The Tampa Bay Buccaneers snagged a win on the NFL’s opening Sunday. The importance of the victory cannot be understated as every other NFC South team, in contrast, lost their debut contest. Tampa, at 1-0 with a divisional win, has a game-and-a-half lead on their competition and has ensured that Atlanta will not have a direct tie-breaker over Tampa Bay come season’s end.
With week two knocking on the door, the Buccaneers need to reset and recalibrate. The Bucs have a rare opportunity to impress, with
the nation’s eyes on the them— How can Tampa Bay reach 2-0?
How can the Buccaneers win?
Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans will be suiting up for a bit of a homecoming this week, but it will be another budding superstar whose 2025 season must blossom. Although he did punch the ball across the goal line a week ago, Bucky Irving struggled in his season debut. Irving, who averaged 5.4 yards per carry and 66 yards per game in 2024, managed a meager 37 yards on 2.6 yards per rush in week one— Not good numbers.
When the Buccaneers lost Liam Coen in the offseason, multiple sirens were sounding from all angles. A major aspect of fans’ concerns was tied to Liam Coen’s ability to jumpstart the team’s rushing attack. Coen did have the benefit of Bucky Irving, an asset previous play callers were not provided. Should Irving continue to struggle while Coen’s new lead back Travis Etienne Jr. looks like a brand-new player (143 yards, 8.9 per carry– in week one), unrest will set in quickly and a chicken or the egg debate may ensue. It would behoove the Buccaneers greatly to stomp the life out of that concept before it becomes a narrative— A big game for Bucky Irving and the Bucs’ rushing attack will be the team’s first step towards securing a second consecutive road victory.
How can the Buccaneers lose?
Allow history to repeat itself. The Tampa Bay Bucs’ defense has been in a downward spiral for a good bit of time. Amongst a fairly substantial batch of defensive disappointments, it’s arguable none stand out more than the group’s homely performance on November 5, 2023.
That day, Tampa Bay— in the middle of a three game losing streak— entered a matchup against a rookie quarterback who was about to rise into house-hold name status, on the back of Todd Bowles.
C.J. Stroud, who had thrown nine touchdowns in the season’s seven previous games, tossed a career-high (to this day) five touchdown passes. Stroud has since become a franchise quarterback and earned his rank in that category in the opinion of most, however, he has never come close to recapturing the magic of his performance against Todd Bowles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense that day. Not only were his five touchdowns a personal best, Stroud only has one other career game with more than two (three). Fans that day also witnessed 470 C.J. Stroud yards, he has zero 400-yard games since.
While Stroud stacked those yards and touchdowns throughout the game it was the mic drop-manner in which he closed out the game that intensifyed fans’ anger towards Todd Bowles that Sunday. Baker Mayfield, doing his part and then some, found Cade Otton in the end zone with 46 seconds remaining. With a 37-33 lead, Todd Bowles’ unit took the field. 40 seconds later, the score was 39-37, Texans– A metaphorical dunk on Todd Bowles and his defense.
Following a somewhat up and down week one, Bowles cannot allow C.J. Stroud– who has not been that player since that day, nearly two years ago– to little-brother his crew again.
For more Bucs coverage check us out here:
@Bucs_Nation(X)
@Will_Walsh_NFL(YouTube)
