The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 0-4. They are two games out of first in the division. Yes, you read that correctly. Despite the horrible play that has been put on display through the first four weeks, Tampa isn't out of it yet.
On Thursday, the Buccaneers will take on the Cowboys; it should make for an interesting watch given the two different paths each club is on. Tampa has its problems, but so do the Cowboys.
The start to the season hasn't been close to what fans expected. No one believed they would be unbeaten, but to lose four in a row to start the year is more than just unacceptable. The way they have played has been downright disgusting.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers good and bad through first four weeks of 2026
Bad: Baker Mayfield
There is no better way to prove to your boss that you deserve a $50 million raise than to play so badly that you look like a rookie. That's the case with Mayfield so far. Forget about his thumb injury; his statistics couldn't get much worse if he were playing with the bandage on it.
Mayfield has thrown for no more than 217 yards in three games. He has two touchdowns and two interceptions, but has also contributed three fumbles. He is one pace to match his last two-season records of 13 fumbles in 2024 and 11 in 2025. If that wasn't bad enough, let's add 13 sacks on top of that ice cream cone.
Good: Tristan Wirfs
Thank God for an elite tackle! Wirfs hasn't been perfect, but he has been playing at a consistently high level. It's the one thing going right on the Buccaneers' offensive line. Unfortunately, there are four other positions on the line manned by someone without the name Wirfs on their back.
Wirfs has to not only continue to play well, but he has to lift the others around him and take on the leadership role they desperately need.
Bad: Alex Anzalone
The big-ticket free-agent linebacker looked a bit better after a horrible start in his first two games. The LB had just 7 tackles in his first two games, but rebounded with 15 over the last two. Stats can, however, be deceiving.
He has yet to record an impact play and has only one tackle for a loss. That isn't what fans were used to seeing in Detroit. Anzalone is the Buccaneers' linebacker unit, and so far, he has been, at best, average.
Good: Cade Otton
If the Buccaneers need a playmaker, then Otton should be their go-to. He has 15 receptions for 157 yards. He has yet to get into the end zone, but that will come with patience and the offense's ability to get the ball into scoring position. Otton leads the team in receiving yards.
Despite poor quarterback play and a somewhat anemic running game, the receivers are proving they are a quality unit.
- Emeka Egbuka - 15 receptions for 154 yards
- Chris Godwin - 15 receptions for 142 yards
- Ted Hurst - 8 receptions for 128 yards
The problem isn't the receivers; it's the consistency of the passing game as a whole.
Bad: Rueben Bain Jr.
There is no way we can leave him off this list. His first two games were so bad that he could have stood on the sidelines and been more productive. Now he is injured and has missed the last two games. The preseason Defensive Rookie of the Year talk is an afterthought at this point.
Bain will be back in another week, but if he continues to play this bad, it will prove to every other team that passed on him that they were right. Through the first two weeks of the season, and thus four since he missed the last two, Bain has exactly one tackle.
Good: David Walker
After missing his rookie season, Walker is giving the Buccaneers' fans something to cheer about. He is showing off a solid, non-stop motor and is making plays. He leads the team in sacks (2), which isn't saying a whole lot. As a team, Tampa only has six on the season.
This is essentially Walker's rookie season and he is learning on the fly, but if continues to improve he is going to make the defense a lot better.
Good: Josiah Trotter
Trotter's first game in the NFL resulted in a pick-six interception. Naturally, he would cool off a bit from there, but not by much. Trotter has been consistently good from the start. He leads the team in tackles, and it isn't close.
At 33 through four weeks, Trotter leads second-place tackler Antoine Winfield Jr. by nearly ten. Winfield has 24 tackles for the season. The bad news is that Winfield is expected to miss several weeks with an injury.
Add us as a preferred source on Google