Remember when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked like a sure thing to win the NFC South? Yeah, those were the days.
The crazy thing is that those days were just a month ago.
People started talking about how Baker Mayfield could be a sneaky pick for MVP, as the Bucs looked ready to run away with their division after a strong start to the year.
Fast forward to today, and Todd Bowles’ team sits on a 3-4 record and has lost three games in a row.
Even so, the Bucs’ coach recently stated that his confidence in the team hasn’t changed the slightest despite this rough patch, adding that he believes in them wholeheartedly and knows that they can be better going forward (via Jenna Laine of ESPN).
Bucs coach Todd Bowles: “My faith in these guys has never wavered. I’ll take them anywhere. I’ll take them down an alley. I’ll fight with them any kind of way. I believe in them wholeheartedly. We believe in ourselves as a team, and know we’ll push forward and get better.” pic.twitter.com/QYf8NkJjkR
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) October 27, 2023
The Bucs have a strong defense, and they’re better than the division-leading Atlanta Falcons, at least personnel-wise.
Even so, they’ve lost to the Detroit Lions, Falcons, and now Buffalo Bills, and Mayfield has vastly regressed from his promising start to the campaign.
The remainder of the season won’t get a lot easier, but at least they’ll have ten days to regroup, restore, and hit the drawing board again before hitting the road to meet the up-and-coming Houston Texans.
And while they’re no longer in control of their destiny in their division, the NFC South is one of the least competitive in the league right now, so they still have a chance to finish strong and win their third pennant in as many years.
NEXT: Bucs Get Positive Update On 2 Players Ahead Of Bills Matchup
