The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 0-2, and that alone is enough to make people twitch. Losses to the Cincinnati Bengals on opening day and the Deshaun Watson-led Cleveland Browns have put Todd Bowles’ team in an early hole, and the schedule does not exactly offer a soft landing. The 2-0 Minnesota Vikings are up next on Sunday, with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys following close behind.
Still, there are reasons to keep the panic level in check for now.
For one, the rookie class is already flashing real value. Jason Licht has kept finding talent, and Josiah Trotter and Keionte Scott look like the latest proof.
Rueben Bain Jr. and Ted Hurst have not gotten off to the hottest start, but Bain is not healthy and Hurst was always going to need time. Trotter and Scott, though, have jumped in immediately and looked like pieces Tampa Bay can build around.
Trotter has been everywhere through two games. He has 25 tackles, a pick-six, a sack and two tackles for loss, production that makes him look like an All-Rookie type already.
Scott has also made his presence felt, getting to the ball, holding up in coverage and adding pressure on blitzes. Those are the kinds of early contributions that can stabilize a defense.
The running game is another reason not to sound the alarm just yet. Tampa Bay is averaging 5.0 yards per carry, and Bucky Irving is at 5.4.
That matters even more with Baker Mayfield struggling and turning the ball over. The Bucs can lean on the ground attack while their quarterback works through his issues, and Irving’s return to form after injury is a good sign for Zac Robinson’s offense.
And then there’s the bigger-picture question around Todd Bowles. If this season keeps slipping, the pressure will only build.
Bowles is already close to the edge, and another rough year could push the organization to move on and reset. If the Bucs do wind up underachieving, that would at least give the franchise a chance to start fresh.
The one real reason to panic centers on two expensive names: Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea. Their contract disputes drew plenty of attention this offseason, and now their struggles are drawing even more.
Mayfield is coughing the ball up, while Vea has been generally ineffective. By all accounts, Tampa Bay is tied to both players for a few years, which makes the problem even harder to escape.
If those two keep playing like this, the fallout could last well beyond 2026.
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 🡒]