The Bucs are already in a better position than the rest of the NFC South as they walked away as the division winner. Baker Mayfield may have revived his career in Tampa, the veteran leads the team alongside Mike Evans into the NFC Wild Card round in Philadelphia.
The Bucs were one of the two teams with a winning record in the division. While they made the postseason this year, there is always room for improvement. The area that this Tampa Bay team has to focus on is it’s defense. Over the past few years, this unit has gone from top 5 to being a bottom-half defense.
The Buccaneers Playoff Rematch with the NFC East
Tampa just has to feel accomplished with making it to the postseason but they may have a real chance defeating the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles started this season and looked unstoppable, going into week 5 undefeated. After their 49ers loss, the Eagles season started to fall apart. They proceeded to lose their next 4 of 5 games to finish the season.
This Eagles team is beatable but they should not be taken lightly by any means. It is still led by Jalen Hurts and every team knows his capabilities. The Bucs defense will likely have trouble stopping Hurts so for them to win this game they will need to get Mike Evans and Rachaad White the ball. This is a much different Bucs team than last season as there is no Tom Brady but once again they find themselves playing an NFC East team.
A Look into the Buccaneers Offseason and Beyond
After Mayfield’s success in 2023, it is expected that the team will resign him. That is the number one priority, making sure they resign their QB that led them to the postseason regardless of the outcome. Mayfield performed well with this team and helped Mike Evans have another big year.
In the offseason, the team should look to make it’s defense better. The Buccaneers will likely have a pick around the 20 spot. They should take the best available defender. Clemson/s CB Nate Wiggins is a possible option here as he provides length at 6’2 while being able to stop the run at an efficient rate whenfln playing inside.
The good news for the team is it does have some young pieces in Trey Palmer, White, and Cade Ottton. Fans were able to see flashes of each of these players in 2023 but White is the main player that should bring excitement. The 24 year-old finished with over 1,500 all-purpose yards and 9 total touchdowns. With White, Mayfield and Evans, the Bucs should be in the mix for the division once again in 2024.