According to Baker Mayfield, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' real season is about to commence.
The prelude to the bye for the Bucs was bittersweet: a plethora of injuries somehow outweighed by a remarkable 6-2 start. In the coming weeks, the temperature is about to turn up a notch.
This Sunday marks the beginning of a three-game stretch for Tampa against teams with only a pair of losses. In less than a month, the entire foundation of a historic campaign could crumble.
That tumultuous path starts with the New England Patriots, who enter this weekend with a league-best six-game winning streak and perhaps the MVP frontrunner in gunslinger Drake Maye. Between Maye's heroics and coach Mike Vrabel's remarkable ability to bring the franchise back to prominence, the danger of the Pats appears evident, but it's a trend far more nuanced that could turn the tide of the upcoming showdown.
The trend that could derail Tampa Bay this weekend
The Patriots' path to relevance began with an offseason spending spree on defense, highlighted by a four-year, $104 million deal to acquire premier defensive tackle Milton Williams. The 26-year-old was primarily a rotational player throughout his tenure with Philadelphia but has elevated his play since arriving in Foxborough, starting alongside a healthy Christian Barmore.
This tandem is at the forefront of one of the most dominant run defenses in the modern NFL, having gone eight straight games without allowing an opposing running back to eclipse 50 yards. The likes of Ashton Jeanty, De'Von Achane, James Cook, and Bijan Robinson have all been stifled by this elite interior.
To have this kind of success, it goes beyond the DT duo, but on tape, it's evident this dominance starts with Williams and Barmore. Even if one of them comes out, backup journeyman Khyiris Tonga has also been stellar, closing up gaps and forcing tackles for loss.
What does this mean for the Bucs?
With Bucky Irving unlikely to return to the lineup, it'll be Rachaad White, who averages under four yards a carry in his career, trying to spark some magic on the ground. As a change-of-pace complement, there's value to White in the backfield, but the lack of efficiency plagues his worth as a lead back.
If White can't get going, the Bucs offense will have to navigate obvious passing downs behind the chains with a decimated receiver core. Superstar corner Christian Gonzalez should see a healthy dose of Emeka Egbuka, suggesting Tampa's best chance of moving downfield could rest on the shoulders of Sterling Shepard and Tez Johnson.
Even with Baker's endless heroics defining the past few months, it feels like this could be too much for even him to overcome.