Bucs Sixth-Best In The NFC?
July 5th, 2025
So two big-name NFL analysts seem in agreement about the state of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Frankly, it makes Joe queasy. Retired Pro Bowl cornerback Ryan Clark and Mina Kimes, prominent ESPN voices, held a detailed power ranking session on NFL Power Hour assigning teams in their proverbial place.
They comfortably had the Bucs at No. 6 in the NFC and No. 12 overall. Clark put them there and got no argument from Kimes.
Joe knows what a “No. 6” means; it means they think Todd Bowles and the Bucs will win the sad NFC South and then lose in Round 1 of the playoffs. Damn, that would plummet Bowles’ postseason Bucs record to 1-4.
At least Kimes and Clark put the sinking, overrated 49ers behind the Bucs.
Kimes said her offseason film review has made her more impressed with the Bucs’ offensive line. Clark responded saying Baker Mayfield’s improvement reflected that reality.
As Joe and Ira Kaufman agreed on the Ira Kaufman Podcast recently, another first-round exit from the playoffs would represent a lost/failed season on the Bowles résumé. Joe thinks the Bucs are better than No. 6 in the NFC.
Ira Kaufman Talks National Media, Numbers-Obsessed Tez Johnson, Training Camp, Player Rankings, Tampa Bay Rays’ Relocation Chatter, Ambushing His Elderly College Professor & More
July 5th, 2025 at 7:43 pm
I’d have us about 3rd or 4th
Detroits going to regress… They’ve peaked
Eagles deserve their spot.
LA Rams and Washington are possible threats.
July 5th, 2025 at 8:02 pm
‘Joe knows what a “No. 6” means; it means they think Todd Bowles and the Bucs will win the sad NFC South and then lose in Round 1 of the playoffs. Damn, that would plummet Bowles’ postseason Bucs record to 1-4.’
Why so negative Nelly? Playoffs are a whole nuther animal. Be honest Joe; when the Bucs made it to the playoffs in 2020, did you expect them to win the Super Bowl? Did ANYBODY expect them to win the Super Bowl? I doubt it. We were a true Wildcard; we didn’t even win the NFC South that year.
If Clark & Kimes are on-board with us winning the NFC South this year, I say ‘Hooray’. There’s so much that can’t be known at this point about the playoffs. Will we get a BYE in Rnd 1? Will we play at home? WHO will we play & how will we match up? Will we be healthy when we enter the playoffs? Will our opponents be hurting? So many questions.
Reality to me is that Clark & Kimes OPINIONS today will mean absolutely nothing after Game 18 this season when we’ve played the Panthers. After that, things related to the playoffs will start coming into focus.
July 5th, 2025 at 8:19 pm
Right now everything is about speculation. The Bucs can be a Super Bowl team…..if they stop shooting themselves in their foot. They are the worst enemy in crucial games, and it has nothing to do with the coaching staff.
Too many turnovers in crunch time
Too many dumb penalties in crunch time
Too many drop passes in crunch time
Too many drop interceptions in crunch time
Too many blown coverages in crunch time
I think we can be a top contender with a few fixes
July 5th, 2025 at 8:24 pm
Nothing like summer prediction.
July 5th, 2025 at 8:27 pm
This relates to Joe’s previous post about not winning prime time games. No one is going to predict the Bucs to be dominant when we lose the home games.
And who cares what Kimes’ writes, she ticketed at least two boxes on ESPN’s DEI application for hiring.
July 5th, 2025 at 8:33 pm
We need to put teams away, we need blowout wins. We win/lose far too many close games. We need that killer instinct…..
July 5th, 2025 at 9:06 pm
They will all have the same takes on ESPN, pretty much. No original thinkers there.
July 5th, 2025 at 9:23 pm
There aren’t 5 rosters better than Tampa’s in then NFC. Make of that what you will. Have to say I’m tired of Packer love. Zero reason they should be considered ahead. Roster isn’t close, that’s all based on coaching. If it isn’t, they’re stupid.
July 5th, 2025 at 9:39 pm
Defense Rules… by time playoffs rolled around in 2020 I fully expected them to be able to win the Super Bowl. Knew it was gonna be tough with the road games and QBs we had to face but home Super Bowl was huge motivation and they won … 7 or 8 (?) straight heading into the playoffs.
Through week 8 or 9, not many of us were prolly thinking SB but the hope did not leave easily with Tom in tow.
6th in NFC is laughable. I’m glad Mina likes our OL, wonder how she feels about the Rams OL in front of 38 year old Stafford? I’ll be shocked if Lions O doesn’t regress losing longtime OC and couple key OL. I’m obviously super biased but just the roster on paper… top 2 NFC, top 4-5 in the league. Our D is gonna surprise this season provided the injury bug steers clear.
July 5th, 2025 at 10:18 pm
Thinking about position this time of year is about tiers, not place. What group are we close to, what teams seem superior, and who’s coming up on the rail?
Detroit and Philly are tops walking into the starting gates. No real argument from an overview standpoint. No outstanding weaknesses, so their questions are about how they perform and maintain.
Green Bay, Los Angeles, Minnesota and Washington are each contenders and so form the next group. Each has notable strengths with serious question marks — the Commanders in run defense, Packers at wide receiver, Rams at linebacker, and Vikings at cornerback. Each has taken steps to improve these areas and so each COULD be top notch by the end of the season. There’s lots of buzz on which one will take the next step, with L. A. and Washington getting the most run. Until proven to, though, each just has a hope and not an expectation.
Next group is the up-and-comers, including Carolina, Chicago, Dallas, and SanFran. Obviously, the Cowboys and Niners are more falling favorites than rising stars but they have to be mentioned somewhere. Of these the Bears get the most hype with some commentators saying they have put a complete team together. Others downplay their chances based largely on strength of schedule. And the Panthers sneak in as a personal choice with improving play and an impressive coaching staff.
So where do the Bucs fit?
Clearly they’re in the second group. The middle of their defense, and their depth in general, are areas of concern. No surprise here. What’s surprising is how the team has addressed the situation: they’ve tried improving their strengths more than shoring up weaknesses. After the 2024 season one would list their needs as 1. Edge; 2. ILB; 3. Safety; 4. Cornerback depth. Instead of meeting those needs head-on they chose to 1. go FA and later round players at Edge; 2. do nothing significant at LB or Safety; 3. take CBs in FA and second day draft picks; and 4. go all-in on further strengthening a strong WR corps. Sure seems like the Bucs brass has a different view of the situation than outsiders or their own fans do.
Whether these moves put the Bucs in the championship game is the question for this season. We can see how the competition has moved and what the team has done. Now there’s the waiting to see how it plays out.
July 5th, 2025 at 10:39 pm
Lou, u don’t know what ur talking about. Inside LB is addressed by a healthy Dennis and 2 FA’s. Edge addressed by best FA edge available. Safety they are betting on what they already have in the room, which I called last year and he’ll be fantastic. The pieces are there. Got to love the masses.
July 5th, 2025 at 11:24 pm
‘another first-round exit from the playoffs would represent a lost/failed season on the Bowles résumé.
Though it is highly likely (if the Bucs even win the South), He probably feels protected by the ‘buddy system’!
July 5th, 2025 at 11:39 pm
Injuries and depth always matter. Washington, LA, Philly…. Where are they if they have injuries? Where are the Bucs?
This is why every year a contender fades – 2024 49ers? – and someone comes out of nowhere – 2024 Washington.
July 5th, 2025 at 11:48 pm
Nothing until we’re something
July 5th, 2025 at 11:49 pm
Nothing!
July 5th, 2025 at 11:56 pm
Only if Todd’s “breakthrough from the lab” translates to his players knowing their assignments and being able to execute, will the Bucs be better than NFC 6th.
And there’s just as good a chance they fall to 6-10 because “we need time to learn the changes” and then “injuries” and then “personnel isn’t good for the scheme” and then the offense fails because they know they need 50 points by the end of the 3rd quarter or they’ll lose.
Show me – it’s past time with this roster.
July 6th, 2025 at 2:28 am
Eagles
Bucs
Commanders
Lions
Rams
Two of them will be in the NFC championship game and I firmly believe the Buccaneers will be one of them
July 6th, 2025 at 3:02 am
I saw that video, my understanding was it was 6 overall not just the NFC.
July 6th, 2025 at 5:23 am
PFSN ranked all 32 offenses for 2025. Detroit is at #1with a score of 96, Baltimore #2 and the Bucs at #3 followed by Josh Allen’s Bill’s at #4. In 2023 we were #22. With the addition of Baker our score is 92 just 0.9 behind the Brady’s 2021 superbowl team. Going to be a very interesting year for the Bucs.
July 6th, 2025 at 6:03 am
I think David has it right, although I’d flip Lions and Rams. The Lions lost the OC coordinator, center and I believe another O-lineman. Goff struggles making decisions on the fly.
Daniels is fun to watch, but he’s not built like Lamar. I don’t think he makes it halfway through the season, too much game film out there now.
We beat Philly the last few years, at least I thought we did even with their rugby football plays.
We have either the best or near best offensive lines in the NFC and we are only going to get better.
Culp is only getting better and will push Otten for the starting job at TE. I’m not sure where we’re weak at on offense other than lacking the killer , over the top, 2-3 score victories. That’s my $.02
July 6th, 2025 at 6:26 am
Kidz, the Lions also lost their D.C..I’m not going to rank the teams, but I will say we’ve beat the packers, lions, and eagles the last time we’ve played them, and we split with washington. We can, and have beaten all the NFC teams listed ahead of us. We have more than a punchers chance of getting to the NFC title game, and superbowl.
July 6th, 2025 at 6:57 am
Bucs can definitely hold their own against Lions or Eagles and the road to the big game will be through one of those two teams more than likely. I would say Bucs are about #3 in the NFC. If Bucs are blessed with a light injury season I expect they will be right there going deep in the playoffs.
July 6th, 2025 at 7:28 am
As usual they follow their peers without bothering to do the homework!
How many now have put our dudes at fifth or sixth Joe?
Seems like at least four.
Go Bucs!
July 6th, 2025 at 7:51 am
Sounds about right with Bowles game planning and occaisional coaching blunders.
July 6th, 2025 at 9:59 am
At worse, Bucs will be top 2 in the nfl this season…because we are going to the Superbowl…probably going to win it too, making us #1.
#TeamOfDestiny
July 6th, 2025 at 10:02 am
Defense Rules Says:
“If Clark & Kimes are on-board with us winning the NFC South this year, I say ‘Hooray’. There’s so much that can’t be known at this point about the playoffs.”
100%. Well said.
July 6th, 2025 at 10:04 am
Honestly though…do we really want the national media to favor us at this point? They always underrate us, and over hte past 5 years, we have proven them wrong in all but one season.