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BY IRA KAUFMAN
What a difference a day makes. December 10th to be exact.
That’s the day the Bucs rallied for a 29-25 victory in Atlanta. They haven’t been the same team since.
Just ask the reeling Jaguars, who were never competitive during Sunday’s 30-12 setback. That’s four consecutive losses for Jacksonville and four straight victories for Tampa Bay.
Had the Bucs lost to the Falcons that fateful afternoon, they would have dropped to 5-8, with seven losses in nine games. Todd Bowles would have been a dead man walking and Buc Nation would have turned their attention to a quarterback-rich draft. The Kyle Trask mob would have been howling for No. 2 to replace Baker Mayfield.
But that’s not what happened. Mayfield threw a game-winning TD pass to Cade Otton in Atlanta and the last two weeks has seen this offense and defense come together impressively. Suddenly, the Bucs have the look of a dangerous team. They can wrap up a third consecutive NFC South crown by sweeping the Saints next week and confidence couldn’t have been higher in the locker room after dismantling the Jaguars.
Talk about your changed narratives.
Buc Nation is warming up to Bowles, although it’s been a slow crawl. Mayfield has won over teammates, coaches and fans with his blue-collar approach and passion for the game. Three potential free agents — Mayfield, Mike Evans and Antonio Winfield Jr. — are making compelling cases to remain Buccaneers for 2024.
It could all come crashing down in the next two weeks, but that feels unlikely at the moment. Instead, it feels like this is a franchise that survived a midseason meltdown and came out stronger for the struggle. (more…)
