Heading into this season, there were a lot of question marks surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Would quarterback Jameis Winston take a step forward in his second season as the Buccaneers’ starter? What type of production would the Buccaneers get out running back Doug Martin, who they re-signed over the offseason to a five-year deal? Finally, could first-year head coach Dirk Koetter lead Tampa Bay to the playoffs?
Fast forward to Week 12 and it seems like all those questions have been answered, as the Buccaneers are playing exceptional football with a chance to not only make the playoffs, but win the NFC South. Currently, Tampa Bay is 5-5 and only sitting one game behind the Atlanta Falcons for first place in the division.
To put this year’s record in perspective, the Buccaneers are on the verge of surpassing their win total from last season (6). The only way they won’t surpass last season’s total is if they lose five out of their last six games, which happened last season.
However, this year’s Buccaneers’ team is different from the 2015 version as they have already defeated the Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Kansas City Chiefs. The Panthers have been a disappointment this season, while the Falcons and Chiefs are playoff caliber teams
One reason why they have played better as of late this season is because of second-year quarterback Jameis Winston. Through the first four weeks of the season, Winston along with the rest of the team struggled. In the first four games, Winston only completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 1,109 yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Also during that span, he was sacked 10 times.
Winston’s worst game during the first four weeks came against the Arizona Cardinals on the road in Week 2. Winston and the Buccaneers were overmatched by the Cardinals and it showed as he threw four interceptions and was sacked three times. Tampa Bay went on to lose that game 40-7.
However, from Week 5 on, Winston has played better football and it’s a reason why they are 4-2 in their last six games. In the last six games, Winston is completing 62.2 percent of his passes for 1,572 yards, 12 touchdowns, and only two interceptions.
The two interceptions are a major key for Winston as they have been a bugaboo for him in his young career. Tampa will need him to continue to take care of the ball, if they want to have a chance to make a playoff run.
Another reason why Tampa has played well is because of their defense. This season, they are led on defense by former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith. Smith has done a solid job as defensive coordinator, as Tampa is eighth in takeaways (17) and 15th in completion percentage (62.7).
Last season in those respective categories, Tampa’s defense was ranked 18th in takeaways (23) and 32nd in completion percentage (69.9).
However, just like Winston, the Buccaneers’ defense has improved tremendously over the last six games. In the last six games, Tampa Bay has 15 takeaways. Out of those 15 takeaways, they have gotten four takeaways twice against the Panthers and Chicago Bears.
Smith has the defense playing inspired football and it was one of the reasons why they were able to beat the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium last week.
With the Buccaneers winning four of their last six games and in prime position to make some noise in December, the question everybody wants answered is: Can they make a run at the playoffs?
It is not easy to answer that question as the Buccaneers have a tough final six games beginning today against the Seattle Seahawks. Even though Seattle will be without three key defensive players, it will still be a tough game at Raymond James Stadium.
After that, Tampa has road games against the San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, and New Orleans Saints. Then they have home games against New Orleans and Carolina. To be honest, the Buccaneers’ playoff hopes will come down to how they play in the division.
Right now, they are 2-1 in the NFC South and will have to win two out of their last three division games to have a chance. Nevertheless, it should be fun to see what Winston and the Buccaneers do in these last six games. If they can defeat Seattle, they could be a force to be reckoned with, but if not, they will still be fun to watch for years to come.
