BY IRA KAUFMAN

It’s a question of stolen identity, and the Buccaneers have 11 weeks remaining to solve the case.

Winning NFL teams usually establish an obvious formula for their success. Last year’s Broncos rode a relentless defense led by Von Miller to a Super Bowl championship, overcoming a pedestrian attack.

The Seahawks also featured a dominating defense when they crushed Denver in the 2014 Super Bowl. New England counts on Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady and Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski, backed by the best coach of his generation: Bill Belichick.

The Cowboys have decided on a different blueprint, and it’s working very well this season. Behind the NFL’s most punishing offensive line, Dallas imposes its will every week with rookie Dak Prescott under center. Just ask the battered Packers, who surrendered 157 yards to league rushing leader Ezekiel Elliott.

Opponents were averaging a mere 2.0 yards per carry before America’s team strolled into Lambeau Field and carved out an average of 5.8 yards on 33 rushing attempts.

No Brand

Credit the studs up front, including three former first-round draft picks who appear destined for the Pro Bowl. Left tackle Tyron Smith, center Travis Frederick and right guard Zach Martin are making things easy for Prescott, who is doing his part by avoiding mistakes.

“It’s amazing just to turn around and see the holes they’re making,” Prescott says.

During their five-game winning streak, the Cowboys are averaging 28 points and the Bucs head to Dallas Dec. 18 for a challenging matchup that could define Tampa Bay’s season.

Through a 2-3 start, the Bucs have yet to build a brand. The defense, which has played with more conviction in the past two games, remains a work in progress.

Perhaps a disappointing pass rush will improve when Robert Ayers returns from an ankle injury suffered in Week 2. Four takeaways at Carolina suggest players are becoming more comfortable in Mike Smith’s system, but nobody would call Tampa Bay’s defense elite at this point.

Until Jacquizz Rodgers stepped up under the lights in Charlotte, Tampa Bay’s ground game was bloody awful. There were few holes, and even when there was daylight, Charles Sims couldn’t reach the second level.

Jameis Winston has missed too many open receivers and Vincent Jackson has now gone eight games without reaching the end zone. He has topped the 100-yard mark only once in his past 18 games.

As good as Mike Evans has become, an offense with only one proven receiving threat can’t truly be considered dangerous.

So where does that leave the Bucs?

As usual, it leaves them with more questions than answers coming off a bye week.

Stringing Required

The Falcons are 4-2 and Dan Quinn’s club just turned in an impressive effort at Seattle. If the Bucs don’t catch Atlanta atop the NFC South, there are six wild-card contenders currently ahead of Tampa Bay for two postseason spots.

If the Bucs are serious about ending an eight-year playoff drought, they have to string wins together. They are slight favorites at San Francisco on Sunday, but if they lose to the 49ers, that Monday night victory at Carolina will lose its impact.

Identity counts in the NFL — and right now the Bucs don’t have one. During the glory days, Tampa Bay’s defense advised the offense, “Give us 17 points and we’ll win this game.”

The unbeaten Vikings are using that same winning formula this year.

The Bucs still have plenty of time to figure out what they are. Fans would like to know — and that goes for the Glazers, too.

Who are you? That’s a heck of a question.

That minus-48 point differential through five games suggests this identity crisis is far from resolution.