Buccaneers Prove Post-Superstar Era Reigns on Field

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed a graceful shift away from their legendary era without collapsing into a total rebuild. Keeping momentum alive remains the ultimate goal for this franchise. Few NFL teams have handled a post-superstar transition quite like them. Head coach Todd Bowles enters another year at the helm, and quarterback Baker Mayfield stands firmly entrenched as the team leader. Tampa Bay aims to prove its reign atop the NFC South is far from over. Their postseason pedigree is here to stay according to their plans.

Last year saw the Buccaneers locked in a tight divisional battle until they lost the NFC South crown. At their best, Mayfield played with confidence and pushed the ball downfield for big plays in high-leverage situations. The offense operated with real rhythm during those stretches. At their worst, defensive secondary lapses and occasional offensive lulls kept opponents in games longer than necessary. Mayfield looked like an MVP candidate for the first half of the season when the team went 6-2. After their bye week, however, the wheels fell off as they lost seven of their final nine games. Injuries were an issue all year, yet they still needed to perform better than what they showed on the field.

The biggest issue with this offseason is that Mayfield has expressed frustration or disappointment with the franchise. They were far apart on a contract deal and that could make him less motivated for the team now. They lost Mike Evans as well, who was one of the best players in franchise history when he went to San Francisco. Plenty of receivers remain, but Evans was still dominant and had a good connection with Mayfield during their time together. The team also lost cornerback Jamel Dean who was a solid contributor to the defense. They added Alex Anzalone and A'Shawn Robinson as solid additions to the defensive unit. Cade Otton is back too so Mayfield will have another weapon available for this season.

There is a solid reason for optimism when looking at Tampa Bay's roster makeup right now. The offense operates smoothly with Mayfield supported by a proven receiving corps capable of winning at all three levels of the field. The run game has shown steady improvement and provides much-needed balance to keep defenses from dropping seven into coverage on every third down. On defense, Todd Bowles' unit remains aggressive and physical up front anchored by strong interior line play that shuts down opposing ground games effectively. Depth in the secondary and consistency against high-octane passing attacks remain areas that could be tested if injuries accumulate during the autumn stretch. Adding Zac Robinson as the new offensive coordinator should also prove a good addition to the staff.

In case you forgot, last year the Buccaneers were luckier than good when looking at their results. I saw Mayfield make some spectacular plays and save the day for them in the majority of their wins during that season. Looking at their schedule for this year, they face a tough time ahead with difficult opponents waiting. Their win total is set at 8.5 and I just do not see them getting over that mark easily. The Falcons will likely be better than expected while the Panthers have gained a bit of momentum recently. I am not taking anything on those teams but would lean to the under 8.5 if I had to play anything at all. My favorite bet for them is that they will be 1-4 after five games which pays out at plus 500 odds.