4 biggest changes to expect from the Buccaneers in 2021

The Buccaneers defense will have an identity from day one

The Buccaneer defense ended last season on an extremely high note. Keeping Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs out of the end zone during the Super Bowl is no small undertaking, and that is all due to the defensive unit getting hot at just the right time.

If only the defense had started out the season that way.

There were plenty of learning curves to overcome at the start of the 2020 season and that impacted play early. Mediocre quarterbacks like Derek Carr, Daniel Jones, and several backups for the Broncos were able to perform with relative comfort against the Bucs, but that will be very different in 2021.

Now, the defense has a very clear identity. The whole group plays with a swagger and confidence that only comes from dominating in the playoffs, and you best believe that they will bring a fire with them into week one against the Dallas Cowboys.

The secondary was the weakest part of the defense last season, but it took massive strides through the middle of the year. Carlton Davis, Sean Murphy-Bunting, and Jamel Dean all improved a great deal through the adversity that the season created, and they will play with a chip on their shoulder this coming year.

Other than the first matchup against the Chiefs, the defensive unit was able to finish the second half of the season and the playoffs on an extremely strong note, and when they bring that intensity from week one, they will start to get more recognition as the best defensive unit in the NFL.

The defensive identity in Tampa has been forever changed under Todd Bowles, and the group will look to return to the glory of the early 2000s with a strong showing from the start in 2021.

Want to write about the Buccaneers? Apply below!