Lately, all the talk around the National Football League regarding the 2022 season has been focused on the insane amount of player movement, especially in the AFC, and how certain teams that have made major additions will do.
But one team that has remained somewhat under the radar is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winners of the Super Bowl just one calendar year ago.
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Tom Brady, arguably the greatest player of all time, is back for yet another campaign, and so will many other key members of the Bucs.
Many have been talking about the championship hopes of teams such as the Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and the reigning champion Los Angeles Rams.
But no one seems to be talking about the Buccaneers, when in fact they should be.
Tampa Bay Came Close to Repeating As World Champs
Perhaps people have forgotten that the Bucs finished with the best record in the NFL this past season at 13-4.
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In addition, Brady had a banner year at age 44 with 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdowns.
He could’ve easily won the league MVP award instead of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Facing the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, Brady and crew fell behind 27-3 early in the third quarter, only to mount an incredible comeback and tie the contest at 27 with just 42 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
But Tampa Bay couldn’t stop Matthew Stafford‘s team from getting into field goal range and converting the game-winning kick with just a few seconds left.
The Bucs were without Chris Godwin, one of their star wide receivers, who was out with a torn ACL and sprained MCL.
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One could make the argument that had he not gotten hurt, the Bucs would’ve beaten the Rams and moved on to play the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, who they likely would’ve been favored over.
The Bucs Remain (Mostly) Intact
When Brady first announced his “retirement,” it looked like multiple Tampa Bay players would also leave the team.
But shortly after the seven-time champ let it be known that he was returning, Godwin quickly signed a new contract worth $60 million over three years.
#Bucs WR Chris Godwin said Tom Brady texted him and Mike Evans in a group chat 20 minutes before Tom made his return announcement
Imagine sitting at the dinner table while Tom hits you with the "I'm back" text. WYD?
In addition, Tampa Bay still has wideout Mike Evans, who was named to the Pro Bowl in 2021 for his fourth time.
Evans had 1,035 yards and a career-high 14 touchdowns this past season while also performing well in the playoffs.
One key piece who is still reportedly undecided is tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has been with Brady for several years going back to their days on the New England Patriots.
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According to reports, he is not sure if he wants to play another season, but some feel he is also waiting for an attractive contract offer.
With most of the crew intact, perhaps the only other question is when Godwin will be able to return.
Chris Godwin doesn't have a timetable for his return from his ACL injury. “I don’t have one in mind quite yet,'' he said. "This is my first time ever going through this. I’m not really sure what those kind of time lines look like. I’m not really sure…
But perhaps the best news for the Buccaneers is that the Packers don’t have Davante Adams anymore, while the Rams have lost linebacker Von Miller, and they could also be without defensive lineman Aaron Donald and wideout Odell Beckham Jr.
It could all add up to another Vince Lombardi Trophy for Brady and Tampa Bay.
Nothing has gone right for the New England Patriots at the quarterback position ever since superstar Tom Brady decided to leave the franchise in favor of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The storied franchise has found it incredibly tough to find Brady’s successor under center in New England, with Mac Jones having a decent rookie season but regressing every season since then.
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In Week 13, the Patriots made the decision to go with Bailey Zappe as the team’s new starting quarterback, which didn’t really have much of an impact on the end result against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Even though the Patriots defense was able to contain Justin Herbert and company, holding them to only six points, New England’s offense failed to score, resulting in another loss.
Ahead of the showdown with the Chargers at Gillette Stadium, quarterback Malik Cunningham was thought to get involved in the offense in some form, but that didn’t happen, and now it appears he’s back on the practice squad, according to the team’s Twitter account.
QB Malik Cunningham has reverted back to the practice squad.
At this point in time, the Patriots want the season to be over in order to stop the bleeding, as this has been the franchise’s worst season in recent memory, with no hope of turning things around during the 2023 campaign.
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As a result of another disappointing season, New England will likely try to shake things up during the NFL offseason while hopefully making a considerable upgrade to the quarterback position because Jones and Zappe clearly aren’t the answer that Bill Belichick and company are looking for moving forward.
After the Indianapolis Colts chose to surprisingly part ways with four-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard, the news surfaced that he would only give serious consideration to the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in terms of the next team that he’d sign with.
Adding Leonard to arguably one of the best defenses in the league in Dallas was a scary prospect for any opponent of the Cowboys, while adding him to the Eagles’ stacked roster was equally intimidating, especially for teams hoping to make a Super Bowl run in the NFC.
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Ultimately, after visiting with both NFC heavyweights, Leonard chose to sign with the Eagles, which is likely ideal timing after the team failed to contend the San Francisco 49ers offense at home at Lincoln Financial Field last Sunday.
The Eagles definitely need the boost defensively and will likely get it now that Leonard is in Philadelphia, but Skip Bayless of FOX Sports, who is openly a diehard Cowboys fan, argues that the Colts got rid of the veteran linebacker for a reason and have now won four straight games without him.
I'd be worried about Shaq Leonard choosing the Eagles over the Cowboys … if the Colts hadn't deactivated for a Nov. 29 game, then released him because he's struggling to come back from two back surgeries last year. He's going to fix the Eagles D??? Colts have won four straight.
It’s not all that surprising that Bayless would make this take after Leonard chose not to sign with the Cowboys, as he’d likely have the opposite take had the veteran linebacker landed in Dallas.
Regardless of Bayless’ antics and opinion, it will be interesting to see if Leonard can help the Eagles defensively and if that proves to be the difference for this team to advance to the Super Bowl for a second straight season.
The wide receiver position in the NFL is arguably the most talented it has ever been, with some top-tier players at the position all across the league, from young up-and-comers like Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson, to players hitting their prime like Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins, and seasoned veterans still going strong like Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Mike Evans.
In Week 13, the Buccaneers were able to get the best of the lowly division-rival Carolina Panthers in order to win their fifth game of the season and gain some ground on the division-leading Atlanta Falcons.
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Although the win over the Panthers and getting closer to the Falcons was the most important thing for Tampa Bay, one of the team’s legendary players added to his legacy with another historic milestone.
Evans has been one of the most consistent wide receivers in the game, as he’s practically guaranteed to hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark every single season because now he’s done it for a decade straight while wearing a Buccaneers uniform, which earned high praise from Hill, who took to Twitter to call him a generational talent.
It seems that no matter who is passing him the ball, from Tom Brady to Baker Mayfield, Evans is going to get his numbers and keep his reputation going as the most consistent wide receiver in the NFL.
The Buccaneers may not be a force to be reckoned with this season, but that hasn’t stopped Evans from making an impact, as he has caught 61 passes for 1,012 yards and 10 touchdowns.