there with the following games outstanding: @Cincy, vs CLE, vs MIN, vs GB, vs PIT, vs LAC.
In isolation, that looks like 3-3 or a 7-10 record but i have them going 5-1 in those 6 to get us to 9-8
In either situation, i don't see us playing a team on a death spiral like the Eagles back in 2023 and undoubtedly a first round playoff exit at best yet again
I only see the Bucs getting 9 wins if they sweep the NFCS.
Copied from the other thread, making a repeat appearance here. I'll even add the wins this time:
Q1 2-2 Wins vs Browns and Vikings
Q2 2-3 Wins vs Steelers and Falcons
Q3 1-3 Win vs Panthers
Q4 2-2 Wins vs Saints and Falcons
F 7-10
Copied from the other thread, making a repeat appearance here. I'll even add the wins this time:
Q1 2-2 Wins vs Browns and Vikings
Q2 2-3 Wins vs Steelers and Falcons
Q3 1-3 Win vs Panthers
Q4 2-2 Wins vs Saints and Falcons
F 7-10
serious question. Is this good enough for the division title 😂
“Let’s write an article describing last season, but make it seem like we’re writing it about this season. It’ll be done quickly, no one will hold us accountable (or remember), while looking like we did actual research… that way we can spend more time doing waaay-too-early mock drafts…”
Signed, BSPN
If nothing else changed on the team except we hired Danny Smith for our special teams coach, we would finish with 2 more wins than in 2025.
Super lazy writing.
Yes the article its definitely not controversial, but does anyone disagree with the prediction? seems like all the post so far agree?
If nothing else changed on the team except we hired Danny Smith for our special teams coach, we would finish with 2 more wins than in 2025.
Super lazy writing.
our schedule was also super easier last year and we, in our 50th year anniversary, yuccaneered!
What do you have our win total at? Who are the losses too?
Yes the article its definitely not controversial, but does anyone disagree with the prediction? seems like all the post so far agree?
i mean 9 wins seems like the ceiling to be honest. It's what the homer in me says we will do but it all depends
the knees will say that Vegas is wrong and yadda yadda yadda. the badabings will point to that collapse last year as to what is the real team? is it the 5-1 start? is it the 1-4 middling beating teams we should beat but losing to superior competition or is it the shit show 2-4 finish against high school squads?
I'd like to think we are that middle team and if so, that doesn't bode well for this year. And while it's true that good teams last year don't necessarily mean they will be good this year and vice versa (i.e. look at Patriots last year) its a pretty good barometer of what we are up against.
- Since 4-2 is the ceiling for the division (just look at the history for the naysayers out there) that means to get to 10 wins, we need another 6 wins.
- Assuming teams that own us are losses - Detroit, Dallas (Prime time), Baltimore, and Rams, that means we need to go 6-1 in the following games - @Cincy, V CLE, V MIN, V GB, v PIT, @Chicago (prime time), V LAC.
9 wins would mean 5-2 which i think is possible but we must be playing at a high level to compete.
Realistic but I still think this is an 8-9 team but if the 2026 rookie class balls out like I think they will 9 wins is very possible.
If nothing else changed on the team except we hired Danny Smith for our special teams coach, we would finish with 2 more wins than in 2025.
That is a possibility too which is why if Danny Smith proves his worth he can help this team hit 10 wins but the schedule is a tough one this year.