SI.com: Bucs A Darkhorse Super Bowl Contender
July 21st, 2025
Galloping to the Super Bowl?
When Joe hears these hollering shows on national TV networks genuflect over the Eagles (they should) and the Lions (maybe they shouldn’t?), Joe just shakes his head.
Ask about the Bucs and these fellows scoff or wave a dismissive hand. The Bucs? That’s where Baker Mayfield plays, right?
Well, since January 2024, the Bucs have played both the Eagles and the Lions twice. The Bucs are 3-1 in those games with the one loss by one score yet these same sophists swear the Bucs are in a tier well below the Eagles and Lions.
Why?
Someone from a major publication sees the Bucs in the same light as Joe.
Reed Wallach, the senior editor of SI Betting, is willing to lay cash on the Bucs as a dark horse candidate to win the Super Bowl. Wallach just thinks the Bucs are undervalued.
The ceiling of Tampa Bay may be questioned, but the team has proven consistent over the last few years, which is why the team has been grouped with the likes of the Vikings and Chargers as potential dark horse threats.
The Bucs have had a problem getting decent play in the postseason. The Bucs have proven they can hang with the big boys of the NFC in the regular seaosn. Now is the time to put that to work in January.
July 21st, 2025 at 10:46 am
I 100% agree. I think we go all the way to the Superbowl…do we win it? We’ll see.
July 21st, 2025 at 10:46 am
We gotta win those Prime Time games, before we can be a prime time team. This is the year to do it.
July 21st, 2025 at 10:47 am
Nothing dark about our ability to contend this year.
July 21st, 2025 at 10:48 am
I wouldn’t dismiss the Lions so quickly. Another NFC team that doesn’t get mentioned would be the Vikings. The Redskins and Cowboys are unpredictable. The BUCS are kinda slump prone. Streaky. That said, I sure am glad we managed to sign Morrison. Haven’t read the article yet. Probably next. Go BUCS.
July 21st, 2025 at 10:59 am
The first time I’ve watched “Get Up” in literally MONTHS, and believe it or not, but Mike Tannenbaum today, had THE BUCS being his dark horse team to watch.
July 21st, 2025 at 10:59 am
Got to get off to a good start, pile up the Ws and win the division. As you’ve been preaching Joe, BEAT ATLANTA!!!
July 21st, 2025 at 11:02 am
Fix the defense and get it in the top 10 and this team is not a dark horse at all. Edge rush and secondary need to improve along with defensive coaching.
July 21st, 2025 at 11:07 am
Great article. Fully agree.
LakelandBuc, agree about the prime time games.
July 21st, 2025 at 11:10 am
We do have a good team but I would take with a grain of salt anything anybody associated with the betting industry puts out , I know it’s hard to believe but there are some in the industry who would, shall we say , enhance their opinions of the chances of some teams just to generate more bets
July 21st, 2025 at 11:11 am
It wasn’t the offenses’ fault we didn’t make it to the Super Bowl last year. That blame lies solely on the head of our DC/HC. We needed edge rushers and he stood pat with what we had and his poor end of game, overtime decisions AND timeout usage is the #1 reason. We had an OC and his offense that was good enough to win 16 out of 17 games and to win the Super Bowl.
July 21st, 2025 at 11:17 am
Reed Wallach … ‘which is why the team has been grouped with the likes of the Vikings and Chargers as potential dark horse threats.’
Seems like a back-handed compliment Joe. Wallach says that we’re ‘undervalued’ in 1 statement, but then that we’re just ‘a dark horse threat’ in another. There’s nothing ‘dark horse’ about this year’s Bucs; we’re a bonafide SB contender. We’re on par with any of the top teams in the NFC, and can beat just about anyone in the AFC. Well, maybe except for the Ravens, who always seem to flame out in the AFC playoffs anyways.
Bucs were 3-3 last season against NFC teams NOT in the NFC South (Commanders, Lions, Eagles, 49ers, Giants & Cowboys) in the regular season and 0-1 in the playoffs (Commanders). Bucs were 3-3 in 2023 against NFC teams NOT in the NFC South (Vikings, Bears, Eagles, Lions, 49ers, Packers) in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs (Eagles, Lions). I’d say that’s a fairly ‘balanced’ 2-year record against those top NFC teams? Just tells me that our Bucs can hang with anyone.
This season we play the Eagles, Seahawks, 49ers, Lions, Rams & Cardinals from the NFC, as well as 6 games against our NFC South counterparts, as well as 5 games against AFC teams (Texans, Jets, Patriots, Bills, Dolphins). IF we can go 4-2 against those NFC teams, 4-2 against NFC South teams, and 3-2 against the AFC teams we’ll end up with 11 wins. That SHOULD give us another NFC South crown and set us up nicely for winning the Super Bowl (with only 4 more wins of course).
July 21st, 2025 at 12:13 pm
Bucs are good enough to win it all. That’s all you can ask for as a fan. Health, timing, luck are all factors in a teams success. Let’s hope those factors work in our favor this season.
July 21st, 2025 at 12:17 pm
Imagine if we had a modern, full time defensive coordinator who understood that covering receivers is a good idea.
July 21st, 2025 at 1:40 pm
Exactly!
July 21st, 2025 at 1:55 pm
LFG!
July 21st, 2025 at 2:35 pm
I would’ve agreed with the good enough to win it all crowd BEFORE I heard Wirfs is going to be out for the first month of the season 2 weeks before training camp opens. Then how many weeks for him to get into live game shape? In no universe does this not effect the team in a big way.
July 21st, 2025 at 2:48 pm
@Defense:
excellent post
July 21st, 2025 at 3:40 pm
That’s what I’m talking about let’s about Superbowl.
July 21st, 2025 at 3:42 pm
Post season is where our depth usually counts the most.
The Bucs first team roster started last season on a tear against the best teams in the league even without Kancey – clearly, their starters were among the best. Those are the guys a team rebuilds with first.
The rest of the season demonstrated that the playing quality of the Bucs depth was inadequate a certain positions. The Bucs have attacked that problem this off season.
I am have doubt about the ILB position, and I am a touch concerned about the OL. And, I am just fatalistic about any starting QB vs their backup. But, the Bucs have really given the love this off season to the other positions where depth seemed to be lacking.
July 21st, 2025 at 3:44 pm
The Bucs look to have the starters and the depth to contend for the conference championship this season, and that hardly puts the Super Bowl out of reach.
July 21st, 2025 at 4:11 pm
I will be happy if we get to the NFC Championship!!
July 21st, 2025 at 5:13 pm
I’m not a regular betting man, that said, this could be the year to lay down a C note. The stars are aligning for the Buc’s!! IMHO.
July 21st, 2025 at 5:15 pm
Defense Rules, we were 4-2 against the NFC outside the NFC South.
July 21st, 2025 at 6:24 pm
A lot of luck goes into winning a Super Bowl. If we can time it right and get healthy and get dominant at the right time I do believe we can make it happen. Pass rush must perform in order for us to win in the playoffs
July 22nd, 2025 at 9:00 am
I heard the whining last week about cade otton.
He’s a bargain that we need.
A couple more and we’ll win it all again