How The Bucs Could Make A Super Bowl
September 6th, 2023
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield.
Look, as Joe has pointed out repeatedly for months, the vast majority of NFL analysts outside the Tampa Bay area are convinced the only reason the Bucs signed Baker Mayfield was to be in position to win the Caleb Williams sweepstakes (#CollapseForCaleb).
Joe may have stumbled across the very first mention that the Bucs could make the Super Bowl and how that might happen.
Follicly challenged Billy Barnwell of BSPN was given an unforgiving task. (Likely ordered by an editor) Billy tried to come up with a path for each and every team in the NFL to win a Super Bowl.
Billy isn’t as big on the Bucs’ defense as Joe, but he makes some good points.
He believes the Bucs are not as deep defensively as they were in 2020. That’s fair because the starters on defense in 2020 were better. The Bucs no longer have a healthy Jason Pierre-Paul. Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett is older and coming off a blown Achilles. Devin White isn’t as good as he was in 2020. Probably Lavonte David may be a lesser player — though Joe isn’t sure about that.
Antoine Winfield, however, you could argue is better. But yeah, Joe gets Billy’s point. It’s a fair premise.
So in Billy’s eyes, if the Bucs make the Super Bowl, the offense will get it there. Billy points out Mayfield has had hot stretches, and it’s not like the Bucs don’t have weapons.
The easiest path for this team to surprise is Mayfield protecting the football, new offensive coordinator Dave Canales bringing a moribund running game back to life and the defense winning them 10 games in a wide-open NFC South. We’ve seen Mayfield get hot for stretches before and play his best football when people count him out.
The Bucs must have something of a run game, not the league’s worst because leaning on the quarterback is a not good strategy. Mayfield is not Tom Brady. Joe doesn’t believe anyone wants to see Mayfield put the ball up 35-40 times a game.
If the Bucs have a strong run game and Mayfield plays OK, no telling how far this team could go.
No run game (again) and Mayfield struggles? This could be a very ugly season.
September 6th, 2023 at 12:02 pm
Dream Scenario. I’ve already got my homer bet @ 80-1.
September 6th, 2023 at 12:03 pm
Drunk AF
September 6th, 2023 at 12:06 pm
I think it’s plausible, but that’s more because the NFC is full of mediocre teams. In the AFC, the Bucs would be 2-15. But could they bumble into a 10 win 2
Seed, sure.
September 6th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
All this forecasting is getting tiresome. Sunday can not get here soon enough.
September 6th, 2023 at 12:24 pm
Only way Baker Mayfield sorry as can make the Super Bowl is by being a backup quarterback
September 6th, 2023 at 12:24 pm
Only way, is too buy a hundred Superbowl tickets and watch the two other teams playing.
September 6th, 2023 at 12:24 pm
like DS said. Drunk AF….and it’s barely noon!
blogging for da yucks must be taxing, so I aint mad at ya!
September 6th, 2023 at 12:26 pm
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
September 6th, 2023 at 12:27 pm
As John McKay said… “Three or four plane crashes and we’re in the playoffs.”
September 6th, 2023 at 12:27 pm
I just can’t envision the Bucs making a Super Bowl without sounding like the biggest homer of all time. Baker? Eh. Todd Bowles? Hah! I think people doubting the Bucs have absolutely every right to do so.
September 6th, 2023 at 12:28 pm
The only way this team gets to the SB, is if Tom Brady came back and brought Arians with him.
September 6th, 2023 at 12:28 pm
A GREAT D can get a team to a SB, even with a mediocre offense. A GREAT D keeps a team in EVERY game!
As far as advancing in the playoffs I think it’s the D or nothing. I hope the Offense is as good as Brad Johnson or Trent Dilfer’s SB offenses but that wouldn’t even be enough since the Buc’s D is nowhere near the Ravens or Bucs SB D’s. Not many D’s are!!!
I’m hoping for a performance like Mayfield’s playoff season. Make the playoffs..beat a bitter rival on the road in the first round of the playoffs..can you say the Saints? And then perhaps fall in a close game to the eventual SB Champ. Happened once before with the crappy Browns it “can” happen for the Bucs.
BTW Accomplish that…clean up the cap mess…and then talk about actually winning another SB.
September 6th, 2023 at 12:57 pm
This defense is going to need this offense to give them a lead, and it can’t come in the final quarter of the game. It needs to happen early.
The only way this defense is going to last the full season without major injuries is if they can get off the field, and the only way that can happen is if the opposing offense is forced to pass.
There’s plenty of pieces here to have a fun pass rush, but without a lead on the board it will never show itself.
If the offense can stay on schedule and efficiently move the chains and keep the three-and-outs to a minimum, then this team has a chance. If they make it a habit of getting behind the chains with a trash running game, then it’s going to be a long, long season. Kinda like last year.
September 6th, 2023 at 1:07 pm
If Baker has a comeback year anything is possible.
September 6th, 2023 at 1:38 pm
Joe must be bipolar. He goes from Bowles being fired to how the Bucs make the super bowl. Of course this team will be somewhere in between.
September 6th, 2023 at 2:12 pm
I love this team but the off season has become a soap opera. Arians won the Super Bowl but also left alota bodies behind. Gifting the job to Bowles might be the most damning at least Bowles is getting fired by goin his way I’m sure he sees it. Even Raheem went 10-6 with less talent ( Race to 10) just think we are left paying the bill and that’s fine just blow the team up and start fresh.
September 6th, 2023 at 2:14 pm
Sorry, but I will believe we’ll have a great running game when I see it. Our running game has not been great since the Alstott days.
And really, unless it is the QB running, how effective has the run game been to get teams to the SB in recent years? (I’m actually asking, because I do not know)
I don’t believe the run game of the Bucs will get the attention it needs. Why? Because if Baker Mayfield is relying on the run game to protect the ball, then we will likely be playing from behind…and we’ll have to abandon the run game.
Do I believe the run game can be made great? Sure. I think the oline will have to make it so…but I don’t see it happening in year one.
September 6th, 2023 at 2:20 pm
DS Says
“…just think we are left paying the bill and that’s fine just blow the team up and start fresh.”
I do not support this. It’s unrealistic.
If they did it, the team would be instantly at ground zero…and believe it or not, they are not there at the moment.
Ground Zero would mean no chance of being good for 5-10 years. Be careful what you wish for.
The trick is to use the talent you are provided and use it well. Bowels is good at it with the defensive side (I’ll give him that much credit), but only the defense. That’s why he’s a bad head coach.
Stocking up on draft picks means relying on hope that a draft class is filled with great talent…and getting rid of players that could be great for us for years to come.
I’m never in favor of ‘blowing things up.’
Trimming the fat? Sure. Saving a little money? Yup. But not going nuclear.
September 6th, 2023 at 2:23 pm
So much is riding on the success or failure of the Bucs OLine in 2023….
If the OLine plays well – the running game becomes a threat because I guarantee you White will shine with some daylight to run through.
And if the run game is clicking – then the whole offense gets opened up.
Good running sets up effective play action which leads to TEs and receivers being wide @ss open over the middle because the LBs and safeties were frozen or took a wrong step…
Those who complained about not enough play action last year will hopefully get their fill in 2023.
But it all starts up front with the Big Ugglies. Move some beef around and White will have everyone high five-ing. Establish the run and then Baker can look competent – maybe even good throwing to Evans and Godwin.
Control the ball – take some shots – rest your defense…
Welcome to the new offensive philosophy Bucs fans….
If Wirfs and Feiler and Hainsey and Mauch and Goedeke can collectively do a “good job” – this is going to be a fun year and the Buccaneers will gain back some of that national prominence and respect that apparently walked out the door with Tom Brady.
September 6th, 2023 at 2:33 pm
@Buc Bonzai I understand your statement. Do
You think this team is going anywhere? look around the writing is on the wall Bowles is stuck in his ways, there is zero edge rush, alota guys have already won and now are playing for checks. The best player on the team is Wirfs, it’s never good when the player is your LT. 1 more thing who is this team building around ??? If you think Bowles will all of the sudden become Vince Lombardi pass me some of what you got from the dispensary
September 6th, 2023 at 2:40 pm
Yea there’s a way they can make the Super Bowl… on MADDEN. Other then that I just don’t see it
September 6th, 2023 at 2:41 pm
17-0.. superbowl!!!!! i just laid my bet for the perfect season
September 6th, 2023 at 2:41 pm
btw.. ive been drinking since 6 am…
September 6th, 2023 at 2:46 pm
Baker The Playoff Maker????
September 6th, 2023 at 2:50 pm
Oh how I enjoy reading the comments on these posts!!!!
Rod Munch – great quote and very much in line again this year…
Go dawgs et al – the drinking started at sunrise 👍👍 two thumbs up!
Bucs and Super Bowl in 2023? There is no path without some pixie dust and a magic 🪄
September 6th, 2023 at 3:00 pm
Pickgrin
Agree completely!
September 6th, 2023 at 3:01 pm
Super Bowles will be gone by game 14 so we get in early for the new HC sweepstakes.
September 6th, 2023 at 4:13 pm
The offense needs to score TDs when in the red zone! They settled for field goals last season! If they can score more TDs than field goals, we all will be smiling 🥲. Sunday Sunday Sunday!
September 6th, 2023 at 4:27 pm
Playoffs!?!
Playoffs?!?
September 6th, 2023 at 4:27 pm
Super Bowl #3 all the way. LFG!
September 6th, 2023 at 4:33 pm
Could we maybe play a few games before commenting on how the season will go? Every year stupidity is in full display here with all the doomsayers. No one has a clue how we’ll play until we actually play. Period.
September 6th, 2023 at 6:41 pm
T. McGee said “In the AFC, the Bucs would be 2-15. But could they bumble into a 10 win 2”.
Not buying that!
I guess it depends on which division the Bucs would be in, but I imagine it would be the NFC South. The AFC South is worse than the NFC South. They’d get to play Indy twice, the Texans twice along with a suspect Titans team twice and, of course, this would be the year that they would also get to play the entire NFC South.
September 6th, 2023 at 8:26 pm
10+ wins.
September 6th, 2023 at 9:47 pm
Please put this noisemaker away until week 10. Please.
September 7th, 2023 at 3:11 am
Tank talk…Yawn…stopped reading…click
Go Bucs!
September 7th, 2023 at 9:31 pm
You folks who are down on Mayfield have it all wrong. As a rookie after not playing the first 4.5 games, he set the rookie TD record with mediocre WRS. He was drafted #1 but a regime that got kicked out the next year. Before he was drafted the browns went 1-31 so that makes breaking the record even better. 2nd year 2nd off coordinator still had a middle of the group in the middle. 3rd year 3rd offense. Takes them to the playoffs and wins 1st game. Hasn’t happened to Cleve since 1994. Then his 4th year should be thrown out. COVID and a crippling injury and he still played hard. Any other QB would have stopped after the 2nd game and went and got surgery. But Baker played the whole season for his team and city
And every offense they had him in was under center and pocket pass. He never did that in his life. That’s not his game. If he’s in a shotgun spread offense like the rams played he flourishes
September 7th, 2023 at 11:43 pm
I don’t see the logic in how signing Mayfield helps the Bucs “collapse for Caleb”. If they wanted to tank they could have just grabbed any scrub undrafted QB and let him battle it out with an unproven Trask.
The Mayfield signing was getting the best available QB they could afford. I wouldn’t call that a sign that the team wants to “collapse”. I saw it as wanting to try to win as many games a possible. So the exact opposite of tanking.
Or do the Bucs brass REALLY think Mayfield is that damn bad of a QB and they signed him just to give the appearance they’re trying to win and not tank? Sorry. I’m not that cynical