For the Buccaneers, Bye Week Comes at a Perfect Time
Following a big win against the Carolina Panthers the Buccaneers get a much needed week off. What can they get from it?
Has a team ever needed a week off as badly as the Buccaneers do right now? There’s a lot of debate over which part of the season is the best time to have a bye week, but for the Bucs this season there’s no doubt that it’s right now.
A quarter of the way through the season and the Bucs are a team in rough shape, without really being in rough shape. Does that make any sense? Injuries happen early and often in the NFL, but perhaps no team in the entire league has been as injury ravaged as the Bucs have been this season. This was on full display on Monday night as the team played without four of their week-one starters on the defensive line, as well as their top two running backs and one of their starting tight ends/fullbacks.
And yet, their record sits at 2-3 with 2 road division wins. Not great, but certainly not as bad as it could be given the schedule and all of the injuries, turnovers, and defensive growing pains. This is what makes the bye week so particularly opportune this week. The Bucs have survived what could be the toughest part of their schedule and can now re-group with the promise of an army of reinforcements on the way, Helms Deep style.
More from The Pewter Plank
- Devin White posts cryptic message to Lavonte David on Twitter
- ESPN predicts surprising outcome to Devin White trade saga
- Updated Buccaneers depth chart after signing two players from rookie minicamp
- Todd Bowles sends clear message about Baker Mayfield’s role with Bucs
- The Athletic is wrong about Bucs one ‘must-watch’ game in 2023
When the Bucs kick off against the 49ers in two weeks they’re going to do so with a very different looking offense. Louis Murphy will return from a torn ACL and while it’s not clear how quickly he’ll get up to speed, he’ll be a much-needed fresh face for the beleaguered receiving corps. Cecil Shorts will also more than likely return from a hamstring injury, adding another layer of depth to the passing game.
Also returning from a hamstring injury is some guy named Doug Martin. Not much needs to be said about what his return means to this team. The run game will be further improved when key blocker Luke Stocker returns, and potentially guards J.R. Sweezy and Caleb Benenoch.
That was just the offense! On defense the Bucs will see their defensive line revitalized, getting back prized free agent Robert Ayers as well as defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Clinton McDonald. This changes the landscape for this Buc defense and should push them closer to what expectations were before the season. We should see a definite up-tick in hurries and sacks, as well as improved run defense.
The bye also represents a breath of fresh air from a schedule stand-point. Prior to the season most people anticipated that the beginning stretch of games would be a tall task, and they were right. With Atlanta, Arizona, Denver and Carolina in the rear-view mirror, the Bucs can look forward to slightly smoother sailing. After a road game against the hapless 49ers the Bucs get three straight home games against Oakland, Atlanta and Chicago.
Finally, the bye week comes at a perfect time for the two most important people on the team: Jameis Winston and Dirk Koetter. Both have had their share of individual struggles, each influencing the other. Koetter and Winston overall have the type of honest relationship you want between coach and quarterback but recently coach has displayed some waning confidence in quarterback. It’s critical that these two get on the same page during this week off.
Next: Buccaneers Report Card: Week Five
For the first time since their week one victory over the Falcons there’s a real sense of optimism surrounding the Bucs and thanks to the bye week it will live on for at least another week. It’s up to the Bucs to take full advantage of this week and propel that optimism for even longer.