The Buccaneers flirted with a playoff spot last season and probably would have qualified had it not been for shaky quarterback play.
But with Tom Brady now under center in Tampa Bay, Peter King believes the Bucs are poised to get over that hump.
King on Friday was asked which team is more likely to reach the postseason in the 2020 campaign: the Buccaneers or Brady’s former team, the New England Patriots? The addition of Brady, coupled with Tampa Bay’s slew of offensive weapons, has King leaning toward Tampa Bay.
“If I had to pick it right now, I’d say the Bucs because I keep coming back to this: Tampa Bay was on a four-game winning streak last year entering the last two games of the year. They had two home games against Houston and Atlanta. They should have won both,” King said on NBC Sports. “Anybody who watched those two games would’ve told you they should’ve won both, but they didn’t because Jameis Winston threw six interceptions. Now, it’s easy to say, ‘Well, maybe Tom Brady wouldn’t have had them 7-7.’ I don’t know, but I do think that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a very good chance to be a wild-card team this year.
“Look, New England is always going to be good with Bill Belichick. But with a mystery person at quarterback and with still huge issues at the skill positions, I think right now on paper — again, I’m not saying this is about coaching, but I’m saying it’s about talent on the field — I think Tampa Bay right now the starting unit is better than New England’s.”
The Buccaneers haven’t reached the playoffs since 2007. The Patriots, meanwhile, qualified for the postseason in each of the last 11 campaigns and won the AFC East title in each of those years.
But given the way things currently are trending, it wouldn’t be at all shocking to see both of those streaks halted in 2020.
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