“Second-Safest” Bet To Repeat
July 14th, 2025
Will Todd Bowles bring home a fifth consecutive NFC South title for the Buccaneers?
Cynical fans might respond, “Who cares? All that matters is winning postseason games.”
Regardless, Joe knows most fans and media types see the Bucs in fantastic position to do that. Are they the most likely 2024 division winner to repeat? A couple of NFL media guys disagreed strongly on that subject today.
Former Dave Canales buddy and Seahawks running back Robert Turbin and co-host Bill Lekas tackled the Bucs’ chances of repeating today on SiriusXM NFL Radio. Both agree that the Bills are the safest best to repeat as division champs in the woeful AFC East, the AFC division the Bucs face this year.
However, while Turbin thinks the Bucs are the absolute second-safest bet to repeat as division champs, Lekas totally disagreed. That drew high-pitched shrieks of on-air disbelief from Turbin, who loves the Bucs’ stability and talent.
Lekas didn’t back down and mentioned the reality most Bucs fans have blocked out: the NFC South title was up in the air until late in the fourth quarter of the Bucs’ Week 18 game against a miserable Saints team, as the Falcons were entering overtime against the Panthers.
The Bucs were “that close” to finishing tied with the Falcons at 9-8 and losing the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Joe thinks the Bucs are a great bet to repeat as division champs. But if the Falcons have improved this offseason as much as the Bucs have, then expect another uncomfortably tight finish.
July 14th, 2025 at 2:39 pm
Nah, the Bucs are going to roll over the division this year. The Falcons are improving but I think this year we go 5-1 or 6-0 in our division.
July 14th, 2025 at 2:41 pm
They haven’t.
Lost starting C, lost Grady Jarrett, lost Justin Simmons… who did they replace those guys with?
Carolina improved more imo.
Reddick > JTS …. Tykee > Whitehead…. Walker > Britt …. Parrish > Izien … rookie C Barton entering year 2. We all understand.
July 14th, 2025 at 2:42 pm
ESPN analytics is favoring the Bucs in 12 of our games this year and all of our division games.
July 14th, 2025 at 2:44 pm
Agree about the Bills and Bucs being right there. Lekas needs to remember some of the bad calls the Bucs got too. That didn’t help. Plus our injuries.
It will be interesting to see who the Falcons have as their QB, Penix or Cousins. So many questions yet. Started to watch Quarterback season two this weekend. Kirk comes across as such a nice guy and they are really happy to be in Georgia. However, he may not be number one for the Falcons this season. Heck, he may not even be there. It’s all up in the air and I am more nervous about what Penix can do instead of Cousins.
July 14th, 2025 at 3:03 pm
I’m just as worried about Atlanta and Carolina as I am any teams we’ll face.
Atlanta has a lot of talent. Young has his mojo back in Carolina and they’ve added talent too.
July 14th, 2025 at 3:14 pm
Thank you for that Joe. Kenton Smith, wherever you are, this is what I’m talking about.
July 14th, 2025 at 3:16 pm
Anything less than 12-5 is a disappointment, and that ought to be enough to win the NFCS.
July 14th, 2025 at 3:25 pm
So much of the regular season outcome depends on how well your key players hold up & perform. Example: How many Bucs’ fans would predict an 11-6 season if Baker Mayfield was lost for the season in Game 1? How about if we lost Vita Vea for the season? Or Tristan Wirfs?
Last season we lost Antoine Winfield for roughly half the season. And even in the games that he played in, he didn’t look like his old self. Did that have an impact on our regular season record? Personally I think it did, considering that in the season before Winfield ‘saved’ at least 2 wins with his defensive heroics.
Only point being that every season has its ‘unknown aspects’ until AFTER all the games are played. And those ‘unknowns’ can definitely impact each team’s season record.
July 14th, 2025 at 3:42 pm
DR… correct. And Whitehead was also hurt for a few games and didn’t play as expected. Chris Godwin was a huge loss. He’s the perfect guy to help keep our defense off the field.
Who knows what effect having Bryce Hall and Sirvocea Dennis all season would have had on our pass defense. This year it’s addition of Riddick and subtraction of JTS. Who thinks that’s a good swap out? Enough key players get hurt, we barely win the division or maybe not even win it. We stay healthy enough, we run away with it.
July 14th, 2025 at 3:43 pm
And I didn’t even get into our draft pick depth. This is just a better roster no matter how you look at it.
July 14th, 2025 at 4:18 pm
I think we can all agree, F the saints.
July 14th, 2025 at 4:41 pm
Joe:
Cynical fans might (say), “Who cares? All that matters is winning postseason games.”
^^^^^^
WTH!!!! WHO DOESN’T THING WINNING THE NFCS DOESN’T MATTER?
If you are one of these people you should know the following:
1. You are a true Bucs fan ONLY IF: A) You root for the Bucs B) You HATE the Saints. C) You love Mike Alstott. All 3 things must be true.
2. The longest streak of NFCS Titles is 4. It’s shared by the Saints and Bucs.
3. The most NFCS Titles in total is 7. It’s owned by the Saints. The Bucs currently have 6.
If we win the NFCS, the Bucs have longest streak NFCS Title streak and the most NFCS titles. We also have the longest NFC conference title streak and the longest NFC playoff streak. Those are bragging rights will last for a half-decade minimum.
THIS YEAR’S NFCS TITLE MATTERS EMMENSELY!!!
July 14th, 2025 at 5:27 pm
Yes if 9-8 will do it.
July 14th, 2025 at 5:28 pm
It will come down to the Carolina Shrimp 2 games in last 3 weeks.
July 14th, 2025 at 5:54 pm
at least some of the pundits recall that the bucs barely won the south last year.
they had no momentum and it is only shocking to those with pewter colored glasses that they got bounced out of the playoffs and fast. if it wasnt for the lame competition in the south they wouldnt have made it at all.
July 14th, 2025 at 5:59 pm
Can Todd overcome no Tristan Wirfs, stop Michael’s Penix from penetrating the Bucs defense, and have his team “not flat” for the opener?
The Magic 8 Ball says “Signs point to ‘no’.”
July 14th, 2025 at 6:14 pm
Nobody knows but I gotta say…I LIKE THE BUCS CHANCES!!!
July 14th, 2025 at 6:34 pm
1st things 1st, you win the division and go from there. Will the players buy into Bowles mantra of “go for the throat”? If they do I can see single digit losses this year, if the injuries stay away.
July 14th, 2025 at 6:35 pm
By single digit losses I mean less than 5, sorry,LOL
July 14th, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Winning each and every game of the season is what I desire. Knowing that any team can whup us on any given day keeps me grounded as a fan. I have anxiety before each and every game. Doesn’t usually matter who the opponent is. “That’s why they play the games.” resonates with me.
I am really hoping, and to some degree expecting, a great 2025 season.
Go Bucs!!
July 14th, 2025 at 7:44 pm
“Sitting on a park bench
Eying little girls with bad intent
Snot running down his nose
Greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes
Hey, Aqualung”
July 14th, 2025 at 8:03 pm
Hey Joe,
I know you are a fan of Mike Tanier. He had this to say about the 2025 Buccaneers today.
So let’s reintroduce the 2025 Buccaneers, not as a boring
reskin of past versions of the team, but as a collection of future
Hall of Famers, exciting up-and-comers, and scrappy survi-
vors, led by an experienced and innovative head coach and as-
sembled by perhaps the NFL’s most underappreciated general
manager. They probably won’t reach the Super Bowl. But no
team wants to hear their cannon blasts in mid-January.
Mike Tanier
July 14th, 2025 at 8:11 pm
Bowles mantra of “go for the throat”???
I can’t tell if you’re actually serious. If you believe that, that man’s mantra is “go for the throat”, you must have the Very Best set of Rosey Colored glasses ever made!
I’m assuming you’re joking but then again we should All know by now just how that word assume breaks down. ~ “a$$ u me” ~
Besides the Horrifying circumstances of a potential loss of Baker, there is Only One other Obvious reason why we wouldn’t own the Record Breaker NFC South title again this year! And that not so mysterious reason, and or person is Know as a “Notorious Turtle” whom has proven that “go for the throat” CERTAINLY IS NOT his mantra!
“Todd Bowles”
I’m agreeing with DR as to the importance of the three pillars he mentions But…. Baker IS the Actual “Key Stone” at this point and time as to whether we get there or not.
We still have a fair chance if we loose the other two though only a fool would argue that it wouldn’t affect us at a serious level. Though Not Hopeless. However with the loss of Baker…??? Things may become awful BLEAK!
So let’s pray that Bowkes has continued LUCK, and that Baker Stays Healthy!
July 14th, 2025 at 8:31 pm
Judging by the photo, I thought for sure you were gonna say the safest bet was Evans getting his 1000 yds. That safe money baby
July 14th, 2025 at 8:48 pm
Anything less than winning the division AGAIN would be a total failure to be honest.
I expect Carolina and Atlanta to be dangerous but I think we addressed many (most) of our weaknesses and we’ll be better (especially on defense) this year.
As has been mentioned several times recently, consistency just needs to be there. Last year we looked unbeatable at times but looked like poop 💩, on both sides of the ball, in some stretches.
We have some great rookies coming in, solid FA aquisitions, last year’s rookies making year 2 jumps, players coming back from injuries 🤞🏼 etc. If we can stay relatively healthy we should be in great shape.
July 14th, 2025 at 10:04 pm
gotta win the division to make the playoffs.
this crapfest isn’t getting a wildcard
July 14th, 2025 at 10:44 pm
The only throat Todd goes for is his own. One of the biggest choke artists in the NFL.
July 14th, 2025 at 11:43 pm
He’s right about how close it was last year, but he’s not taking it to account. The fact that this is the best buccaneer team since the Super Bowl. I believe they win the division by three games. It won’t be close this year. Carolina and New Orleans are not good and Atlanta has a quarterback that needs to prove himself.