Buccaneers Predicted To Replicate 'Elite Offense' With 1 Big If
Buccaneers Predicted To Replicate 'Elite Offense' With 1 Big If originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had so much talent around Baker Mayfield last season that even with the injury bug plaguing both sides of the ball, the franchise still won 10 games, won the division, and secured playoff football.
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That was with Chris Godwin missing after Week 7, Mike Evans missing a month, and Mayfield having to rely on Jalen McMillan, Cade Otton, and Sterling Shepard, along with running backs Bucky Irving and Rachaad White.
And it worked well.
Now, we add a healthy Godwin, first-round pick Emeka Egbuka, plus all starting five offensive linemen returning, along with the expected improvement of the other players on the roster, that feels like a great offense to us.
And CBS Sports thinks so too...on one condition.
"Even with another change at OC, the Buccaneers are well-positioned to maintain their standing as an elite offense," CBS Sports wrote. "The club retained Chris Godwin in free agency, still has Mike Evans entrenched as the top option, and has emerging talent across the skill positions. They drafted wideout Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the NFL Draft and saw both tight end Cade Otton and running back Bucky Irving break out in 2024.
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"So long as this group can stay healthy, they have the firepower to go toe to toe with any offense in the NFL, thus giving them a strong lane toward another NFC South title."
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) tries to avoid a tackle by Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium.Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Being healthy is the biggest thing.
Losing Godwin and Evans at the same time hurt the Buccaneers and played a role in a four-game losing streak that threatened to derail the season. But the bye came at the right time (Week 11), Tampa got healthy and rattled off six wins in the last seven games to make the playoffs.
If, and that's a big if, the injury bug can be kept at arm's length in 2025, then what this unit under the guidance of Josh Grizzard could become is rather interesting.
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An elite offense, though? Yeah, there's every chance of that.
Related: Buccaneers Hall of Famer Reveals Honest Take on Baker Mayfield
Related: Buccaneers' Bucky Irving Can Make History in 2025
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
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