The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 2-0, they’ve paid a steep price to stack those two wins but they are stacked. On Sunday, what’s in Tampa’s way of 3-0? An 0-2 Jets team. The Jets have had two extremely different contests to date. In week one, the NYJ looked alive for the first time in years. Without a throwback performance by Aaron Rodgers the team likely walks away with a win. Last week, the Jets looked like the Jets. Aaron Glenn’s group was trounced by the Buffalo Bills, 30-10. Tampa Bay’s matchup
with the Jets is set to be different than either contest so far simply because there will be no Justin Fields– Tyrod Taylor is scheduled to take the reins. Based on Fields’ week two showing, Taylor may actually be an upgrade. The Bucs’ side of the coin features their first home game of the season, a game in which Tampa will be donning new uniforms and will likely feel pressure to put fourth a good display— How can Tampa Bay reach 3-0?
How can the Buccaneers win?
The Buccaneers need to do one thing to defeat the Jets this Sunday– Avoid playing down to their competition. The Tampa Bay Bucs are by far the better and more talented team. This current versions of the New York Jets is not in the same class when it comes to roster, coaching experience, or team-wide expectations. For the Buccaneers, a loss to the Jets would be more than disappointing it would be indicative of them taking a team lightly— Not bringing their ‘A’ game.
The Jets’ roster is not nearly as barren as it has been in past seasons and the 2025 edition of the J-E-T-S is a team that has garnered optimism recently. Offensively, Garrett Wilson has proven himself to be a quality wide receiver and Breece Hall looks like he may be back closer to his pre-injury form. On defense, the Jets’ front seven has inconsistencies, but jumbled in those inconsistencies the team does have skill. Against a mixed-up medley of an offensive line, like the Bucs are currently working with, they can game-wreck. Mike Evans, who has just 107 yards on the season so far, will find himself in his third consecutive tough matchup of the year. A.J. Terrell Jr., Derek Stingley Jr., and now Sauce Gardner.
Even still, the Jets at their best cannot match Tampa Bay at their peak. The Bucs are the more talented and experienced team by a landslide. They simply must play up to their own potential and a 3-0 start is assured.
How can the Buccaneers lose?
Offensive line injuries. The Buccaneers have found themselves in the unfortunate (all too familiar) position of dealing with major injuries. Tampa Bay’s 2025 plague of injuries has wiped its way through the team’s offensive line, ravaging the group down to spare parts.
What would have been viewed at as a strength heading into the season has easily become one of the Buccaneers’ largest liabilities. When the season began with Tristan Wirfs MIA, Tampa immediately shuffled their starting five to find a new formula, which for two games has largely worked. The team’s solution was unorthodox, moving a center out to left tackle, their guard in to center, and playing a new addition at left guard. The football Gods, if ever such a being(s) existed must’ve been dissatisfied with the Bucs’ ability to mask an injury to their star left tackle so well— Smiting them even further.
In their gritty win over the Texans, Tampa Bay lost starting right guard Cody Mauch to a season-ending injury, while also having to place their other star tackle Luke Goedeke on injured reserve. Goedeke left last Monday’s game early on and his absence became apparent very quickly. After hot start, the Buccaneers’ offense bogged down and Baker Mayfield found himself under immense pressure with greater and greater regularity— That was with Cody Mauch in the lineup.
This week will be a different animal for the Bucs’ offense. The entire right side of their offensive line is gone, their entire left side is misaligned, and the New York Jets despite the NFL meme they may represent in some circles have legitimate talent in their front seven. The Buccaneers need to focus on winning this week, 3-0 would be an elite benchmark for their season to start off with, however, a priority for this game must absolutely be ensuring that Baker Mayfield survives. After looking like he was already feeling it a bit in last week’s game, he is likely to have a miserable day dealing with intense amounts of pass-rush in any obvious passing situations. How can the Bucs counteract this? Get out to early lead, rely on your run game, avoid third-and-long, and utilize the quick passing game to make sure that Baker Mayfield isn’t standing the pocket waiting to be run over by Jets’ defenders. The Jets most direct path to winning is by destroying Tampa’s decimated o-line, therefore it also represents the Buccaneers’ quickest route to 2-1.
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