The 2026 National Football League campaign is now with us and franchises across the full breadth of the United States are now seemingly starting to motor through their schedules. The off season, player trading and the training camp did appear to be quite positive, and quite optimistic, on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers front, but here we are just eight quarters into the season and it has all gone badly wrong.
Head coach Todd Bowles holds a 35-35 in the regular season, is 1-3 in the Play Offs and is 36-38 overall as the head honcho of the organisation. Two losing season in four was never great to begin with, and starting 0-2 for the first time since 2014 in Bucs history, it is obvious that we are now struggling. In fact, as anyone who tracks Tampa Bay Buccaneers live scores will be aware, we are 3-10 since Week 8 of 2025 and the run of three straight Play Offs (2022/2024) seems a very long time ago now. Many Bucs fans would not be arguing that the 62 year old is now failing to get his ideas and wants over to the roster, they will be saying that he is now flat out of ideas full stop.
With the team not trending upwards at all, talent is visibly regressing – the offense looks thoroughly lost most of the time, lacks chemistry, communication and a real understanding, and defensively we look even worse. All in all we look like the shell of the side we used to be…and used to be not that long ago in reality. Have the players stopped listening, has Bowles lost his spark? Have the Bucs just hit that point where a change is needed to reinvigorate everyone involved?
Even Tampa Bay legend Ronde Barber has had to admit that ‘the mood is not great’ as he spoke recently on his streaming show for WFLA, commenting that he was struggling to see a ‘sense of a defining characteristic’ in the team as ‘too many mistakes’ are on repeat, and the teams lack any sense of ‘urgency’ in their play.
It has, however, only been two weeks a fortnight in football can be forgotten almost overnight if a run of victories can be put together and the mood in the camp, and around the Raymond James Stadium on a game day, significantly improves and the hope and optimism returns.
The fact that it is the Minnesota Vikings up next who have a winning 2-0 record for the NFC North standings so far, does not help, as the respective form is chalk and cheese right now. But the Bucs cannot afford to fall to a 0-3 in Week 3 if we hope to put a lid on this. That in itself makes it an intriguing pick though. The embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Browns betrays the talent on the roster, and it is the best players that have under performed the most so far.
So did they produce a quicker turnaround? Did Mayfield have a miracle moment and show signs of his prior MVP form?
The Vikings loss was a frustrating 23-16 affair, and those Bucs in attendance would have arguably have seen improvement and some spirit in the play and focus shown by the players. Mayfield even reminded us of the Quarterback he could be – but it was still disjointed and we were largely under pressure, struggled for ideas and to top things off, Mayfield was left visibly in pain having sustained a thumb injury (dislocation) and was replaced on the field late on. That did bring an end to his six sacks on the day.
0-3 and for older Bucs there is a sense of Deja Vu and it is like it is 2014 all over again – and this season was meant to be very, very different. Being tagged as divisional favourites in the build up feels a lot longer ago than just a month.
