The Buccaneers didn’t just survive a wild Week 1 - they got a little help from the rest of the NFC South, too.
Tampa Bay’s win over Cincinnati came with plenty of self-inflicted drama. Baker Mayfield lost three fumbles, one of them returned for a touchdown, and Bucky Irving added another giveaway of his own.
The Bucs still did enough to beat the Bengals, but they also made the day far harder on themselves than it needed to be. It was supposed to be a measuring-stick game, a chance to show that last season’s 8-9 finish was just a bump for a roster built to win the division and make noise in the postseason.
Instead, the performance raised the question of coaching as much as execution.
Even so, the division picture came into focus in a way Tampa Bay had to like: every other NFC South team also lost.
Carolina put up a fight in a 59-37 loss to Chicago, and for a while it actually looked like a real game. But the Bears kept piling on, scoring at least 14 points in every quarter and making Caleb Williams look like a HOF QB. Bryce Young did his part with three passing touchdowns and a rushing score, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace.
New Orleans came even closer to pulling off a comeback in a 31-30 overtime loss to Detroit. The Saints didn’t score in the first half, while their defense kept the Lions to just 7 points over the first two quarters.
The game flipped in the second half, when both teams put up 14 in the third quarter and New Orleans battled back from a 21-0 deficit to tie it late and force overtime. The Lions scored first in the extra period, the Saints answered by driving the field and finishing in the end zone, and then came the decisive call: with just over 1:00 minute left in overtime, New Orleans went for two and the win, and didn’t get it.
Atlanta’s 20-13 loss to Pittsburgh was closer on the scoreboard than it felt on the field. The Falcons were playing with Cooper Rush after Tua Tagovailoa hurt his back last week, and the Steelers aren’t exactly in the same tier as Chicago or Detroit.
But even with the seven-point margin, it never really felt like Atlanta had control. The Falcons may be a problem this season, but the source of that trouble still looks a lot like themselves.
So after one week, the NFC South is in a four-team tie. Tampa Bay got the win, but the other three clubs all dropped their openers.
The Panthers and Saints at least showed more life against teams that look like playoff contenders, while the Buccaneers left room for concern even in victory. The Bengals have talent, but they’re inconsistent, and Tampa Bay still should have handled that game more cleanly.
Week 2 brings Tampa Bay home against the Browns, a game that carries a simple message in this framing: if the Buccaneers don’t win, they should write off their season.
The division’s first matchup arrives next in Atlanta, where the Falcons will host the Panthers. The setup here points toward Carolina, and the outlook for next week suggests the Buccaneers and Panthers could both leave Week 2 at .500, while the Falcons and Saints fall again.
In Other News...
Bucs Already Have A Real Concern In The Middle Of Their Defense
Alex Anzalones stat line looked busy enough against the Bengals, with seven tackles, but the tape told a more complicated story for the middle of Tampa Bays defense. He was credited with inconsistent play and found himself out of position at times, which is the kind of issue that can quietly unravel a unit even when the box score still looks respectable. Rookie Rueben Bain Jr. also had only a small footprint in the game, finishing with one assisted tackle as the Buccaneers searched for more impact in the middle of the field.
Josiah Trotter was the one bright spot, turning in the games most active defensive performance with 11 tackles, a sack, a pass defensed and a pick-six touchdown. Even so, Tampa Bays next test comes quickly with the Browns on deck, and the Buccaneers will need the center of the defense to settle in before a sturdier opponent starts probing those same soft spots. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Week 1 Snap Counts Raised A Bigger Question Than The Loss
The Buccaneers season-opening loss to Cincinnati left plenty to sort through, but the snap counts may have been even more revealing than the final score. Tampa Bays offense showed an early look at how it plans to distribute work among its pass catchers and backfield, with Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr. and rookie Ted Hurst III all drawing meaningful usage, while Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell split the backfield workload in a way that hinted at how this group might evolve as the season settles in.
On defense, the story was just as interesting because the workload centered on a young linebacker making a strong case for a larger role. Josiah Trotter led the Buccaneers in tackles and was involved in several key plays, while Alex Anzalone was the only defender to stay on the field for every snap. For a team trying to find its footing after one week, the bigger question is not just what happened against the Bengals, but what these usage patterns say about how Tampa Bay wants to build going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Loss Exposed Familiar Problems But One Rookie Gave Fans Hope
The Buccaneers came out of Week 1 with a 33-27 loss to the Bengals, and the film offered a little of everything that has frustrated this team before. Baker Mayfields three fumbles were the clearest example, but the problems did not stop there. Tampa Bays defense had its own communication issues and struggled to generate consistent pressure, while the offense had the kind of delays and miscues that can make a new playcallers first outing feel much longer than the calendar says it should.
Bucky Irving was one of the few reasons for optimism. The rookie running back scored on the ground and also caught seven passes, giving the Buccaneers a much-needed jolt in a game that otherwise exposed familiar concerns. For a team trying to establish a cleaner identity early in the season, Irvings debut offered a small but meaningful reason to believe there is at least one fresh piece ready to help steady things. [Read more 🡒]