Can Baker Mayfield Lead the Tampa Bay Bucs to Another South Title?
It’s been an unexpectedly strong start to the season in South Florida as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 3-1 and sit atop the NFC South after four weeks. With Baker Mayfield playing the best football of his career and Tampa’s defense looking promising, we break down what has the Bucs playing so well and if they are worth a wager to win the NFC South.
Has Baker Found a Home in Tampa?
After playing for three different teams over the past two seasons, it felt like Mayfield’s time as a starter in the NFL was wearing thin. Fast forward to August, and he faced another chance to be an NFL starter amid a quarterback competition with second-year signal-caller Kyle Trask. After winning the job, Mayfield has not looked back. The 28-year-old ranks eighth in passer rating and sixth in QBR, all while leading Tampa Bay to an impressive 3-1 start. Has Baker finally found a long-term home as Tampa’s franchise quarterback? It’s starting to feel that way.
The Defense Is Still Playoff-Caliber
The most underlooked aspect of this Buccaneers team has become their defense. Seven starters from the Super Bowl LV roster remain on this defense, including big-name talents like Lavonte David, Devin White, and Vita Vea. They rank seventh in points allowed and second in turnovers forced as they have dominated every offense they’ve faced outside of the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3. With this much talent remaining on the defensive unit, this Tampa Bay team has a sustainable floor moving forward.
Dave Canales Continues to Thrive in the NFL
After seemingly reviving Geno Smith‘s career as the quarterbacks coach with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, offensive coordinator Dave Canales seems to be the puppeteer behind another quarterback revival in Tampa Bay. The 42-year-old has brought some much-needed creativity to the Bucs coaching staff, something that harped their final season with Tom Brady and left them entirely predictable throughout last season. He’s a breath of fresh air for the Tampa Bay faithful, and he’s undoubtedly got the offense firing on all cylinders in 2023.
Buy or Sell? (+175 to win the NFC South)
We’re going to have to sell at this price. It feels like you are buying high on a Buccaneers team performing well but might have already reached its peak. The demise of the Saints to start the season also plays into this shorter number. We feel safer banking on New Orleans figuring it out and Derek Carr getting healthy in time to save their season. Add in the sneaky Atlanta Falcons, who sit just 25 cents behind, and all signs point away from Tampa Bay heading into Week 5.
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