It's fair to say the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have turned things around after a rough first half of the season.  At 4-6 entering the bye week, the Bucs have rebounded in impressive fashion, winning four in a row after dismantling the Los Angeles Chargers 40-17 on Sunday in Inglewood, California. 

The win over LA was a noteworthy one, in that the Bucs answered a lot of questions coming into the game.  

Could the Bucs' offense handle one of the league's best defenses in the Chargers?  

That answer was a resounding yes.  Tampa Bay eclipsed 500 yards, reaching 506 total yards for the game.  The Buccaneers controlled the line of scrimmage, bullying the Chargers' front on the way to a 226-32 advantage in the ground game.  Baker Mayfield had more time to throw, and outside of one misfire on an interception in the first half, he was spectacular.  Bucky Irving was healthy and gave Tampa Bay a massive spark on the ground with 114 yards on just 13 carries. 

As a result, Tampa Bay set a couple of rare marks.  Their eighth 400+ yard game now leads the NFL in that category.  They also, per Jenna Laine of ESPN, posted the third-highest yardage total of any team against Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh during his NFL coaching career.  

It's become clear that the Bucs offense is capable of putting up significant points on pretty much anyone at this point. 

Could the Bucs get quality play on defense with a number of holes to be filled? 

Tampa Bay's defense came through in the second half, and it was in no small part due to the play of some key reserves.  J.J. Russell, who missed last week's game, returned in place of injured starter K.J. Britt and was solid alongside Lavonte David.  The secondary that included Kaevon Merriweather, Christian Izien, and Ryan Neal did a nice job particularly in the second half, forcing Justin Herbert to hold the ball and allowing the pass rush to get home. 

The Bucs will eventually get back Antoine Winfield, Jr., Mike Edwards, and perhaps Jordan Whitehead by the end of the season, but their replacements on Sunday showed they are indeed capable of holding things down when needed. 

What would it look like if the Bucs could finally put four quarters of football together? 

It's arguable by some that this wasn't a full four quarters, given the interception and ensuing Chargers touchdown in the second quarter, but this is about as close as you're going to get to seeing it.  And when the Bucs put together a performance like this, they're capable of beating anyone.  

The Bucs now have wins over the 12-2 Eagles, the 12-2 Lions, the 9-5 Commanders, and the 8-6 Chargers, all teams within the playoffs if the season ended today.  To beat teams like these, particularly in the postseason, you have to play for four quarters.  

The Bucs finally reminded everyone, after weeks of up and down play, that they are indeed capable of beating anyone as they showed early in the season. 

Mike Evans eclipses former Buccaneer for major career milestone in win over Chargers

The Bucs’ superstar wide receiver had a big day on the West Coast