Starting out 0-2 is never the goal, especially when one of those losses is to the Deshaun Watson-led Cleveland Browns. But such is the reality for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2026 NFL season, as they are winless heading into Week 3 after also losing on opening day to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The road ahead is not particularly easy for the Bucs, as the 2-0 Minnesota Vikings loom on Sunday, and the always tough Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys are next on the docket. Todd Bowles' team needs to figure things out, and quickly, if they want to return to the postseason once again.
Luckily for Tampa Bay, though, it's not all bad. There are several reasons not to overreact to this brutal and unexpected start, so in an attempt to stay positive, we will list them. But to be completely honest as well, we will also provide a reason to panic about this Bucs team in its current form.
3 reasons not to overreact to Bucs' brutal 0-2 start to 2026 season
Rookies Josiah Trotter and Keionte Scott look awesome
Jason Licht continues to draft well, and Trotter and Scott are the latest examples of that. Sure, Rueben Bain Jr. and Ted Hurst aren't off to the hottest start, but Bain isn't healthy, and Hurst was always going to need time to develop. Trotter and Scott have hit the ground running, though.
Trotter, through two games, looks like an All-Rookie player, as he's amassed 25 tackles, a pick-six, a sack and two tackles for loss. He looks like a perfect replacement for... anyway. Scott has also impressed, as he's made tackles, covered pretty well and added some pressure on blitzes.
These two are nice foundational pieces for this defense.
Bucs' run game seems to be legit under Zac Robinson
Quietly, the Bucs are averaging 5.0 yards per carry, and Bucky Irving is at a clip of 5.4. With Baker Mayfield struggling, Tampa Bay can lean on its rushing attack until the franchise quarterback figures out how to stop turning the ball over.
Irving has looked like his old self, which, coming off an injury, is always a good thing, and it proves that the Bucs seemingly have the right offensive coordinator in the building. If they could stop beating themselves, then we may see this Tampa Bay offense take off, led by the running game.
Maybe this is the actual beginning of the end for Todd Bowles
Right?
Let's say things continue to get worse this season... Bowles has to go. He's already near the end of his rope, and continued struggles may finally encourage the powers that be in Tampa Bay to pull the plug and start fresh. That may be the best thing for the franchise in the long run.
Obviously, the hope is to still turn things around, and if that happens, Bowles may continue to survive like a cockroach in an apocalypse. But if the Bucs are going to underachieve this year, dumping Bowles would be the silver lining.
1 reason to panic about Tampa Bay's atrocious start to the season
Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea are looking like sunken money
Mayfield and Vea weren't necessarily drama starters this offseason, but their contract disputes made a lot of headlines. So, of course, their failure to live up to those deals is also making headlines. And by all accounts, the Bucs are stuck with these two for a few years; there's no wiggling out of their deals.
If these two continue to play as poorly as they are, with Mayfield coughing the ball up and Vea being generally ineffective, then history will not look back kindly on their contracts, and it will be tough to field a competent team around them. This matters both for this year and in the future.
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