It’s been a rough stretch for the Bucks, losing four straight and five of their last six games, but they’ve been here before. The way Tampa Bay’s 2024 season plays out is a near-exact replica of what happened in 2023.
For the second year in a row, the Bucks started 2-0, lost the third game at home, but won the next game and started the first month 3-1.
But that’s when everything started to go downhill for the Bucks. After starting the season 3-1, Tampa Bay is now 1-5 for the second year in a row.
The Bucks are in a similar environment.
Have you ever heard of losing 4 games in a row? That’s exactly what happened with Tampa Bay last season, as the team quickly lost four straight and lost six of its next seven games. This year is a little different, with the Bucks on a four-game losing streak after losing and winning and losing five of their last six games. It’s crazy how everything is pretty much the same shape for the Bucks even though they don’t want to lose 6 of 7 again.
Bucks HC Todd Bowles – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
“There’s no doom and gloom for us,” head coach Todd Bowles said this week. “We lost two tough games, three if you want to count, but it doesn’t make the schedule any easier. This is the NFL. You can’t play against guys with a tight schedule. Everyone’s a first-round pick. We’ve got designated players and athletes and everyone is well-coached, so if we come back from hiatus thinking the schedule is easy, we’re going to lose every last game. You will lose.
“We have to come back and take care and do what we have to do to win regardless of the opponent. And if we want to be one of the good teams, we have to beat good teams, and We knew it was coming. We can understand the feeling, but it’s not hopeless or depressing.”
It feels like the bye week came at the right time for the Bucks. Losing all these close games takes a toll on you mentally, and injuries add up week after week. Tampa Bay will likely be without wide receiver Mike Evans and cornerback Jamel Dean. Tristan Wirfs He sprained his knee in his last game, which kept him out of a few games. Bowles talked about the team’s approach heading into this week.
“[We’re] We’re trying to get everyone healthy and we’re going to recalibrate, so we need some time off,” Bowles said. “Anyway, they’re off after Wednesday. They’ll have four days off. One day of practice won’t help, so after Tuesday they’ll have the rest of the week off.” Good luck. If so, some people will become healthy. Some of the guys that are playing are devastated, but I hope they get healthy and can readjust and take a step back and see what’s going on and all that. . The coaches have done some scouting on their own and we’re going to do some things to better plan and prepare for the stretch run. ”
Could things be better for the Bucks?
The good news is that the 2023 Bucks won four straight and also won five of their last six games after the team fell to 4-7. The 2024 Bucks would like to have similar success, and it’s certainly possible given their schedule. Please take a look Strengths of Tampa Bay’s schedule; This graph was created by Timo Risk of Pro Football Focus.
Bucks TE Cade Otton – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Games against the Giants, Panthers and Raiders begin with byes. It’s certainly a great way to build momentum heading into the homestretch. The only team the Bucks have on their schedule with a winning record is the 6-3 Chargers, which will be stiff competition but not an invincible team.
Chasing the district crown while chasing the Falcons, who currently lead by three games including the tiebreaker, will be a story for another day. But if they end up going 6-1 and find a way to reach 10 wins, the Bucks could maintain a wild-card playoff spot and save Todd Bowles’ job.
“I know we all hate losing. That’s something we talked about in the locker room, you know, don’t get used to this,” tight end Cade Otton said. “We know we can play at a high level. We know we can beat the best teams in the league and we think we can get there too. We have to prove it. We have to find a way to win. There’s an urgency there, but we’re not divisive. We’re not pointing fingers. We just have to go back and do whatever we can to find a way to win.”
Who’s to say Tampa Bay can’t win again after winning six of seven games last year? Maybe this time the team will just do one better and win seven games in a row.
The Bucks have been in this position before, which is why the locker room is not lost. They need to take it one game at a time and start racking up wins after the bye week.
