PR Roundtable: What’s The Bucs’ Source Of Hope Down The Stretch?

A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Every week, Pewter reporters tackle a different tough question. This week’s question: What is the Bucs’ main source of hope in this final stretch of the season?

Scott Reynolds: Liam Cohen’s creativity and adaptability are a big plus

Bucks OC Liam Cohen – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR

I wrote this before the season started. In a previous SR Fab 5 column, Liam Cohen’s offense was projected to be a big upgrade for the Bucks. And it proved to be a huge improvement over Dave Canales’ offense from a year ago. In fact, Cohen’s offense has helped lead the team this season. Despite head coach Todd Bowles leading the defense, Tampa Bay’s strength lies in Cohen’s side of the ball. Despite playing the last three games without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Bucs are still averaging 27.9 points per game, fifth in the NFL, and 361.5 yards per game, eighth in the league.

It’s a testament to Cohen’s creativity and adaptability as a playcaller. He’s a smart coach who takes responsibility for himself and has put himself in a position to earn a head coaching job in the league sooner rather than later. Depending on how this season plays out, he’ll likely be in Tampa Bay as Bowles’ replacement in 2025. Oh, and Cohen also figured out how to help the Bucs run the ball effectively. This really hasn’t happened since Doug Martin was on the team during the Dirk Koetter era.

The fact that the Bucks have a player who is showing signs of becoming an offensive wizard is encouraging moving forward. Tampa Bay will now face some teams with terrible defenses. Carolina, which the teams play twice, has the worst scoring defense, allowing 31 points per game. Dallas boasts a defense that ranks 31st in scoring, giving up 28.8 points per game. Las Vegas is allowing 27.9 points per game, which ranks 30th in the league. And New Orleans is allowing 24.6 points per game, which ranks 24th in the NFL. Cohen and his offense will need to continue scoring around 27 or more points per game and continue to wear the Superman mantle in Tampa Bay.

Matt Matera: “Bucs’ O-line is the team’s strength”

Bucks C Graham Burton – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR

The injury to star left tackle Tristan Wirfs in Sunday’s game has made things a little murky, but given that it’s not season-ending and Wirfs will only be out for a few weeks, everyone should take a breather. You should drink it. In some ways, it’s miraculous that the Bucks’ offense was able to completely turn their fortunes around this season. After finishing last in rushing yards the past two seasons, Tampa Bay has revamped its ground game, averaging 125.3 yards per game, which ranks 11th in the league.

Much of the credit goes to offensive coordinator Liam Cohen and running backs Rashard White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker, but the offensive line also deserves praise. Wirfs is one of the best players in the league, and right tackle Luke Goedeke continues to rise. Right guard Cody Mauch has taken a big step forward this year, and rookie center Graham Burton, the Bucks’ 2024 first-round pick, appears to have made the right choice in selecting him. Signing starting left guard Ben Bredeson in free agency also worked.

It’s not just about running the ball well. The Bucks are also good in pass protection. They’ve been running Baker Mayfield for most of this season, and the team’s passer rating of 103.6 is fourth-best in the NFL. The group is still finding success as the offensive line has given Mayfield extra time due to injuries to receivers. No matter who’s at the skill positions and who’s out, a good offensive line can keep a team going in any game, and that’s what Tampa Bay is all about. This is also a group that can stay together for a long time. Wirfs signed a long-term extension, but Goedeke, Mauch and Barton are still on rookie deals. Bredeson would be the only one who could be replaced after the season. As such, the Bucks are well prepared for their short- and long-term plans.

Bailey Adams: Bucks’ last 7 games are much more manageable

Bucs DT Kariya Kanshi and OLB Joe Tryon Soyinka with Panthers QB Bryce Young – Photo courtesy of USA Today

The Bucks were the Eagles, Falcons, Saints, Ravens, Falcons, Chiefs, and from Weeks 4 to 10 it was the 49ers. Tampa Bay ended up going 2-5 in that stretch, so they’re a little behind schedule at the moment. 3 wins and 4 losses would have been expected. But either way, it’s always going to be a brutal turn of events – the toughest of the season.

But the source of hope when the schedule is announced, and especially now, is that everything will be much lighter for the Bucks after the bye. Giants (2-8), Panthers (3-7), Raiders (2-7), Chargers (6-3), Cowboys (3-6), Panthers (3-7), Saints (3-7). to play against. That means in their last seven games, they’ve only had one opponent over .500 – the Chargers in Week 15. The remaining six games will be played against four three-win teams and two two-win teams. With some improvements on defense and being healthier on both sides of the ball, the Bucks could once again finish the season on a strong note, perhaps as good as their 6-1 record.

I hear your argument that this Tampa Bay team (especially the defense) isn’t worth trusting even against the worst opponents. But it reintroduces the context that this is a team that could have, and probably should have, beaten the 6-4 Falcons, 9-0 Chiefs, and 5-4 49ers. It’s worth it. The Bucks were in that exact spot and it was frustrating to fall just 4-6, but the effort they put in against a team in the playoffs was replicated when they played all the way to the bottom against a team at the bottom of the league. It could have been done. They will appear again in weeks 17 and 18.

Josh Quaipo: The parts are greater than the sum.

Bucks DT Kariya Kanshi and Vita Vea – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR

This is a talented roster. And there’s talent within the coaching staff as well. If you ask 32 head coaches whether they can win with the talent the Bucs have and their current offensive coordinator, there’s a 50-50 chance that all 32 will sign up right away. This offense is proving to be a hot commodity. Although the league’s overall offense is down a bit, the Bucks are still scoring points. Tampa Bay has only failed to score 20 points once this season, but it bounced back in Week 3 in a 26-7 loss to Denver.

The offensive line is one of the best units in the NFL. When healthy, the playmakers are a great group that can do incredible things when you include the receivers, backs, and tight ends. The Bucs have one of the better quarterbacks in the league in Baker Mayfield, who leads the league with 24 touchdown passes.

And what about defense? Eight of the starting 11 would be good enough to be successful on most teams. It’s difficult to keep such talent under control for long periods of time. And with an incredibly smooth schedule ahead and time to get healthy, hope springs eternal. The locker room knows how to come back from such a record deficit. And with more talent this year than last, no one should count them out…yet.

Adam Slivon: “Mike Evans’ return will be a big boost for the Bucks’ offense”

Bucks WR Mike Evans – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay’s offense certainly could have used Mike Evans in the team’s last three games. Baker Mayfield was able to throw the ball successfully against the Falcons, but his passing yards regressed to 200 and just 116 against the Chiefs and 49ers. Mayfield isn’t exempt from some of the responsibility, but his skeletal wide receiver corps was unable to make a difference and play a significant role Sunday.

Ryan Miller was the team’s leading wideout with one catch for 11 yards. Sterling Shepard, Rakim Jarrett and Trey Palmer were ineligible, and Jalen McMillan did not play. Evans is expected to return after a week from a hamstring injury and will be a big boost to the passing game and the overall success of the offense. The star wideout has scored six touchdowns in seven games this season and could be featured in a more prominent role without Chris Godwin. He still has a chance to reach 1,000 receiving yards this year.

More than that, it gives offensive coordinator Liam Cohen a top playmaker to handle the offense and who he can trust to carry the load when fully healthy. Facing the easiest schedule in the league, the offense should have more of a chance to succeed the rest of the way and return to being a top-five scoring unit. Mike Evans only adds to that optimism and gives hope that the team can turn the season around and stay strong.