Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2023-24 NFL Season Recap

Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Season Recap

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the 2023-24 NFL betting season with extremely low expectations. How could they not with “The GOAT” hanging up his cleats and the offense putting all its eggs in the Baker Mayfield basket. Even with that the case, Todd Bowles’ squad dramatically overachieved in winning nine games to smash what proved to be a laughable 6.5-game season win total. On top of that, it went on to take home NFC South bragging rights for the third straight season and did so as +500 underdogs at the season’s outset with the online sportsbook expecting the Bucs to place no higher than fourth place. While the division as a whole failed to impress, Tampa Bay proved to be the best of the underachieving quadrant.

The success of the team began and ended with the revitalized campaign put forth by none other than Baker Mayfield. Crazy how much better things get when you remove yourself from the spotlight and get back to doing what you love most. Honestly, I can’t say I missed any of those stupid Progressive commercials! All kidding aside, No. 6 got back to being a PTPer in throwing for a career-high 4,044 yards and 28:10 TD/INT ratio resulting in a 94.6 QB rating which ranks out as the second-best output of his six-year NFL career. He started all 17 games and completed a career-best 64.3 percent of his passes. If not for Damar Hamlin getting the sympathy vote, Mayfield would be the runaway favorite to take home the Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Who would’ve ever thought Mayfield would prove to be the elixir that turned Mike Evans back into the menacing WR1 that he’d been for so many years. Representing the QB1’s main target, Evans beasted his way to yet another 1,000+ receiving yard campaign making it ten straight for the veteran. When the season wrapped, No. 13 went for 1,255 yards and career-best 13 TD receptions while averaging an impressive 15.9 yards per reception. Bringing it all together was the bustout showing from RB Rachaad White who ran with the opportunity of becoming the offense’s RB1 by turning his 272 overall carries into 990 rushing yards and 6 TD all the while adding another 549 yards and 3 TD through the air making him one of the more lethal dual-threat running backs in the league ranking amongst the top-10 in all-purpose yardage. The fun didn’t stop there for the offense however with second-year TE Cade Otton coming on late in the year; most importantly in the playoffs where he reeled in 13-of-19 targets turning them into 154 yards and a touchdown.

All in all, Tampa’s offense finished the season ranked No. 23 overall in averaging 313 yards per game with the pass attack No. 17. It only scored 20.5 points per game (No. 20) mostly due to ineffectiveness in the red zone where it ranked No. 27 overall scoring touchdowns just over 48.0 percent of the time. Poor offensive line play proved to be the root cause with it opening holes for a league-worst 3.6 yards per carry while conceding a 6.93 sack percentage (No. 19). Improving the offensive line will undoubtedly be something GM Jason Licht and the front office will attempt to rectify in the offseason.

As has been the case for so many years, it was the defense that buttered the team’s bread. Regardless of the pass defense clocking in as one of the worst the league had to offer (No. 29) due to injury, old age, and ineffectiveness, Tampa still trotted the league’s No. 7 ranked scoring defense onto the gridiron that allowed 19.1 PPG by way of shutting down the run (No. 5), coming up with 26 takeaways (No. 9), and locking things down in the red zone at a 45.0 percent rate (No. 3). It amounted to ranking out No. 14 in defensive DVOA with the inability to sack opposing quarterbacks (No. 17) playing a role in the middling ranking.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2024 Offseason

With $48M in cap space to work with next season and the free agent list including the names of Mike Evans, Lavonte David, Antoine Winfield Jr., Devin White, and Baker Mayfield, the Bucs will have some tough choices and maneuvering to make throughout the offseason. Line help on both sides of the ball as well as bolstering the secondary will be high on the priority list with deficiencies in all of those areas preventing the team’s unforeseen campaign from extending even more.  Owners of the No. 26 pick in the first round, the Bucs will have six overall picks to bolster the roster in 2024 NFL Draft betting. The offseason moves made will ultimately hinge on what they do with their own free agents, but you can bet your bottom dollar names like Jaylon Johnson, L’Jarius Sneed, Patrick Queen, Bobby Wagner, Michael Pittman Jr., and Tee Higgins will be bantered about in free agency.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule & Results

Founded in 1976 as an expansion team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost the first 26 games of their existence. It was a portent of things to come for most of their history.

It is true that the Buccaneers have two Super Bowl championships. But it is also a fact that most of the Bucs' history has been one of losing and ineptitude. From 1976 through 1996, the Bucs made the NFL Playoffs only three times.

Finally, in 1997, the Bucs began a sustained period of success. Head coach Tony Dungy led Tampa Bay to the postseason in four of his final five seasons. But Dungy could not get the Bucs to the Super Bowl. Fairly or not, Dungy was fired and replaced by Jon Gruden in 2002.

Gruden led the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl championship in his first season on the job. Many Dungy supporters bitterly said that Gruden won with Dungy’s team. Subsequently, Dungy moved on to the Indianapolis Colts and won a Super Bowl in 2006.

Certainly, Gruden had his share of fans with his “Chucky” demeanor and cocky attitude. But Gruden’s Bucs did not gain the playoffs in the two years after winning the Super Bowl. Gruden produced just two playoff teams in his final six seasons before getting fired.

From 2008 through 2019, the Bucs failed to make the playoffs. All of that changed when Tom Brady arrived for the 2020 campaign. In his first season away from Bill Belichick and the Patriots, Brady led the Bucs to the Super Bowl championship in a dominant upset of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Past Seasons (2000)

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