The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in freefall, and it’s hard to see things turning around any time soon.
Not only is the team sitting at 0-3, but they will also be without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield for a while. Mayfield suffered a thumb injury and is expected to miss at least three weeks.
The latest team to beat the Bucs is the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings came down to Tampa Bay and stifled the Bucs’ offense. It was another ugly performance from the Bucs, and people are starting to lose faith that this team can turn it around.
In fact, the latest power rankings paint a very bleak picture for the Bucs, as the team is in territory that nobody expected them to be in.
Bucs Check in at No. 30 in Latest Power Rankings
Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
The NFL staff at Bleacher Report went ahead and released updated power rankings now that all but one Week 3 game is decided.
The Bucs are all the way down at No. 30, ahead of only the Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins. The team was at 24 last week, but now they’re firmly in the cellar with the league’s worst teams.
“Tampa’s offense has struggled to find any semblance of cohesion under new coordinator Zac Robinson, and its defense hasn’t done enough to deliver victories,” said Kristopher Knox. “Quarterback Baker Mayfield has struggled—likely while trying too hard to carry the offense—and now appears set to miss time with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.”
As Knox mentioned, the Bucs really haven’t been good enough on either side of the ball to win games. When the defense plays well, the offense is non-existent, and when the offense makes plays, the defense gives up points left and right.
“It’s probably safe to say that Todd Bowles’ seat is getting rather warm,” Knox added.
It’s unfortunate for Bowles, but I think Knox is right. The Bucs are 2-8 over their last 10 games, and they haven’t seemed right in almost a year now. Every game the Bucs lose, the more likely it is that a drastic move is made.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to see things getting much better. The Bucs’ next three games are against the Packers, Cowboys, and Steelers, and it seems like they’re going to have to roll with a quarterback who has never started a game in the NFL.
