The Buccaneers are slated as the most likely to end their long playoff drought this upcoming season.
Nine years. That’s a long time to go without a playoff appearance. But that is exactly how long it has been since the Buccaneers have played in the “tournament”. I mean, doesn’t the Super Bowl feel like it was another lifetime ago? There certainly have been a lot of losses since. There have been many high draft picks. But no playoff berths in just under a decade.
But the tide is starting to turn. All of a sudden, the Bucs aren’t a laughingstock anymore. They have a franchise quarterback in Jameis Winston and a bevy of weapons to help him out. The defense boasts a bedrock in Kwon Alexander and a pass rush that gets better with each passing week. Noah Spence is destined for stardom and Gerald McCoy already is one. The secondary is finding its footing. Heck, they almost ended the drought last season before coming up short.
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We know the Bucs are close, now what does the rest of the world think? We have talked many times about the lack of respect the team gets. For a team as exciting as Tampa is, they were only scheduled for two prime time games when the schedule came out. We know that can change with “flex” games, but the initial schedule shows where the respect lies.
Even after the improvement of 2016, the Bucs struggle to get the respect that they deserve.
But maybe, that is starting to change. Recently, Marc Sessler of NFL.com ranked the teams that are most likely to end long playoff droughts. Guess which team he ranked as the one with the best chance to end the drought? I wouldn’t be mentioning it here if it were any other team.
"The Buccaneers are for real. If their weakness — the offensive line — can keep Jameis Winston in one piece, Tampa fans should be in for a rowdy campaign. First the Bucs signed free-agent deep threat DeSean Jackson to pair with Pro Bowl wideout Mike Evans and productive pass catcher Adam Humphries. Then the Bucs watched O.J. Howard, the draft’s top tight end, fall into their lap with the 19th overall pick. He’ll pair nicely with Cameron Brate, who already gave the club a legitimate talent at the position. The Bucs are also raving about the re-emergence of Doug Martin, with general manager Jason Licht telling “Good Morning Football” that the running back has “looked as good as I have seen him.” With a defense that played well down the stretch, Tampa has a chance to be a special story in the NFC."
How great is that review? It has been a long time since someone said the Bucs are for real, especially someone with a national audience. The games are played on the field, of course, but the moves above have only made the team better. If they play to their potential, and stay healthy, they have a real shot to end the drought and return to the NFL playoffs.
It is an exciting time to root for the Bucs. They are a young team that gets better every day, and they believe they are winners. It has the potential to be one heck of a season.