The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a horrid start to the season. At 1-4, they have fallen far short of expectations, especially given the talent on both sides of the ball. Injuries, coaching, and an inability to close out games have left Tampa Bay in the worst possible situation early in the season.
The dysfunction isn’t exactly new. Last season, Tampa Bay started 6-2 heading into their bye week, then lost seven of their last nine games to finish 8-9. They missed the playoffs and blew a division they held firmly halfway through the season. You would think that leads to an offseason full of changes, but it didn’t. Luckily, they just upset the Dallas Cowboys on national television. Could that swing things in their direction?
Heading into their week-nine bye last season, the Buccaneers held the NFC South, a division full of rebuilding teams. The Carolina Panthers were improving, but the Atlanta Falcons were struggling, and the New Orleans Saints were 1-7. Baker Mayfield was an MVP dark-horse candidate, leading this team to what looked like their best season since Tom Brady was at the helm. That’s when everything went downhill.
As of week ten of 2025, the Buccaneers have lost 11 of their last 14 games. Aside from Thursday night, their only wins came against the Arizona Cardinals (they finished with three wins) and the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers got the last laugh, though, and took Tampa’s spot in the wild card. Aside from a 7-34 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12, every game came down to one possession, but Tampa choked away the win again and again. Most fans didn’t blame the players; they blamed the coach: Todd Bowles.
Todd Bowles has not had a good resume at this point in his coaching career. He was head coach of the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018 and had only one winning season. He then joined Tampa Bay as defensive coordinator, which led to his head-coaching job after Bruce Arians’ exit. The warning signs should’ve been there when Tom Brady’s first losing season (8-9) followed Bowles taking the coaching reins. The Buccaneers did win the division in Bowles first three seasons as head coach, but hindsight shows he was not the reason for success. He won nine games in his first year with Mayfield at QB, ten the following season, and then suffered the infamous late-season collapse in 2025-26.
This past offseason also saw very notable losses for Tampa Bay. Franchise legend Mike Evans left for the San Francisco 49ers in free agency, taking away Mayfield’s top target and a player many thought would be a Buccaneer for life. They also lost several notable defensive pieces, most notably cornerback Jamel Dean to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Lavonte David to retirement. To address this, they drafted Reuben Bain Jr., signed Alex Anzalone to replace David, and added a quality backup running back in Kenneth Gainwell.
The offseason drama didn’t stop there. Star defensive tackle Vita Vea asked to be traded early in the summer. Although he eventually signed an extension, I’m sure he regrets it now, given how the season has gone. He’s not the only player to get an extension – Baker Mayfield locked in a three-year, $165 million extension after a holdout that lasted weeks.
The decision to extend Baker Mayfield has unfortunately aged poorly. He had two touchdowns to two interceptions before injuring his thumb in week three. But he was also sacked 13 times in three games, so how much of this is really his fault? The backup quarterback is undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, who was thrust into a dumpster fire as the Buccaneers sit at the bottom of the division. The Panthers and Falcons are finding their stride, and the Saints have looked much better behind second-year QB Tyler Shough.
Daniels’ first start came in Week Four against the Green Bay Packers, and it wasn’t pretty. He threw two interceptions and threw for only one touchdown, but he showed some potential on his feet. He showed us what that potential could be against the Cowboys Thursday night. He managed the game well, keeping the Cowboys’ explosive offense off the field with an 11-minute drive that ended with a Bucky Irving touchdown. He had no interceptions and a touchdown, and connected on 76% of his passes. He isn’t going to lead the Buccaneers to greatness, but he’s shown he can avoid costly mistakes, as he’s yet to have a completion percentage below 70% in his two starts.
The Buccaneers’ defense has been average to start the season, but did great vs. Dallas, forcing three turnovers (two interceptions and one fumble). They still don’t have star safety Antoine Winfield Jr. back from injury. In fact, Tampa has forced a turnover in every game except week two against Cleveland. Last night, their pressure was real, and it gave Dak Prescott his worst game of the season. Some of his throws were off target, and the defense was largely responsible. Even then, boneheaded play calling almost blew the game.
The Buccaneers were on the one-yard line early in the fourth quarter, up 24-10. Although the touchdown is enticing, the chip-shot field goal is the correct call to make it a three-possession game. Of course, Coach Bowles chooses the touchdown, which backfired when Sean Tucker was stopped short. Instead of putting the game away for good, the Buccaneers had to stop Prescott and the Cowboys from tying it up in their final possession. Thank God Jake Ferguson had bricks for hands, because Dallas was storming to Tampa’s red zone.
The only downside to Thursday’s win was that Coach Bowles has slightly more job security. As long as he’s at the helm, the Buccaneers will never be truly successful. But there are a few things they can do to at least compete in a tight division (aside from a coaching change).
Despite Mayfield’s absence for the next few weeks, Tampa is beginning to find an offensive identity. Irving had an insane 165-yard performance, including receiving and rushing touchdowns. That could be a product of Dallas’s horrendous defense, but he gave the offense momentum by starting the second half with an explosive 72-yard run. Paired with wide receivers Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, the Buccaneers still have plenty of tools to use until Mayfield returns from his thumb injury.
The defense has lapses at times, especially in pass coverage. They allowed 130 yards and a touchdown to George Pickens, and this was on an off night for Dak Prescott. On the other hand, they held CeeDee Lamb to just nine yards before he left with a quad injury in the second half. Once Winfield Jr. comes back, the pass coverage should improve, giving this defense a much-needed boost.
The Buccaneers’ season could not have started worse, and fans are rightfully upset (including me, who stupidly bet on them to win the division). Luckily, not all is lost. They proved they have some semblance of an offense behind their undrafted QB, no matter how slow-paced it is or how inept their head coach is. Their schedule is not easy, but they have the talent to win a few games even before Mayfield returns.
Tampa still has a long way to go, but a path to success exists. With the offensive star power of Irving, Egbuka, and Godwin Jr., they can rebuild a competitive culture and regain momentum in time for Mayfield’s return. They have a long shot at the playoffs in the competitive NFC South, but the win in Dallas is a step in the right direction. Besides, maybe another disappointing season is exactly what they need to rid themselves of Coach Bowles and return to Super Bowl glory.
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