Dan Orlovsky: Bucs Are An NFC Championship Contenders
May 31st, 2026
Shows love for his old team.
For former Bucs backup quarterback and current BSPN talking head Dan Orlovsky, the fate of the 2026 Bucs lies up front.
Speaking recently on the “Pat McAfee Show,” seen on the four-letter, former Schiano Man Orlovsky may have shook the NFL world when he declared the Bucs to firmly be in the hunt for a Super Bowl run this fall.
However, there is a catch. Orlovsky believes the Bucs’ fortunes will depend heavily on the Bucs’ talented offensive line to stay on the field and out of the tub.
“I think on paper they’re a championship contender in the NFC,” Orlovsky said. “I really do. I think everything that was attached to [the Bucs] last year was about health for them. I think their roster is one of the best in the NFL.”
Orlovsky said people who doubt his word only need to look at the facts: When the Bucs had a healthy offensive line this decade, they were a strong team. When the Bucs’ offensive line crumbled due to injuries, they were a meh team.
“Their offensive line, I think they started last year nine different offensive line combinations — nine!” Orlovsky began. “The year before, I believe it was like three. In the year before, in 2023, it was two.
“Everything about Tampa for me is their offensive line from an offensive perspective.”
Joe doesn’t think Orlovsky is off base. As Joe has pointed out, as the Week 2 win at Houston came to an end, the Bucs’ offensive line was in shambles. The Bucs were down both starting tackles. Cody Mauch also had blown out a knee.
The only two starters healthy entering Week 3 were both playing out of position out of necessity. Just a total trainwreck.
Orlovsky is convinced injuries Pearl Harbored the Bucs last year, specifically the offensive line.
It’s pretty clear to Joe that Baker Mayfield got the hell beat out of him and he was not the same quarterback after the bye that he was when he had a legit shot at an “Offensive MVP Award” prior to the bye.
When a mobile quarterback plays behind a sieve of a line due to injuries, it’s only a matter of time before that quarterback pays the price.
Orlovsky is convinced that is exactly what happened to the Bucs in 2025.
May 31st, 2026 at 8:02 am
Cool story bro.
I remember drinking my first beer as well…
LOL!
JK
Go Bucs!
May 31st, 2026 at 8:08 am
I agree with Dan O. Stay relatively healthy, make the playoffs and anything can happen.
May 31st, 2026 at 8:22 am
But, but, but we are still stuck with Todd Bowles as DC!!!!
I don’t trust him to have a rebound year… rebound from what?
“You don’t make excuses,” Bowles said. “You got to f—ing care enough where this s— hurts. You’ve got to f—ing care enough where this s— hurts. It’s got to f—ing mean something to you. It’s more than a job. It’s your f—ing livelihood. How well do you know your job? How well can you do your job? You can’t sugarcoat that s—. It is inex-f—king-cusable and there is no f—ing answer for it.”
“At this point, you’ve seen everything in the season,” Bowles said. “The coaches have done everything they can do. This is a player-driven team in the last four or five weeks. You’ve got to execute, and they’ve got to hold each other accountable.”
Well, what exactly has changed? Sure the NFL Draft and Free Agent signings….. but this still is essentially the same team as it was in 2025!!!
Yet according to Dan, the Bucs are Super Bowl Contenders??!!???
May 31st, 2026 at 8:22 am
Ok, I am missing something. How are we calling this defense a championship defense!!!. The season has not started and ok yes like 31 other teams we have a chance at the SB. However, if you look at the CB and LB position their are huge issues. At LB , hopefully a 31 year old and rookie play really well. THat is possible. However, they get hurt whom is behind them?, answer not much. Then remember we are in a passing league. Today who are your starting CB, Morrison who has not developed and is injury prone. To add to that when he was on the field he did not play well and was often beaten by receivers. Then on the other side is McColumn. Last year he was really, really bad. However, somehow this year he has become elite or even average?. Yes their is Parrish, whom we hope will take over for either Morrison and McColumn. However, one of them will play and start, unfortunately exposing at least one corner position. Then who is behind Morrison, McColumn, Parrish?. Well do you see my point. The starting corners are not good and the depth behind then is even worse. I am sorry, but until I see really improved play in the secondary, I don’t see a championship defense. I see one that will give up points at will. Last year we had Dennis , this year Morrison and McColumn. This defense is a couple years out.
May 31st, 2026 at 8:26 am
If Todd drops Bain 30% of the time….NOPE!
7-8 wins unless Todd gets with the program….square peg dont fit round hole
until then, im tampering my expectations!!!!
May 31st, 2026 at 8:27 am
Quality depth on the Oline is very important as we saw last year.
May 31st, 2026 at 8:37 am
28-26 in the three referenced years including playoffs
We are what we thought we were. Mid at best.
That is Todd Bowles ceiling as a HC\DC.
Did this guy turn the tv off during defensive plays the last three seasons?
I’m sure 2026 will be yet another Melba toast result.
May 31st, 2026 at 8:57 am
On paper = if healthy
Because on paper everybody is healthy and all those players are available to be used.
Write down on paper the players that actually played most or all games last season and it’s a pretty short list. And not all players are created equal, the online really has to say healthy. Bakers health, our run game and pretty much the whole offense’s production in general depends on it. I’m happy we have more depth this season, though.
Can’t miss out on too many skill players, either. We have a fairly thin secondary, can’t have a lot of injuries there or we’re melba.
May 31st, 2026 at 8:58 am
The HC said at beginning of season in 2025 after drafting EE that the objective is to score more points than the other team. Up until the bye week they were, with close finishes. Everything collapsed after that. O line ups usually get better with consistency throughout the year but like he said it was a mash unit. WR room took a hit and Bucky as well. Didn’t score enough points, didn’t stop points, and special teams was a disaster. Defense was addressed with draft and FA signees. Danny Smith was brought in to address special teams. Ted Hurst and new OC will be a fun watch.
May 31st, 2026 at 9:01 am
The Oline definitely had a lot to do with the Bucs downfall; however, with that said, the Bucs were terrible at the LB position, couldn’t get any pass rush from the Dline and absolutely sucked at defending the pass. Hopefully this changes with the new free agents and rookies this year.
May 31st, 2026 at 9:04 am
How did OL injuries affect 3rd & 28 or 4th & 14?
How many OL were covering RBs and TEs?
They lost because the Defense had loafers and bored players.
May 31st, 2026 at 9:11 am
Wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if we were prognosticators were discussing our success based on the defense?
Despite the signings and the draft – those days are long gone.
May 31st, 2026 at 9:37 am
A player driven team has to stay healthy ! I agree on one thing .Yes Bowles has all the the tools ,the team is younger faster and obviously healthier. Pretty much the same thing early last season If the stay healthy knick on wood, Then Bowles takes the bull by the horns and rides with them!
May 31st, 2026 at 9:45 am
All aboit health and Baker playing consistently and eliminating turnovers.
They don’t need a “championship” defense to win the NFC, they need a competent one.
May 31st, 2026 at 9:47 am
Last season was a series of dominos. Injuries to the Oline held the offense back and impacted both the passing and rushing. Less long drives by the offense exposed the defense and exhausted them. There was bad coaching too and we clearly lacked quality depth across the board.
May 31st, 2026 at 9:54 am
Stop it.
Calling the Todd Bowles Bucs a contender is media malpractice.
May 31st, 2026 at 9:54 am
Bowles is the coach theres nothing that the wynchmobs azzmunch’s or 328 can do about it.Wining sniveling is not gonna change it.The past is the past Im very much looking forward to this team, early on will paint the picture.But im not that guy who makes a game bring me down,and dwell on the past. I live for each Sunday and ill roll with the punches…Go Bucs!
May 31st, 2026 at 10:00 am
A healthy OL = a great run game + a great pass game! That’s a given! (27-30 ppg ave). Now the D needs to step up and play way better than the past several seasons. We’ll find out come September!
May 31st, 2026 at 10:11 am
Couldn’t agree more as Dan is one of the few guys from the major networks that knows what he’s talking about. Top 3 O lines in the NFL. And this year I think we will finally get to see a D line to compliment them on the other side. This team does have some serious potential if they stay healthy. But for the BUCS that’s a more than big IF unfortunately
May 31st, 2026 at 10:17 am
Injuries went well beyond the offensive line last year. Key guys like Evans, Bucky, Cancey, McMillan, and Baker all missed significant time and / or were banged up and hiding it.
A healthy Bucs team has a very different ceiling no matter what you think about Bowles.
May 31st, 2026 at 10:18 am
I’m excited with all the changes in the coaching staff, healthy starting O line guys back, Young blood from the draft with the FA additions. If any of you think this team will perform last year, you don’t watch football year to year. We were the cats meow last year until multiple important player injuries caught up to the team. Bowles is in a make or break season, Baker might be playing for a new contract(could change this summer) and everyone in that building knows if they mess this up Bowles and other heads to roll and Baker doesn’t get a new contract. For all of you whining about the loss of ME13 and Lavonte, they checked out last year.
May 31st, 2026 at 10:22 am
HEALTHY. , Thats the key imo, as it is with every team . After the post bye collapse last year I was all about FIRE BOWLES but since it didn’t happen & seeing the new coaches they hired plus the fact the Bucs did up grade their talent this past off-season I’m beginning to come around. As I said several times I do wish they had hired a DC but CTB isn’t about to replace himself , (we will see.) THe team should be solid in a division that got better but didn’t leave them behind. The big question is health for sure. If The O-line if healthy it is one of the best in the league & they definitely improved the depth . Our WR room isn’t going to fall apart without ME13, in fact it’s a move that may be a good one, now the young up & coming talent has more chances, plus Baker doesn’t have to make mandatory targets so our star WR gets his. He can just go with the hot receiver. Plus our RBs are more talented & hopefully healthy. The Defense has got to improve 100% , that falls on you know who being able to be a HC & a DC both. If he really can’t do it this season will tell the tell. Its definitely PUT UP OR SHUT UP TIME FOR BOWLES!!!! GO BUCCANEERS!!!!
May 31st, 2026 at 10:26 am
Last year the Bucs had nine different starting OL combinations. We all saw where that went.
But the Patriots had ten different starting OL combinations, and they went to the Super Bowl. Conversely, the Seahawks remained relatively OL healthy.
The NFL is not built upon complaining about injuries as all teams have them—it’s about overcoming injuries by signing capable backups and employing the coaching to get the most out of them.
Mike Vrabel coached his team to the big game while making lascivious hot tub bubbles with a reporter.
Todd Bowles kept it clean and failed miserably with a 2-7 finish.
And let us not forget, Orlovsky picked the Bucs or Eagles to represent the NFC in the SB last year.
I’ll agree that the Bucs do have some talent, but it ain’t being manipulated fully due to the extremely overt shortcomings being displayed on game day from their head coach.
May 31st, 2026 at 10:26 am
I’ll believe it when I see it.
May 31st, 2026 at 10:33 am
There are so many factors that train wreaked last season.
* O-line injuries were huge.
* Hey Rod, did you know that Feeney played in 12 games last year, with 10 starts? And Feeney played in 84 percent of O-snaps? 84%!!! Yeah, but its all Baker’s fault.
* Speaking of Baker, he was a little banged up too
* The injuries to the WR room, like Evans, et al
* Kancey of course made his usual contribution
* ILB group was freaking dreadful, I mean comical
* Grizz, the OC was more clueless than Lefty
* Did we mention STs? All one can say is freaking WOW. Like the 3 stooges.
* The D front 7, was just pathetic. Reddick should get special mention here as an azz clown
* I cannot ignore some of the decisions by our HC. But hopefully he is smarter now
Thats enough. That was last year. Lynch, 3.28, et al, stop your negativity.
This year we are currently undefeated.
What’s to like?
* I do very much like, and I am hopeful be the new additions to the D front 7.
* I agree to the concern of the ILB group, but they are hugely improved
* No way we have the injuries to the O-line like last year. That was record setting.
* It all starts and ends with the O-line
* Baker is in a contract year. Don’t run so much Bake.
* Very high hopes for our WR group
* I was not highly impressed with the ATL offense, BUT Zac has to be light years ahead of Grizz.
* Walker is currently healthy {sarcasm}
ONE obvious concern. We need another quality CB. Even Todd said so when he said we might get 2 (but we only got one). So don’t BS us later Todd and say we are confident in the guys we have. BUT, I do expect our DB group to be better bc of the improvement to the front 7.
May 31st, 2026 at 10:45 am
Every year- -same old stuff. We got Bain (I was ecstatic) and Hurst and so forth. But, every team has improved because of the draft. That’s what people forget.
OL plays injury free- -not likely
DL finally gets a pass rush- -maybe
RBs get better- -maybe
WRs get better- -maybe
DBs improve- -maybe not
HC improves- -will NOT happen
This team is likely to win 8 games, loose 6 with 3 toss ups. And that is with domination in NFC South.
May 31st, 2026 at 11:10 am
“an” and “contenders” plural just don’t go together (or if they do, they go together like lamb and tuna fish)
Gotta drop the s in contenders or the “an” here!