NFL has to accept uncomfortable truth after Buccaneers win
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have just pulled off something impressive. Not only did they win their first game of the post-Tom Brady era despite being underdogs, but they also won in a way that should start changing some forecasts for this season. Did the Bucs dominate at all times? No. But they did play a […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have just pulled off something impressive. Not only did they win their first game of the post-Tom Brady era despite being underdogs, but they also won in a way that should start changing some forecasts for this season.
Did the Bucs dominate at all times? No. But they did play a brand of football that should be good enough to win a very weak NFC South, and that should turn heads soon.
1-0 is a good start, but the Bucs might be able to pull off something more impressive over a full season at their current pace.
The Buccaneers weren't supposed to be good. The loss of Tom Brady, free agents, and injured players was supposed to slow down this defense and the offense dramatically.
That didn't really happen.
Dave Canales was able to make the offense pop at times, especially in the second half, and his brand of offensive play-calling with Baker Mayfield should prove to be better than Byron Leftwich with Tom Brady. Deal with it.
The team threw often on first down and was able to move the ball well when Baker Mayfield found his rhythm in the second half. When the team needs yards, they passed, and it worked more often than not.
The offensive shift was nice, but the defense is what people should really notice.
Kirk Cousins got hit on almost every pass. Justin Jefferson got shut down in the second half.
Did the Bucs bend? You bet. But they didn't break, and creating three turnovers would normally put the offense in a great position to take and build wins as its gets more confutable and finds its identity.
The Bucs looked good. The Saints looked okay. The Falcons and the Panthers looked bad.
It is absolutely on the table that the Bucs become favorites in the NFC South, and that is something a lot of fans never expected to see after going through a whole offseason of hearing just how bad the Bucs were going to be.
The winds are changing. The Buccaneers are legitimate playoff contenders. Let's appreciate this for what it is.
Takeaways from Buccaneers’ Week 1 win over Vikings
Here are the biggest takeaways.
