The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints 26-9 in Week 4 of the NFL season.
With that win, the Bucs are now 3-1, and in first place in the NFC South.
It’s #EasyToCelebrate when you’re 3⃣-1⃣ heading into the bye 🎉 pic.twitter.com/fqz5ppeeJK
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 1, 2023
Who would have thought the Bucs would get out to such a great start one year after Tom Brady’s retirement?
What are the secrets of their success?
1. Team Effort
It takes an entire team effort to replace Tom Brady, and that’s exactly what the Bucs are getting right now.
The defense has stepped up.
We’ll take that 😁
📺: #TBvsNO on FOX pic.twitter.com/w6CfFQ3g2J
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 1, 2023
A former Jets and Browns kicker, Chase McLaughlin, is delivering the goods, most recently with a 51-yard field goal against the Saints.
And the offensive line is doing a great job protecting Baker Mayfield and giving him time to throw the football.
The Bucs’ top tier of wide receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, have been a mainstay, and even when Evans got hurt against the Saints, Godwin stepped up catching 8 out of 11 targets for 114 yards.
For his part, Mayfield is off to a great start, running when he needs to, protecting the ball, and making smart decisions with the time the offensive line is giving him.
Mobile. pic.twitter.com/XyqTsN72p1
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 1, 2023
2. Weak Division
The NFC South is in a state of flux.
The Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have all had massive changes over the years.
We are just years removed from Matt Ryan and Drew Brees being the quarterbacks in this division along with Brady whose stint was much shorter.
Young players and plenty of draft picks are flooding the Panthers and Falcons rosters.
The Saints have struggled since Brees retired, and Derek Carr’s injury and Alvin Kamara’s suspension early in 2023 have hurt them.
Elements of the Bucs Super Bowl Championship team are still in place on the coaching staff, front office, and roster so this early success should not be a complete surprise.
Conclusion
There is a lot of football left to be played.
Plenty can happen; players need to stay healthy, and the Bucs need to work on the running game.
In their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the lack of a running game and the Eagles’ defensive pressure caused major problems.
The Bucs have a Week 5 bye; their next game will be a challenging Week 6 affair as they host the 3-1 Detroit Lions.
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