The sun seems to be shining brighter these days in Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers currently sit at 5-1 with the top seed in the NFC after beating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6 and a loss by the Detroit Lions to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Things are obviously going pretty well for the Bucs early in the 2025 season despite everything that has been thrown their way to try to throw a wrench into things. Injuries have tried their hardest, and so have the Bucs’ opponents, but with Baker Mayfield and the defense, the Bucs have fought through adversity to become one of the top teams in the league.
Many have already hopped on Mayfield being the leader in the MVP conversation clubhouse, but the pundits are also now coming around on the Bucs being the best team in the league. In his most recent ranking of the top five teams in the NFL, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith has Tampa Bay ahead of the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts as the top team in the NFL.
Sep 21, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacjker Yaya Diaby (0) Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
.@stephenasmith shares his top five NFL teams after Week 6 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1ehsuDh4jh
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 14, 2025
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Stephen A. has had many a hot take on First Take, but I think it is pretty safe to say that he got this one right. Smith highlighted the Bucs’ winning ways despite being down all of their playmakers, the incredible play from MVP contender Baker Mayfield and how Todd Bowles’ defense is playing through six weeks.
It hasn’t been pretty for the Bucs on their way to 5-1, a commanding lead in the NFC South and the top spot in the NFC, but they have shown that they can get it done when it matters most.
It will be interesting to see what transpires throughout the rest of the season for the Bucs. Hopefully, they can keep all the chatter outside of One Buc Place and continue to focus on football. If they can block out the praise and get some of these key playmakers back, then the Bucs could be in great shape to continue their strong play and have great positioning when it comes time for the playoffs.
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