The Bucs are coming off a disappointing 5-11 season. They play in the loaded NFC South where 3 of the 4 teams in the division made the playoffs last season. They will play these 3 playoff teams a total of 6 times this season. They will also play the defending Super Bowl Champion Eagles, the always tough Steelers, the rising 49ers, in addition to the Ravens and Cowboys who both finished over .500 last season. That’s a total of 8 games vs last years playoff teams and 10 games against teams better than .500 last season. Needless to say they have one of the tougher schedules in the league.
Minus Their Starting QB
To add insult to scheduling injury, starting QB Jameis Winston is suspended for the first 3 games of the season. He was found to have committed serious personal misconduct when he inappropriately touched an uber driver. Jameis has had many off the field controversies that date back to his years at FSU while playing college football. Despite the history of questionable behavior the Bucs made Winston the number 1 overall draft pick in the 2015 NFL draft. It remains to be seen if Winston will continue to be the starting QB for this team if he can’t clean up his act.
A Bright Spot
If there are any bright spots on the team it’s the talented receiver core. Featuring stars Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, and Tight End O.J Howard. Mike Evans has evolved into one of the better receivers in the league during his short career. DeSean Jackson has been a nice deep threat his entire career. OJ Howard has morphed into one of the better TEs in the league averaging over 16 yards per reception last season.
Defensive Struggle
The Bucs used to be known primarily for their defense. In recent years the Tampa defense has been very suspect against the pass. In a league that has become pass happy that is not a recipe for success. They will need to improve their pass rush, cornerback, and safety play before they can make any kind of real run at the playoffs.
Season Expectations
After analyzing their tough schedule and factoring in the suspension of Jameis Winston I can’t honestly see this team winning very many games this year. Hopefully they pull off some upsets and pull out some wins against their division opponents to post a respectable record. I will be optimistic and say they finish 7-9 this season.
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