The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the hottest teams in football. With Week 7 right around the corner, they’re sitting at the top of the NFC with a record of 5-1.
The only other team that is 5-1 in the NFL is the Indianapolis Colts, who sit atop the AFC.
Is this success sustainable for the Buccaneers? How long can Tampa Bay continue its hot streak?
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What is Happening With The Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
At the start of the season, no one thought the Buccaneers would be in the position they are in right now. A lot of people didn’t even think that the Buccaneers would be sitting at the top of the division at this point in the season.
Tampa Bay has shattered both of those expectations by continuing to win, week in and week out.
But how? The Buccaneers have been hit hard by the injury bug this season. It started with the season-ending injuries to guys like Calijah Kancey, Cody Mauch, J.J. Roberts, and David Walker, all players who were expected to have a great impact this season.
They were also without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, Bucky Irving, Luke Goedeke, Benjamin Morrison, Zyon McCullum, and Jamel Dean at the same time at one point this season.
That is… *checks notes* five offensive starters and your two starting defensive backs. That is ridiculous, but they are still winning.
When an injury happens to their best player, a lot of teams have a hard time finding success, and their record shows it. That is not the case for the Buccaneers.
What do the Bucs have that has given them the ability to overcome the injury woes?
How The Buccaneers Continue to Win
There may not be another team in the NFL that would be 5-1 if they were in Tampa Bay’s shoes. But the Buccaneers are different.
Experience With This Situation
The Buccaneers have been in this situation before. Last season, they lost some of their key players, and they still were able to get to the playoffs.
After dealing with crucial injuries last season, Tampa Bay went out and added depth in key areas, mainly the wide receiver and the cornerback positions. These two positions were almost paper-thin last year, so the Buccaneers decided to go in on deepening those groups.
Baker Mayfield
One of the biggest reasons why the Buccaneers are on this roll is because of a man by the name of Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield has been phenomenal all season long and is in the conversation for NFL MVP.
He has been playing out of his mind. He has been able to overcome the injuries to half of his offense and still has been able to lead his team to five wins in the first six games of the season.
Mayfield has had anything but consistency within the situations he has had to deal with this season. He has had a different variation of an offensive line almost every week; he has not been able to throw to the same receivers every week. Not to mention having a different running back in the backfield since Week 4.
Still, Mayfield finds a way to win
Todd Bowles: Coach of the Year?
A coach that has had to navigate all of these injuries, has a defense that is playing as well as it has been, and doing that with a first-year offensive coordinator, should be in consideration for the Coach of the Year award at the NFL Honors.
Can The Buccaneers Keep Rolling?
I believe this team’s roll will continue on as they will look as close to 100% as they can this season. In the next two weeks, the Bucs should see a reinforcement of players return to the field, including the likes of Mike Evans and Benjamin Morrison.
The Buccaneers will be the healthiest they have ever been, and the timing couldn’t be better. In the next five games, the Buccaneers will play four of the top 10 teams according to TWSN’s Week 7 power rankings.
The Bucs have been able to navigate the first six games of the season while being beaten, battered, and bruised, and come out with only one loss. When they become healthy, the rest of the league better watch out.
The NFC runs through Tampa Bay.