The Buccaneers keep finding new ways to win, and Sunday’s version was as strange as it gets.
Tampa Bay beat the Atlanta Falcons 16-0 without completing a single pass, riding a punishing ground game and a defense that never let up. The result pushed the Bucs to 3-5, leaving them just a half-game behind the NFC South lead.
The running game has become the engine here. Bucky Irving was over 100 yards by halftime, and Tampa Bay had already scored nine points before completing a pass. It’s an unusual formula, and one that doesn’t look built to last forever, but it has now worked in back-to-back weeks.
A big part of that shift has been Zac Robinson’s move to a gap and counter run scheme, which has unlocked the rushing attack in a major way. The Bucs still figure to need a passing game at some point, but right now they’re leaning on the run with a level of confidence nobody expected.
That’s not the only reason Tampa Bay is hanging around the division race. The defense has been just as important, if not more so.
The Buccaneers picked off Michael Penix four times on Sunday, and the unit has been swarming from the linebackers to the secondary. It’s hard to argue with what the tape is showing: this is a top-five defense, and maybe even more than that.
Todd Bowles has been dialing up strong game plans lately, and the players are finishing the job. The offense may still have some rough edges, but the defense has been relentless.
And then there’s the kicker. Tampa Bay also has the best kicker in football, and he played a major role in this win.
So yes, the Bucs are still a team with questions. But with the defense playing this way and the run game hitting like this, they look better than every other team in the NFC South right now. That could be enough to win the division and get them in the ballroom.
In Other News...
Bucs Secondary Is Forcing A Much Bigger Conversation
The Buccaneers defense has turned into the kind of unit that changes the conversation around a team, and the secondary is a big reason why. Tampa Bay sits first in expected points added per play allowed this season, with Jacob Parrish emerging as one of the leagues most disruptive young corners thanks to his sticky coverage and willingness to help against the run.
Parrishs rise has also given Todd Bowles another piece to lean on as the pass rush keeps coming along behind him, with contributions from players such as Rueben Bain Jr. and Yaya Diaby. The bigger question now is how far this defense can go if the back end keeps erasing throws and the front continues to build pressure, because the Bucs are no longer just surviving on defense, theyre starting to dictate games. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Sees Something Different In This Bucs Turnaround
The Buccaneers have gone from an 0-4 start to a 3-5 record, and the timing of the turnaround has made the past two weeks feel especially important. Tampa Bay has stacked consecutive divisional wins over the Panthers and Falcons, with Baker Mayfield back after a thumb injury and watching the group respond in a way that was hard to find early in the season.
Mayfield has pointed to the teams progress and unity since returning, and the Bucs now sit close behind Carolina in the NFC South with more key division games ahead. For a team that looked buried only a few weeks ago, the next stretch will go a long way toward showing whether this surge is a short burst or something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Anzalone Just Changed A Big Buccaneers Defensive Conversation
The Buccaneers defense spent Sunday making a point, and Alex Anzalone was right at the center of it. Tampa Bay controlled Atlanta from the opening series and rolled to a 16-0 shutout, with the defense turning the game into a turnover-heavy slog that never let Michael Penix Jr. settle in.
Anzalone was the most disruptive piece of that effort, helping set the tone for a unit that came away with four interceptions overall. For a defense that has been looking to define itself, the performance offered a clear snapshot of what it can look like when the pressure, coverage and takeaway chances all show up at once. [Read more 🡒]