The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 0-3, and Kurt Warner has a theory on why they're struggling so much.
The Buccaneers dropped their third straight game in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, losing for the third consecutive time by one possession. The offense struggled to get going, scoring a season-low 16 points while averaging just 3.8 yards per play.
Kurt Warner, who is now an analyst after a Hall of Fame career as a star quarterback, has an idea of why Tampa Bay is struggling early in the season. While appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, Warner pointed to the departure and absence of Mike Evans as a key reason for Tampa Bay's struggles.
Warner points to Evans as being Baker Mayfield's safety blanket, and now he's missing that for the first
time this season.
“I think that’s hurt them and Baker — to not have one guy to be able to go, ‘Hey, this is the guy, my safety net, my safety blanket, that I can come back here and [throw to] this guy,” Warner said.
Evans is the greatest receiver in franchise history and left for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. The Buccaneers are averaging just 20.6 points per game and 279.3 total yards per game. Those are dips from last season when the offensive unit averaged 22.4 points and 320.4 total yards per game.
While Emeka Egbuka is certainly a star receiver and Chris Godwin remains a quality threat, it's clear the Buccaneers are missing the threat that Evans posed to opposing defenses. It's clear the offense has taken a step back, and the unit is struggling to create big plays without the presence of Evans.
It doesn't help matters that Mayfield suffered a thumb injury late in the Week 3 loss to the Vikings, which may sideline him for some time.
The Buccaneers will host the Green Bay Packers in Week 4 and could be eyeing a 0-4 start as they look for their first win of the season. Only seven teams in NFL history have started out 0-3 and made it to the playoffs.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Kurt Warner's Theory on Why Buccaneers Are Struggling This Season
