Bucs Report – Special to Sports Talk Florida
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the 2020 Super Bowl and have finished first in the NFC South every year since. So, fans can be justified in thinking that more success will come their way this season. But when it comes to NFL experts and betting on football, there were not many that had Tampa Bay winning it all in New Orleans at Super Bowl LIX next February.
The offseason is always a special time when fans can dream of an outstanding campaign ahead. But now we are over a third of the way through the 2024 season, is there enough in this current team that suggests that it is capable of claiming a third championship in the franchise’s history?
Many football fans outside of our part of Florida will bring up the Tom Brady factor as a reason why the Bucs were able to go all the way four years ago. But is there enough talent in the current roster to go further than the divisional playoffs and possibly book a berth at the biggest show in sports?
Before the Season Started
Last year has to be considered a great success for the Bucs. Expected to finish as one of the worst teams in the league, there was, instead, another divisional title to celebrate. Then came a very memorable Wild Card win over the Eagles – a team considered good enough to go all the way – and an admirable performance against a Detroit team that was really on the up.
That success did mean that Tampa Bay was faced with a tougher schedule this season, however. Expert predictions gave the Bucs around seven wins this year, a total that probably wouldn’t be enough to win the division. Atlanta seemed to be most people’s favorites (outside of west Florida) and a return to the postseason was deemed unlikely by most.
Weak Division
One of the factors on our side when it comes to dreams of making the playoffs is that the NFC South is not one of the strongest divisions in the league. We won it with just nine game wins last year and even triumphed with a losing record in 2022. Just beating our direct divisional rivals has been enough to progress in the last few years.
That divisional weakness is a double-edged sword though. It might mean that the Bucs might not have to win as many games as other teams in the league to win the division and claim a wild card berth. But it does mean that the competition becomes much sterner once the postseason begins.
First Few Months of the Season
So, the Bucs were not backed to repeat its path to the postseason this year. But how have the first few months of the 2024 campaign gone? About as could be expected is probably the most honest answer. Beating the Commanders would have been expected before the season began but Washington has since shown that it is a transformed team this year.
Revenge for that divisional playoff loss against the Lions in week two was warmly enjoyed by all Bucs fans, before a disappointing loss to the Broncos the very next week. Beating the Eagles again showed that the Bucs are ready to compete this year (and that Philly might be on the way down), while an agonizing overtime loss in Atlanta can be made up with a win in the reverse fixture later on in the year.
NFC South Champs
To answer the question at the very top of this article, it all really depends on winning another NFC South title. If that is not achieved, it will be difficult to see the Bucs even making the playoffs. The division has not proved to be one of the best in recent years and a Wild Card berth may not be available for the second-placed team.
Even with the Falcons receiving more love from the pundits and so-called experts before the beginning of the season, winning the division is a very achievable goal for this Buccaneers team. It showed last season that anything can happen in the playoffs and that momentum plays a major part in any success after the end of the regular season.
How the Buccaneers Can Win the Super Bowl
Thanks to the Bucs’ surprise success (in some quarters) last season, there are some very difficult regular season games to navigate this year. The schedule also throws up a couple of potential morale-sapping games back-to-back throughout the campaign. As much as we would love for the Bucs to beat the Chiefs and the 49ers in the space of a week in November, it is more important that the players are able to bounce back if they lose them both.
There is a bye week after those two games and Todd Bowles needs to make sure that the players are focused for the rest of the season, as the games are markedly easier from week 12 onwards. The Buccaneers could easily win at least five of the games in the second half of the season and that could mean that they finish with 10 wins overall. With a young team already proving doubters wrong, the Bucs could be the surprise team in the NFL this year.
Realistic Aims
Before we get too carried away, we should probably start thinking a bit more realistically about the Bucs’ chances this year. Last season showed that there is room for surprises but a Super Bowl trip this year is probably a stretch. Baker Mayfield has shown that he has the talent to take this team deep into the playoffs and there is a good team on both sides of the ball that should be able to win the division.
Injuries on defense have hampered the Bucs’ chances but even just making the postseason should be seen as preparation for a real push for the Super Bowl in 2025. That window is definitely still open and the experience that the rookies will get this year could result in the Buccaneers becoming a bona fide contender next season.
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