ESPN: Super Bowl Bucs!
November 9th, 2025
OK Bucs fans, better start making reservations in Silicon Valley for February. The Bucs are headed to the land of billionaire nerds and just plain nerds.
The Super Bowl will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. And the Bucs will be the NFC representative. Who says?
Dan Graziano of ESPN, that’s who. Typing for his employer’s website, the NFL insider for the four-letter had the following take for his company’s website last week:
The Bucs are going to the Super Bowl!
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will reach the Super Bowl
This is the quietest 6-2 team ever. The Bucs have been riddled with injuries on a level not far removed from the 49ers, yet they fly under the radar. Quarterback Baker Mayfield was playing like a leading MVP candidate as recently as three weeks ago, despite not having a healthy offensive line and receiver corps all season. He has been without starting running back Bucky Irving for a month (foot sprain, shoulder subluxation), too. The Bucs are fifth in defensive efficiency and fifth in defensive EPA, and they’re in the top half of the league in the offensive versions of those categories.
This team should have no trouble winning a fifth straight NFC South title. And after the Bucs get healthier, they’ll be as formidable as anyone.
Joe thinks if the Bucs’ defense can keep up their solid play that they have produced the past three games, the Bucs certainly could make a postseason run.
However! The Bucs offense must get out of its current funk. If the Bucs’ defense did play lights out at New Orleans two weeks ago, Joe doesn’t know if they win that game.
The Bucs’ third down offense has been awful since Chris Godwin reaggravated his fibula at Seattle.
If this team was healthy, Joe would think that Graziano is onto something. But if the Bucs are going to be playing in NoCal in February, a lot of questions must be answered.
Will Chris Godwin return?
Will Bucky Irving return to his rookie form?
Can Mike Evans return healthy before the end of the regular season?
Can Calijah Kancey return before the end of the regular season.
Joe thinks Evans, Godwin and Kancey getting back in December is key. Get in game shape and get a game or two under their belts for the playoffs.
Yeah, the Bucs could make a Super Bowl run. But a lot of things have to go right for them.
November 9th, 2025 at 12:36 am
Is there a chance Kancey will be back this year? I thought he was done. That would be huge if he was back, even if just for the playoffs.
November 9th, 2025 at 1:36 am
will Luke survive his first start? will godwin last a quarter? will mike announce this is his last year? i hope we’re prepared for neither being available down the stretch.
November 9th, 2025 at 1:51 am
IF we can get healthy and stay healthy we are a very very tough out. We have a good team with a young talented foundation. Rejoice, fellow Bucs fans, we are in our golden era.
November 9th, 2025 at 2:17 am
Luke better be ready. I think he is and they made sure to play it safe. Season suicide without it, the brass saw it. Got the bye, got him back and figure let’s get 1 or 2 wins vs the AFCE then bring other guys back for NFCW showdown 3.
November 9th, 2025 at 2:31 am
We’ve heard nothing about Kancey’s recovery process or timeline so that one is 100% up in the air.
The rest will all be back. Bucky in a couple weeks – Godwin beginning of December or sooner – Evans end of December or sooner – McMillan? we’ll see…
This 2025 Buccaneers team has always had the talent to get to a Super Bowl this year. Getting (and keeping) that talent on the field has been a HUGE problem to this point though – and yet somehow the record sits at 6-2 – soon to be 7-2 we hope!
November 9th, 2025 at 2:53 am
Bucs injury report is fly paper. Once they go on it, they stay. Seems like every other team, guys get injured and come back 2-4 weeks later. Not here! Nope…Chris Godwin has been out for 6 weeks now with a “hurt fibula”??? Bucky Irving has been out like 5 weeks with an ankle and shoulder injuryy. Hell, Emmit smith seperated his shoulder, finished the game running for 100 more yards (December 1993 against Giants for Division win and a BYE)…and 2 weeks later is playing in the playoff game.
McMillan and his neck. He was supposed to be back week 10. Well I can read the writing on the wall…he ain’t coming back this year. Frankly, I doubt Godwin will.
It’s almost like the trainers have Munchausen by proxy