The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have found a formula that’s working, and it starts on the ground.
After a sluggish 1-5 opening, Tampa Bay has won two straight and suddenly looks like a team with some momentum. The Bucs head to Chicago on Sunday night at 3-5, taking on a 6-2 Bears team that has built its identity around shutting down the run.
That’s what makes this trip such a revealing test. Tampa Bay has racked up 584 rushing yards over its last two games and has won those contests by a combined 46 points. Included in that run was one of the strangest wins the NFL has seen in a while: a 16-0 shutout of Atlanta without completing a single pass.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield said the energy around the running game has been impossible to miss.
"It’s being in the huddle with a bunch of savages. They hear the play call, they get excited about it.
They’re talking about it. There is a certain level of excitement when it comes down to the run plays they want to make it work,"
The Bears, though, are built to make life harder on that kind of attack. Chicago is giving up the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game in the league, and stopping the run has clearly been a point of emphasis.
That could force Tampa Bay into a more balanced approach, and Mayfield said he’s comfortable with that.
"Last couple of weeks, I felt really confident in the pass game. The details and stuff we’ve been harping on to get back on track.
We’re coming into it being the number one rushing offense in the league. They pride themselves on stopping the run,"
Mayfield’s own health may also help tilt things in that direction. After missing three games with a dislocated right thumb, he has thrown only 14 passes across the last two weeks.
"It’s getting better and better each week, especially after the last two weeks not having to use it that much,"
Even with the rough start, Tampa Bay is back in the mix in the NFC South. The Buccaneers are only a half-game behind the Carolina Panthers and could finish Sunday night in first place, depending on how the rest of the results shake out.
For now, the story is simple: the run game has dragged Tampa Bay back into the race. Sunday night will show whether it can keep carrying them against one of the league’s stingiest fronts.
In Other News...
Calijah Kancey Just Reminded Bucs Fans What This Defense Needs
Calijah Kancey gave the Buccaneers another reminder of why his presence matters in the middle of the defense, even when the box score does not tell the whole story. Against Atlanta, he was part of a front that helped Tampa Bay stay organized at the point of attack, with Kancey chipping in three solo tackles and one assist while doing the dirty work that often gets overlooked on a stat sheet.
What stood out was the way he helped the Bucs hold their shape against the run, taking on blockers and helping close off lanes before they could develop. Tampa Bay has plenty of reasons to value disruptive plays from its front, but Kanceys value goes beyond splash moments, and games like this are a good example of why the defense looks different when he is involved. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Rookie Ted Hurst Is Running Out Of Time To Earn Trust
Ted Hurst arrived in Tampa Bay with the kind of rookie buzz that usually comes from a strong college rsum and a promising camp, but the regular season has been a tougher proving ground. Through eight games, the Buccaneers wide receiver has flashed just enough to keep the conversation going, yet his production has been modest as he tries to carve out a bigger role in an offense that has leaned heavily on the run and sputtered at times through the air.
For a player whose calling card was supposed to be reliability on the boundary and the ability to finish contested throws, the margin for error is getting thinner. The Bucs still need answers in the passing game, and Hurst still has time to make himself part of them, but he is also running out of opportunities to show that his college promise can translate when the games count the most. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Face A Vita Vea Decision That Could Shift Fast
The Buccaneers are in a familiar spot for this time of year, still hanging around the playoff race and not acting like a team ready to strip things down at the trade deadline. Even so, defensive tackle Vita Vea has emerged as a name worth watching, with ESPNs Jeremy Fowler reporting that New York is keeping tabs on him while Tampa Bay weighs its own path forward.
Veas recent extension makes any move feel unlikely, and the Buccaneers are not planning to deal him right now. But his recent dip in performance has added a layer of intrigue to a decision that could move quickly if the next stretch of games changes the teams outlook, leaving Tampa Bay to balance present contention against the kind of long-term roster call that can reshape a defense. [Read more 🡒]