3 things Bucs need to fix before playing a real football team
By John Buhler
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host a game in the divisional round, but they need to clean up a few things if they want to reach the NFC Championship Game, or get back to the Super Bowl.
Though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had no next to no issues putting the Philadelphia Eagles out of their misery on Super Wild Card Weekend, their NFC Divisional Round opponent will be no joke.
Because Tampa Bay is the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, the Buccaneers will host the highest of the two other teams that advance on Super Wild Card Weekend. Their NFC Divisional Round opponent will either be the No. 3 Dallas Cowboys, the No. 4 Los Angeles Rams or the No. 5 Arizona Cardinals. All three of these teams have what it takes to play in the NFC Championship Game.
If the Buccaneers want to avoid embarrassment vs. a worthy adversary, they must fix these things heading into next weekend’s home playoff game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3 things they must fix before the divisional round game
3. The Buccaneers need to play a full four quarters of high-quality defense
Even though this is very difficult for any team winning in a blowout to accomplish, the Buccaneers have to put forth a concerted effort to play a strong four quarters on defense. Tampa Bay may have held a commanding 31-0 lead heading into the final frame, but they were outscored by a desperate Eagles team 15-0 in the fourth quarter. They cannot do that vs. their next opponent.
While Philadelphia was a bit limited offensively, Dallas, Los Angeles and Arizona are certainly capable of scoring in multiple ways offensively. More importantly, their quarterbacks in Dak Prescott, Matthew Stafford and Kyler Murray can sling the pigskin effectively down big to keep their teams in ballgame. Tampa Bay clearly does not have the defense of the 1985 Chicago Bears.
Ultimately, it is about defensive coordinator Todd Bowles keeping the players on his side of the ball thoroughly engaged. Tampa Bay will not cakewalk back to the NFC Championship Game. The Buccaneers will be challenged more than they were on Sunday afternoon by one of these potential divisional round opponents. If Tampa Bay can finish strong defensively, they will play for the Halas.
Even more so, if Bowles puts forth an amazing game plan, he might become a head coach again.