The Buccaneers got the contract situation they wanted with Baker Mayfield. What they have not gotten through two weeks is the kind of start they expected.
Tampa Bay is still searching for its first win after dropping its first two games, and the latest one is the one that stings. A Week 1 loss to the Bengals can be explained away a little more easily - opening weekend, playoff-caliber opponent, plenty of season left. Losing to the Browns, though, leaves a different mark.
The result has Tampa Bay staring up from the NFC South standings, even if the picture is a little less ugly because Atlanta is helping hold the floor down. For now, the Buccaneers are not alone at the bottom, but they are very much stuck in the division’s basement after a Week 2 that did nothing to build momentum.
From here, the road looks rough. Tampa Bay is expected to have a harder time with the Saints and the Panthers than with the Falcons, and that only makes the missed chance against Cleveland look worse.
Carolina is sitting in first place at 1-1 after rolling past Atlanta, 34-3, on Sunday. The Panthers’ spot at the top comes by tiebreaker over New Orleans, but the record is the bigger point.
Carolina’s win over a Falcons team starting its third-string quarterback was never really in doubt, and the Panthers even saw undrafted rookie Jack Strand get a shot after the starter was pulled. After a narrow Week 1 loss, Carolina has made a clear early case as the division’s team to beat.
New Orleans is right there too at 1-1 after beating the Ravens, 24-17. The Saints and Panthers look like the two teams in the NFC South actually trying to win the thing, and their quarterbacks have been piling up yards through the first two weeks.
Tyler Shough, in particular, turned heads in Sunday’s win and gave New Orleans another strong sign that its faith in him was justified. The Saints also came within a point of beating the Lions in Week 1 before missing a game-winning two-point conversion in overtime.
Atlanta, meanwhile, is the team dragging the division down at 0-2 after the 34-3 loss to Carolina. The Falcons’ quarterback situation is a mess, and even Michael Penix’s return is not expected to solve it. Their offensive line has not been able to open anything for Bijan Robinson, the passing game has no real answer, and the defense has not offered much to feel good about either.
In Other News...
Leonard Fournette Just Turned Up The Heat On Todd Bowles
The frustration around Todd Bowles has only grown as Tampa Bay has stumbled out to an 0-2 start, and now a familiar former face has added more fuel to the conversation. Leonard Fournette said on his podcast that he believes the Buccaneers should move on from the head coach, a pointed critique from someone who spent time in the building and has seen the expectations that come with it.
It is the kind of public comment that lands harder when the record already invites scrutiny. Bowles is 35-35 in the regular season and 1-3 in the postseason with Tampa Bay, and while fans and media have been sharpening their criticism, there has been no official decision about his job. For now, the noise is building faster than any resolution. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Just Got A Public Warning Bucs Fans Will Feel
The Buccaneers rough opening has already turned the heat up on Todd Bowles, and now the noise is coming from a familiar voice. Former Tampa Bay running back Leonard Fournette said on his podcast that he believes it is time for the head coach to move on, a blunt public critique that lands in a week when the Bucs are still trying to steady themselves after an 0-2 start.
Tampa Bay has not helped its own cause, with Baker Mayfields turnovers adding to the early-season frustration and a tough matchup against the Minnesota Vikings next on the schedule. Fournette did acknowledge Bowles past success, but he pointed to the current struggles as a sign that the coachs tenure may be nearing its end, a familiar kind of pressure for a team that suddenly needs answers fast. [Read more 🡒]
Warren Sapp Is Taking A New Tampa Fight Public
Warren Sapp has taken a fresh fight with the city of Tampa into federal court, filing a civil rights lawsuit over an incident at City Hall during a Tampa City Council meeting. The former Buccaneers star says he was there lawfully to obtain paperwork, but the complaint alleges city officials overreacted and had him removed, turning a routine visit into a confrontation with public consequences.
The lawsuit argues that the city violated Sapps First Amendment rights and says he was also hit with a trespass warning. Sapp is seeking nominal damages, and the case is being handled by attorney Anthony Sabatini, adding another layer to a dispute that now stretches well beyond City Hall and into the public eye. [Read more 🡒]