Pewter Power Rankings is a weekly feature compiled by PewterReport.com’s Fantasy Football Analyst Andrew Scavelli every Tuesday during the regular season. Each week Scavelli will rank the league’s teams from best to worst based on their performance and outlook going forward at that point of the season, with a focus on the Buccaneers.

CURRENT BUCCANEERS RANKING: 21

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Heading into week one of the regular season most national pundits put the Bucs in the 28-32 range of their power rankings and cite quarterback Jameis Winston’s three-game suspension as the big distraction that led to the team’s placement as a bottom of the barrel franchise. However, what I saw at training camp this summer does not reflect those same sentiments as I don’t believe the Bucs could have handled an adverse situation like that any better. Lack of focus is not an issue for this team as I’ve seen some Tampa Bay rosters struggle with in the past, and going into the season their mentality, desire to win, confidence and cohesiveness all appear to be at peak levels.

With the way the Bucs finished out the regular season last year and carried that same momentum with them into the preseason along with a massive talent overhaul in the trenches this offseason, I have no reason to believe that they are a bottom five NFL franchise. This Bucs team has enough talent on their roster to be able to be compete week in and week out, despite the tough schedule ahead of them on paper right now. I think Tampa Bay has real potential to finish .500 and be in the hunt for a Wild Card spot past November this year.