If it hasn’t been made blatantly obvious by now, this season should be about the Bucs wanting to prove themselves to the rest of the NFL. Another contender that comes to the Bay Area in 2016 is the Seattle Seahawks, who have made the playoffs five times in the last six seasons.
Tampa Bay fans aren’t wrong to expect the team to have its identity by the time Russell Wilson and Co. come to town since it’s not until week 12. The offense should have its rhythm and the setup of the defense should be solidified, making this matchup with Seattle even bigger. In the same way that Tampa Bay needs to beat the Panthers to prove itself within the division, a win over the Seahawks would be big in terms of the NFC as a whole.
Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” will be another big challenge for Jameis Winston and his offense. This will be near the end of year two of Dirk Koetter’s offense, meaning this game will be telling in terms of how the Bucs will fare against the top teams for years to come. It’s pretty clear that the rest of the NFL, its fans and mainstream media think Tampa Bay is a laughingstock. The Bucs can turn that around with wins over teams like Seattle.
Next: January 1: vs Carolina Panthers