The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the longest active playoff streak in the NFC. What do they have to do this upcoming season to add another ring? Do they even have what it takes? Here are three huge things they must accomplish if they wish to make it past the first round of playoffs this year.
There is a pressing issue in Tampa Bay; the Bucs seem to always play down to the level of their opponent.
During the 2024-2025 NFL season, Tampa Bay beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4, then brought the Kansas City Chiefs to overtime in Week 9. Later on, both of those teams proved to be legitimate contenders, facing off in a lopsided Super Bowl contest. Additionally, the Buccaneers tallied wins against other notable playoff teams, like the Detroit Lions and the Washington Commanders.
Despite these impressive performances, the Bucs struggled against teams they should’ve beaten handily, losing to the Denver Broncos, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Atlanta Falcons (twice).
If this Buccaneers squad wants to return to the caliber of team they were when they walloped the Chiefs for a Lombardi Trophy in 2021, then they need to present themselves as apex predators. They cannot afford to tally up losses against .500 teams. This year, they must focus on asserting dominance, and mediocre teams cannot hand them losses; those small inflictions on a win-loss record go miles in playoff seeding.
During the 2024-2025 season, a new weapon emerged for the Buccaneers. Hailing from Oregon, 5’10 194 LB running back Bucky Irving exploded onto the scene for Tampa; as the season progressed, so did the volume of his touches.
During his rookie campaign, Irving tallied 1,514 all-purpose yards, with eight total touchdowns to boot. Alongside Irving, third-year RB Rachaad White amassed 1,006 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns. Needless to say, Tampa was very happy with the production from their RB duo. Third-string RB Sean Tucker also showed flashes throughout the year.
With such a talent-filled backfield, it’s hard to imagine the Bucs offense straying away from the run game this upcoming season. Thanks to consistent offensive line play and the emergence of Irving, they saw drastic run game improvements in 2024. Their rushing attack jumped from a league worst 3.6 yards per carry in 2023, all the way to 3rd best in the league with a whopping 5.2 yards per carry in 2024.
Due to this efficient run game, quarterback Baker Mayfield was able to play freely, allowing him to play his best season of football yet. Additionally, Bucs GM Jason Licht was able to retain all five starting offensive linemen during free agency, while also going out and signing veteran lineman Charlie Heck. There is no reason Tampa can’t continue to run the football behind Wirfs and company; if they can hit the ground running, they should do just fine on the ground.
In 2024, the Buccaneers allowed 243.9 passing yards per game, which was 29th in the league. Their pass defense was rather pitiful, and a lot that pressure fell unfairly upon the shoulders of Tampa’s defensive backs. Even though the secondary was constantly beat up and injured, fluctuating with new starters nearly every week, for some reason, the blame was never directed towards the pass rush when it should’ve been.
The Buccaneers, when healthy, have very serviceable DBs. Jamel Dean has been a consistent veteran presence, Zyon McCollum has shown great promise, and nickelback Tykee Smith has begun to break out, although he may see more time at safety this season. Tampa also selected Benjamin Morrison from Notre Dame and Jacob Parrish from Kansas State during this year’s NFL draft.
“It was important for us to get some corners. We had a lot of injuries the last two years at that position… And we think we found two corners that can come in and play and help us right away with [Jacob] Parrish and [Benjamin] Morrison.”
– Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach
The real issue for this Buccaneers defense (besides the glaring hole at second-string linebacker) is their lack of a consistent pass rush. Tampa recently lost outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to the Steelers in free agency, but his absence likely won’t be felt too much. They still roster young star YaYa Diaby, who seems pretty confident in his abilities. Last but certainly not least, the Bucs signed veteran pass rusher Hassan Reddick to their squad through free agency, and given his rough past few seasons, he seems to be out for blood. They also drafted Elijah Roberts from SMU and David Walker from Central Arkansas.
Given the depth they’ve added, can they put the pieces together and finally get after the passer like they used to in 2020? Only time will tell. Hopefully, the addition of Haasan Reddick and their two rookie draft picks can help. Without a development in their pass rush, the Buccaneers will proceed to get picked apart in zone by elite quarterbacks. Guys like Jared Goff and Josh Allen excel when given time to throw, and if Tampa can’t get on their horses and rush them, they’re in trouble.
Overall, Tampa has the chance to be a real dark horse Super Bowl contender this year. If the ground game keeps rolling and the pass defense improves, the Buccaneers are a team to watch for a deep playoff run. In years past, injuries have presented themselves as a constant issue, so health is another huge factor for this organization.
All in all, though, the only thing standing between this Buccaneers squad and another playoff berth is themselves.
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