Surprising Buccaneers prediction sets lofty expectations for Baker Mayfield

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were below .500 last season, but narrowly missed winning their division. They lost some quality players this offseason, added a potential superstar in the draft, and are praying that Baker Mayfield can hold it all together.

Buccaneers fans have high hopes for this season, but one ESPN analyst believes they have every right to put the pressure on them. Kimberly A. Martin sees this Buccaneers team as worthy of the NFC Championship Game.

ESPN analyst believes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a shot at the NFC title game

In a league of "Why not us," the Buccaneers have every reason to enter the season with a Super Bowl on their minds, but they can't look at that big picture just yet. Tampa needs to stay grounded and take one game, one quarter, and one snap at a time.

The playoffs are still more than 18 weeks away, so fans shouldn't start buying their plane tickets just yet. Martin's observation brings up some good points, but if this team reaches that level of success, everything will have gone perfectly right.

"The Bucs are right there. They could easily be in the NFC title game for sure."

Kimberly A. Martin - ESPN

Marting acknowledged that the two best teams heading into the season are the Rams and the Seahawks, but she believes the next group of the Eagles, Lions, and Packers also includes the Buccaneers, but she also said that to get there, Mayfield needs to "protect the football."

Why the Buccaneers could be in the NFC title game

For starters, it's the NFL, and anything can happen. Injuries could hit a team like what struck Tampa last season. Players could have a bad year, and the competition in the NFC alone is strong across the divisions. That kind of competition puts more pressure on teams to find ways to win, and it creates a more equal playing field.

The Buccaneers have solid pieces on both sides of the ball. Despite losing Mike Evans, Ted Hurst has been clicking with the Bucs' QB. They have a potentially strong running game that will take pressure off the receivers, and defensively, they have quality corners, a good safety, a linebacker core that is solid from side to side, and a top draft pick, Rueben Bain Jr., with a massive chip on his shoulder.

Why the Buccaneers won't go to the title game

Coaching consistency is a problem with Todd Bowles. That translates to problems on the defensive side of the ball as he calls the plays. Bowles can be too aggressive at times when he doesn't need to be, and too conservative when he should be aggressive. That kind of inconsistency puts the defense in bad positions.

Bowles is a major key to the success of the Buccaneers' defense. He has the players on the roster to make a deep run, but he has to avoid mistakes.

The offense is good enough, provided Mayfield doesn't make a lot of mistakes, but there are offensive line questions, and while the WR room looks good, they still need to gel. Emeka Egbuka is the key to that success. With Evans gone, he is the main WR threat and has to play to that potential.

One thing is for sure -- if the Bucs want to make a playoff run, they definitely can't perform how they did against the Jaguars in joint practice ahead of their preseason finale.

Buccaneers' chances of making a deep playoff run are still good

The Buccaneers' chances of making the title game, if we are being honest, are slim, but it's not impossible. The first step is to win the NFC South, and frankly, that shouldn't be a big problem. The Panthers are their biggest competition, but they don't scare anyone.

Tampa has to win the games they are supposed to win and can't get complacent or lazy when things are going well; that's when they need to get tougher. Win the division, and then tackle the playoffs.

The talent is on the team to win the division, and if they come together, there is no reason for them not to surprise a lot of people, but if they do make the title game, Martin clearly won't be surprised.

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