The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a playoff push to make. And to do that, they’ll need to play better football on the defensive side of the ball.
The Bucs lost a close game 30-24 in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs last Monday, their second game to go to overtime after not doing so for the entire 2023 season. This dropped the team to 4- 5, making a potential playoff push much more difficult – especially since the team is set to face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10 in what could be a crucial game for their Wild Card chances.
We’ll start with the Tampa Bay offense. The Bucs have been one of the best offensive units in the league, ranking in the top five in five different categories and sixth in yards per game. They’ve consistently put up points even without weapons like Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, and the job done by offensive coordinator Liam Coen has been nothing short of fantastic.
Here’s what Tampa Bay’s offense looks like statistically so far:
|
Buccaneer Offense |
Value, rank |
|---|---|
|
Points per game |
28.8 (No. 5) |
|
Yards per game |
377.8 (No. 5) |
|
Yards per play |
6.0 (No. 6) |
|
Third Down Conversion Percentage |
51.82% (No. 2) |
|
Fourth Downconversion % |
50.00% (No. 21) |
|
Red Zone Score % (TD) |
70.59% (No. 3) |
|
TD per game |
3.4 (No. 3) |
Defense is another story.
Tampa Bay has allowed 27 or more points in its last five games and has gone 1-4 over the same span. They’re bottom five in three defensive stats below and very close to the bottom five in two more of them, giving up an incredible amount of points and yards week after week. The defense simply has to play better – play average, even – to help Tampa Bay in the long run, and right now it’s in a much worse situation.
Here’s how Tampa Bay’s defense compares to the rest of the league:
|
Buccaneer Defense |
Value, rank |
|---|---|
|
Opp points per game |
27.0 (No. 28) |
|
Opp Yards per game |
386.7 (No. 30) |
|
Opp Yards Per Play |
5.8 (No. 27) |
|
Opp Third down conversion % |
43.10% (No. 23) |
|
Opp Fourth downconversion % |
73.68% (No. 29) |
|
Opp Red Zone Score % (TD) |
60.00% (No. 21) |
|
TD Opp per game |
3.1 (No. 27) |
The Bucs and head coach Todd Bowles will simply have to be better. This could start in Week 10, but it definitely needs to start after the bye week.
READ MORE: ESPN Analyst Makes Midseason Playoff Prediction For Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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