Three Reasons the Buccs Could Win Again
Last year saw major wins for sports fans in Florida—particularly those in Tampa Bay. Not only did the Lightning take home a Stanley Cup, but Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers proved pundits wrong after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in a solid 31-9 win, in their own home field no less, at Raymond James Stadiums.
The subsequent celebrations were highly publicized across the US and highlight just how much the win meant to locals as they paraded through the canal in small boats. Not only did Brady and the Buccs defy the odds, but they also brought the franchise their second-ever Super Bowl win.
Unfortunately for the Buccs, things aren’t looking too sunny this year. Shortly after their big win in February, sportsbooks took to forecasting the 2022 Super Bowl champion—and the Buccs weren’t on the shortlist. Instead, they’re behind the Chiefs (once again) and will be treading water with the Packers and Ravens as the season progresses.
For punters who wager on the NFL, this is a key moment before next year’s Sunday Funday. Many are looking to put welcome offers with big deposit bonuses, such as a DraftKings promo code, to good use in backing a slight underdog like the Buccs before their odds shorten (or lengthen) following Week 1.
For other armchair sports fans, this is the perfect time to forecast what needs to happen for the Buccaneers to overcome their odds and achieve one of the most difficult things in the NFL: a Super Bowl title repeat. Luckily for Tampa Bay football fans, the outlook isn’t uniformly bleak. Here are three reasons the Buccs could take another Lombardi Trophy home.
Reason One: Buccs Were Savvy in the Off-Season
One of the most controversial aspects of Bruce Arians’ off-season plan was to keep his team almost exactly the same. The idea is simple: if it’s not broke, why fix it? Clearly, last year’s Buccs excelled in defense. Coming into the game, the Chiefs had one of the strongest offenses in recent NFL history—but the Buccs stopped them at every turn.
Arians will be looking to work with almost the exact same offensive and defensive lines to perfect what he started last year. Arians resigned crucial players in wide receivers Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Scotty Miller, and Mike Evans, as well as running back Leonard Fournette. Then there’s Gronk, of course.
Naturally, the more critical area to cover for Arians and manager Jason Licht was defense. They managed to resign linebacker Lavonte David, linebacker Shaq Barrett, and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
Reason Two: NFC Will Turn Out Winners
This year, the NFC is slated to be the most competitive conference in the league. Invariably, the Rams and Chargers will be both be looking to capitalize on their chance to compete in LA at SoFi Stadium. Other notable teams include the Saints and Packers, who are both expected to push into the playoffs.
Some pundits have pointed out at the Buccs will have a (steep) uphill battle if they plan on pushing back these contenders to nab the NFC title. However, others believe the tight competition will be an asset for the Buccs, who will need all the conditioning they can get if they’re going to repeat last year’s victory.
Reason Three: Brady Doesn’t Abide
Casual NFL fans and pundits alike are interested in how Brady will fare in his ongoing battle against Father Time now that he’s 44 years old. Many rightfully point to the fact that most NFL stars don’t meaningfully compete into their 40s—but Brady simply doesn’t abide by the laws of football when it comes to his level of talent.
While others are waiting for Brady to slip in terms of pass velocity or injury, the star hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. Last year, he took home his seventh Super Bowl title, fifth Super Bowl MVP award, and threw for 40 touchdowns over 4,633 yards. The idea that Brady will suddenly fall off the wagon has been an argument posited for the last five years—but his stats don’t lie. Father Time who?
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