TAMPA — Their document is ideal, and but they have to be higher.
Sounds just a little unusual, doesn’t it? Like a burp in the course of a pep rally. At 3-0, the Bucs are off to their greatest begin in 20 years and have excelled by enjoying sensible, aggressive and clutch soccer.
It’s much more exceptional when you think about they’ve performed, at numerous instances, with out three beginning offensive linemen (and one backup), three of their prime 4 receivers, a beginning defensive sort out and a blocking tight finish. Each workforce has accidents, however that’s virtually an epidemic.
So, heck yeah, the Bucs deserved each ovation they heard throughout the residence opener at Raymond James Stadium final week.
And but, issues could shortly go sideways. I wouldn’t say it’s inevitable, nevertheless it’s going to be onerous to keep away from.
Starting this weekend, the Bucs play the Tremendous Bowl champion Eagles, adopted by highway video games in Seattle and Detroit sandwiched round a house sport in opposition to the 49ers. These 4 groups have mixed to go 11-2 this season, and a kind of losses was when the Seahawks and 49ers performed one another.
In contrast, the three groups Tampa Bay has overwhelmed this season are 1-8. And the Bucs have received these three video games by a mixed six factors.
Getting a queasy feeling but?
Positive, this will sound like a kick within the pom-poms, nevertheless it’s extra of a warning shot. Issues can change shortly on this league, and Bucs followers know that in addition to anybody. Within the final three seasons, the Bucs have gotten off to 3-1, 3-1 and 2-1 begins. They instantly adopted by going 1-5, 0-4 and 1-4.
Granted, it is a new yr and a greater Tampa Bay roster. Nothing that came about the final three seasons has a significant bearing on 2025. These Bucs don’t seem to have a evident weak spot, and their confidence is excessive.
However that also doesn’t change these two truths:
This workforce is beat up, and the schedule is about to show brutal.
The Bucs are struggling to run the ball on offense, and the protection has a middle-of-the-road high quality to it. Remarkably, the offense has but to show the ball over, and but it has taken last-minute drives to win all three video games in opposition to inferior opponents.
Too harsh? Perhaps, nevertheless it’s higher than blind religion in a propitious begin.
“You all the time need to play higher, and also you wish to play higher because the season goes alongside,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles stated. “You by no means apologize for successful ball video games, so we don’t try this in any respect, however we all know we’ve bought issues to wash up.”
Proper now, the Bucs are No. 17 in scoring protection and No. 13 in scoring offense. That doesn’t sound like a workforce in want of engravers.
The caveat is we’ve not but seen this group at full power, notably on offense. The 2024 Bucs completed No. 4 within the NFL in scoring common and, theoretically, ought to be higher this season. They returned each starter and hit the lottery with Emeka Egbuka within the draft.
The one main change is Josh Grizzard at offensive coordinator, and we don’t but have sufficient proof to evaluate his promise as a play-caller. All we all know for certain is he deserves kudos for navigating by way of the primary three video games with a makeshift offensive line that has compelled the Bucs to play a extra conservative type of offense with Baker Mayfield eliminating the ball sooner than any quarterback within the NFL this season apart from Patrick Mahomes.
Grizzard stated it’s not a lot a change in philosophy as a deeper dive into the playbook.
“We nonetheless wish to be a number of and be capable of run it and throw it and put the strain on the protection,” Grizzard stated. “It’s simply extra of being a number of (when it comes to): What’s that man’s talent set? If, say, you’re not as quick, [we’re] not throwing a bunch of go balls versus if he’s a really sturdy route-runner, can we get some extra contested catches and really feel like he’s going to be open on that?
“However I wouldn’t say it limits it from a quantity facet when it comes to going right into a sport plan every week.”
There are two methods of this:
On the one hand, the Bucs did precisely what they wanted to do to slide previous three middling opponents and stake an early declare on the prime of the NFC South. That’s the charitable view. For those who’re extra coldhearted, the Bucs relied on success and nonetheless have to show they’re among the many NFL’s elite.
That’s what the following 4 weeks are all about.
Win three of 4, and the Bucs are legit Tremendous Bowl contenders. Cut up the 4 video games, they usually did what was needed whereas slowly getting nearer to full power. Win one of many 4, they usually’ll nonetheless have some convincing to do.
