The Buccaneers were projected to encounter some heavy regression in this season. Between replacing arguably the greatest quarterback of all time Tom Brady with the struggling Baker Mayfield and having one of the oldest rosters in the NFL, the preseason outlook for this team was not the brightest. However, the Bucs have defied these expectations thus far and have managed to plant themselves firmly in the playoff race with a record of 3-1 through the first four games.

   At a glance, the Bucs sit precariously at the top of the NFC South, with both the Falcons and the Saints in hot pursuit behind them. However, any die-hard fans who have watched the Bucs play this year can tell that they are a far better put together football team than their division rivals. Baker Mayfield is enjoying his best season as a professional through the first four games, throwing for over 200 yards a game while maintaining the highest QB rating of his career (101.5).

   The biggest difference in Mayfield’s playing this season has come from his newfound ability to take care of the football. The Bucs play design has allowed Mayfield to take less risks and play smart, methodical football by throwing the ball quickly to his all-star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. This scheming has led to Mayfield’s highest career completion percentage (nearly 70 percent) and to him throwing only two interceptions. 

    While this conservative gameplan has led to the Bucs being just 20th in the league in points per game, it has allowed the defense to take over games. The Bucs defense remained a fearsome unit, as they are allowing an average of only 17 points per game at this point in the season. While there were numerous questions about how well this unit would perform due to their age, they have so far shown the doubters that they are still a force to be reckoned with. The defense has already forced six interceptions in only four games, along with 12 sacks. These big plays from the defense have propelled the Bucs to maintaining the status of a top 10 defense in the NFL so far.

   While the Bucs are off to a hot start, their schedule from this point on gets a lot more treacherous. Games against the Lions, Bills, 49ers, and Jaguars loom large as tricky tests for this team. All four of those teams entered the season as favorites to make the Super Bowl this year and have done little to disprove that theory throughout the first quarter of the season. 

   The key to the Bucs making a postseason run is going to be beating their division rivals. While the Bucs took care of business against the Saints earlier in the year, they remain a tricky team to navigate around, as they figure to be in the playoff picture towards the end of the year. The same goes for the Atlanta Falcons, who the Bucs play in weeks 7 and 14. With that being said, if the Bucs can consistently play at the level they have been performing at thus far, they should have little trouble making it back to the postseason.