A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. This week’s prompt: What’s your boldest Bucs take for 2025?

Scott Reynolds: Bucs Double Their INT Total In 2025

The Bucs had just seven interceptions last year, which was the lowest ever for a Todd Bowles defense. Not just in Tampa Bay – but anywhere. The Bucs secondary only had six, with the other one coming from aging linebacker Lavonte David, who used to have a penchant for picking off passes back in his younger years. So my boldest take for the 2025 season in Tampa Bay is for the Bucs to not just get more interceptions this year – but to double the INT total.

That’s right. I predict Bowles’ defense to come up with at least 14 interceptions this season. Bowles and general manager Jason Licht went out and got some ballhawks in the 2025 NFL Draft in second-round cornerback Benjamin Morrison, who had nine picks in his first two seasons at Notre Dame, and third-rounder Jacob Parrish, who had five INTs in his last two seasons at Kansas State. Parrish is the current favorite to win the nickelback job.

Bucs S Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But I’m not sure how much playing time Morrison is going to get because veteran Jamel Dean has a wealth of experience in Bowles’ system and is entering a make-or-break season in 2025 at age 29. Dean is not known for his hands at all, so I don’t expect him to contribute more than just one, as he did last year. If Morrison takes over for Dean at some point around the middle of the season I could see him grab a couple during his rookie campaign. Perhaps maybe three if he starts most of the season with Parrish snaring one or two.

Yet I could see the majority of interceptions coming from safeties Tykee Smith and Antoine Winfield Jr., who could have three apiece due to their ball skills. Smith will see more playing time as a strong safety this year, and Winfield is primed for a bounce-back season after an injury-riddled 2024 campaign. Throw in cornerback Zyon McCollum, who is entering a contract year and has all the motivation in the world to pick off more than the two balls he did a year ago, and he could wind up with three as well.

Add in two or three interceptions between linebackers SirVocea Dennis and David and at least 14 interceptions from the Bucs defense seems reasonable for the upcoming season.

Matt Matera: Bucky Irving Is Top 3 In Rushing And Makes The Pro Bowl

What Bucky Irving was able to do as a rookie fourth round pick will go in the pantheon of Bucs’ history for what he accomplished by surpassing 1,000 yards and being the first Bucs’ running back to do it in over a decade. What’s been just as impressive is how motivated Irving is in year two already putting last season in the rear view mirror. Irving was 10th in rushing last season at 1,122 but had significantly less rushing attempts than the nine players in front of him.

Irving didn’t really become the lead back for Tampa Bay until November. Yes, he started one game a month prior, but that was when Rachaad White was out. It took until Week 10 and Week 11 to have two consecutive weeks where Irving had double digit rushing attempts. The more opportunities, the better he was, and this year he’ll get a whole season of it beginning with Week 1.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: USA Today

This also has just as much to do with the offensive line returning everyone back as much as it does Irving. This run game can reach new levels thanks to the starting five up front and Irving’s effortless ability in breaking tackles. It’ll be tough sledding for the Pro Bowl with competition like Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, Josh Jacobs and Bijan Robinson in the mix, but if Irving is a top three rusher and the Buc keep winning, he’ll have the votes to get in this season.

Bailey Adams: Bucs Go To The Other Extreme In Primetime Games

By now, everyone knows how bad the Bucs were in primetime games last year. They were 0-4 in the regular season with a Thursday night loss to the Falcons, Monday night losses to the Ravens and Chiefs and a Sunday night loss to the Cowboys. It only got worse from there, as the Wild Card loss to the Commanders was also a primetime game, making it 0-5 on the year under the lights.

But my boldest Bucs take for 2025 is that things are going to swing to the other extreme for this team. I’m predicting that Tampa Bay will go a perfect 4-0 in its regular season primetime matchups this season.

I could certainly be proven incorrect very quickly, as the first primetime game of the season for Baker Mayfield and Co. comes in Week 2 at Houston. A loss to the Texans on Monday Night Football means a sixth straight primetime loss, as well as my boldest Bucs take instantly becoming my biggest Bucs blunder. But I think Tampa Bay is a better team than Houston, and I like the early-season success under Todd Bowles to continue.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and Lions QB Jared Goff – Photo by: USA Today

The next challenge for this take comes in another Monday Night Football game, with Tampa Bay heading back to the Motor City for the third straight time on Oct. 20. Given how good the Lions have been over the last couple of years, it’s hard to discount them heading into 2025, even despite the coordinator changes. But the Bucs played pretty poorly on offense the last time these two teams met and still managed to win, and I think they get the job done again.

The toughest primetime test of the season comes in late November, and it’s the primetime game I feel the least confident in Tampa Bay winning. That would be the Sunday Night Football road game against the Rams, who look to be one of the better teams in the NFC (and maybe the NFL) this year. But some how, some way, give me the Buccaneers in that one, too.

Then comes the primetime finale for this team in 2025, and that’s a Week 15 Thursday night home game against the division rival Falcons. How fitting would it be for the Bucs to exorcise their demons in a big way in that one, beating the Falcons at Ray Jay to finish 4-0 under the lights in 2025 and snap their losing streak in the creamsicle throwbacks? I think the Bucs are the better team. And I like them to cap things off with a perfect primetime record, just one year after going winless in those prime slots.

Josh Queipo: They Win The Whole Damn Thing

There was a special feeling in 2020. There were lots of positives to build on from the year prior. The defense had low-key become very good in 2019. From week eight on they were 3rd in both EPA/play and success rate. The offense had several key components that helped them put up points. They were 4th in the NFL in points per game that year. The roster was very strong but needed a couple of pieces. A quarterback who could take care of the ball. A right tackle who could act as the final piece of an already strong offensive line. And a rangy safety to help Todd Bowles put his full vision of the defense together.

Enter Tom Brady, Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. Sure others came. Brady helped lure Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski and Leonard Fournette. All three proved to be key contributors. But those first three were the most critical additions.

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

I don’t know about the rest of you, but this team feels eerily similar. Following the bye week last year the Bucs’ defense was…3rd in EPA/play and 4th in success rate. The offense was 4th in points per game last year. But they were a couple of pieces from being ready to get to the precipice. This time it was depth in the secondary, a lead edge rusher, and capable veteran depth at linebacker. Well check, check, and check.

The team didn’t need to add superstars in multiple positions to get the extra 5% needed to put them in position for the big time. Just additions at the margins. This feels special. In the coming months we at Pewter Report will offer up our season predictions in a future roundtable. Well, you can lock mine in. In the immortal words of Jake Taylor from the incredible movie Major League. “Well then, I guess there is only one thing left to do. Win the whole f*cking thing!”

Adam Slivon: Bucs Defense Returns To Being A Top 10 Unit

Recently I took the liberty of outlining why Bucs head coach Todd Bowles has no more excuses. That is not to paint Bowles or the team in a negative light, but to illustrate the reasons for excitement about the progress made this offseason and why it should only raise the floor. When looking at the defense he has now compared to recent years, there is plenty to be optimistic about.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

There have been notable issues that have plagued the defense in recent seasons. One can point to the lack of an outside pass rush, coverage issues, and big plays coming few and far between. When looking at how things stack up this season, there is little getting in Bowles’ way to coach a Top 10 defense again. The outside pass rush was improved most by signing Haason Reddick, who is expected to have a big bounce back year on a prove-it deal. The secondary will be better just by a healthy Antoine Winfield Jr. alone, but not enough can be said about drafting Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish to add more depth and versatility. The talent is there at each level.

Ultimately though, it will come down to putting every player in a position to have success — and I think that’s where Bowles will shine once again. The veteran defensive playcaller has acknowledged the things that have not worked and what he needs to do to get the defense back to level it played at in 2020 and 2021. While a bold take on the outside looking in, I can also see plenty of reasons why the Bucs defense will play well in 2025.