Can The Bucs Be More Than King Of The NFC South Landfill?
June 10th, 2026
What are the Bucs?
Joe knows there is a lot of Todd Bowles hate among Bucs fans. And one reason is the Groundhog Day-type seasons the Bucs have had since 2022.
The Bucs start strong, hit the brakes in midseason and then fight like dogs to win the division.
The problem was last year, after the annual midseason swoon, rather than fighting like dogs to end the season strong, the Bucs choked like dogs and missed the playoffs — but tied for the NFC South Landfill lead!
All the huffing and puffing the past four years hasn’t produced anything less than eight wins and no more than 10 wins. That adds up to 8.5 wins a season. In a 17-game schedule, that is the pure definition of “mid.”
So Raymond Summerlin of Sharp Football Analysis wonders if the Bucs are just the best team in a garbage division, or ready to shock the world and be something more?
Tampa got really good value at a position of need in Rueben Bain Jr, and they are likely the best team in the NFC South. The question is, can they be more than that?
Joe isn’t sure. If Bowles turns the offense loose, provided the offense is healthy, Joe thinks the Bucs could be something more.
But Joe doesn’t like how the Bucs are banking on three rookie defensive players to play like veterans. (Joe typed “three” because Joe thinks/hopes Bowles comes to his senses and puts Jacob Parrish at outside cornerback full-time and plays Keionte Scott full-time at nickel corner). The defense was bad last year and Joe isn’t sure it improved.
Calijah Kancey has to start staying on the field more. That sure would help.
The Bucs likely go as far as the defense allows.