NFL.com: Bucs Heavy Favorite To Win NFC South Landfill
September 3rd, 2026
Always motivated.
It seems the folks left over at NFL.com from the hostile takeover by Disney/BSPN are nearly in lockstep: The Bucs will be your 2026 NFC South landfill champions.
That means the Bucs get a home playoff game, and perhaps that will cement a return in 2027 of KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Some 19 survivors at NFL.com voted to predict the playoff teams this winter. All but two of the voters chose the Bucs as the 2026 NFC South winner. The other two voters sided with the slimy Saints.
The two minority opinions came from Raza Umerani and Nick Shook.
Typing for the majority, Ben McWilliams explained why the Bucs will once again be the Kings of the NFC South landfill.
A healthy and motivated Baker Mayfield, who’s in a contract year, is the best QB in the division. I expect Mayfield to lead Tampa Bay back to the postseason after missing out last season, thanks to a three-way tiebreaker scenario.
The “best quarterback in the division” angle is a smart one, Joe believes. But maybe it is just Joe, but he’s starting to get offended by the constant Baker-Mayfield-has-a-chip-on-his-shoulder-and-will-be-motivated … this is insulting.
By typing this or speaking this, it suggests to Joe that these same folks believe Mayfield was never motivated before to help the Bucs win a Super Bowl. That the only way to get Mayfield motivated was to p!ss him off by low-balling him on a contract offer.
That would make Mayfield a fraud and Joe doesn’t think Mayfield is anything close to a fraud. Sure, Mayfield is motivated for a pay raise. Who among us isn’t?
This constant drumbeat of “Look out NFL, Baker Mayfield has a chip on his shoulder and he’s going to tear up every defense in the league” is borderline cartoonish to Joe.
September 3rd, 2026 at 12:10 am
And how old is this chip? Or is it short qb syndrome? It’s old. Can he just be a wise veteran qb that knows how to protect his body. This chip of his is getting him hurt. This chip is and has cost him millions. It time to let the little angry victim chip grow up and be a sage. Speaking of sage. Does Ira still have a chip too? Sooo ready for some real football……. Go Bucs!
September 3rd, 2026 at 12:24 am
As they should be.
LFG!
September 3rd, 2026 at 12:30 am
So is with putting Kit Kat. On the coach’s description. So is. Calling the NFL S. A landfill? Cartoonish.
September 3rd, 2026 at 1:01 am
Franchise Mayfield and ship him 2 firsts and a second to Cincinnati for Burrow
September 3rd, 2026 at 1:09 am
“Cartoonish”
Just like his writing… sheesh, is that even considered english?
September 3rd, 2026 at 1:32 am
Much better writing than “An Erection for Sacks” that’s for sure.
September 3rd, 2026 at 1:37 am
Bootstrap, nice job keeping it real. I completely agree and have always detested the monikers. Anyone remember “Ozark watching, yam eating Dirk Koetter”?! Yam eating?! We had to cringe through that everyday for months. Yeah I know, what’s the big deal? I get it, but it’s always grated with me. But I always follow up with the fact that it’s by far the best Bucs blog in town. Or out of town for that matter. That said, I do agree with Joe in that it’s a cartoonish Angle.
September 3rd, 2026 at 1:51 am
I don’t see how the Bucs can be favored with a substandard HC and DC, and an OC who was only great against said DC last year. They do have a few promising new defensive players, but do you trust Lovie Bowles to use them correctly? I don’t. Didn’t Bowles recently say that Dennis might start again this year? Further proof there was ZERO self scouting or watching game film, Dennis is as bad at football as Bowles is at “scheming” it up.
September 3rd, 2026 at 2:00 am
@Capebuc: Like most Americans, I only know one language. Unlike many Americans, I can put a sentence together.