The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are fresh off a 10-7 season, their first double-digit win season in three years, and their first with Todd Bowles at the helm as the head coach. The Bucs won the NFC South before being bounced early in the playoffs, suffering a heartbreaking Wild Card defeat to the up-and-coming Washington Commanders.
The Buccaneers far exceeded expectations last year, with oddsmakers projecting the Bucs to win just 7.5 games during the preseason. Despite exceeding expectations, the Wild Card loss certainly left a bitter taste in the mouths of the front office and the players.
The Bucs expressed a lot of faith in the lineup they trotted out last season, and their actions have spoken just as loud, with the entire starting offense being brought back, while the defensive side has received numerous updates this offseason.
Perhaps the biggest change for the Bucs will be working in a new offensive coordinator once again after Liam Coen went from the West to the East coast of Florida, taking over as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The oddsmakers have the Buccaneers set to win 9.5 games this upcoming season. Meanwhile, ESPN took a shot at predicting win totals for next year, predicting a slightly better mark of 9.6 wins, which would be the seventh-best record in the NFL, per their projections.
For their reasoning behind the projection, the article states:
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Tampa Bay won 10 games last season and has gone over its win total in five of the last six seasons.
The Buccaneers have put together back-to-back winning seasons for the second time in the last 16 seasons (also accomplished in 2020-21 with Tom Brady).
The Bucs' total projection has increased from 7.5 wins in 2024 to 9.5 this season.
ESPN gives the Bucs 30-1 odds to win the Super Bowl.
The Buccaneers' success also relies on Baker Mayfield, who broke out in Tampa Bay in 2023, making his first Pro Bowl after throwing for over 4,000 yards. Mayfields' successes continued into 2024, throwing for exactly 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. Baker did lead the NFL with 16 interceptions, but given his high passing volume (and efficiency, with a 71.4 percent completion rate) and success finding the end zone, it's not a concerning figure.
Related: Bucs QB Baker Mayfield Ranks No. 1 In Weirdest Category
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This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 10:36 AM.