Football fans, let’s talk about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the team currently faces a hotly contested quarterback competition entering the season. New signing Baker Mayfield is battling it out with Kyle Trask, a second-round draft pick from a few years back. However, the situation doesn’t look particularly promising for the Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers’ current win total stands at 6.5, one of the three lowest win totals in the NFL for 2023, and the under has heavy juice. But what does this mean for the Bucs this season?
If you’re a Tampa fan hoping for positive news, you might want to brace yourself. A significant downgrade is occurring at the quarterback position as the team moves from one of the greatest quarterbacks to have played the game to a combination of Mayfield and Trask. This change will inevitably create a ripple effect on the team’s performance.
Take, for instance, the impact on Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Despite a challenging season last year, they were still drafted as wide receiver twos, mainly due to the incredible passing volume from Tom Brady. He threw the ball 700 times last season. But with the new QBs at the helm, the Bucs will unlikely maintain such a high passing volume.
Instead, we should expect a dip in offensive performance and the Buccaneers experiencing a transition from being a contender to experiencing a challenging season.
As for the rest of the division, one team that presents a “sneaky good opportunity” is the Atlanta Falcons. They have an outstanding young talent, Bijan Robinson, who has the potential to overturn the order of things. Picture Robinson in the slot, creating mismatches that will be difficult for linebackers and nickel corners to guard. Alongside other talented players such as Kyle Pitts and Drake London, the Falcons have a good shot at reaching 10 wins and possibly taking the division.
As for the Saints and the Panthers, they’re teams in transition. Despite theoretically looking good, the Saints have some age on their defense. Carolina, on the other hand, is a complete work in progress.
As we look ahead to the new season, all eyes should be on the evolving dynamics within the NFL. The Buccaneers will be a team to watch, not for their success, but to gauge the extent of the struggle ahead. Meanwhile, teams like the Falcons could surprise us all by snatching the division title.
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