The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have come a long way since last offseason, when the question surrounding the team was whether or not Jameis Winston would do enough in 2019 to secure a long-term contract from the Bucs.
Well, we all know how that turned out.
With Winston out and future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady in under center, the new-look Buccaneers have added tight end Rob Gronkowski and several key players from the 2020 NFL draft, including offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs.
For a team that finished 7-9 last year and extended their playoff drought to 12 years, there’s a mountain of expectations for the Bucs now heading into the season.
So, just how many games will they win?
Nate Davis of USA TODAY released his 2020 NFL record projections today, and has the Bucs finishing at 10-6.
Per Davis:
“QB Tom Brady’s arrival has made them the league’s unexpected darlings, ones boasting a franchise-record five games in prime time. Could take time for a new offense – it’s assimilating unretired TE Rob Gronkowski and rookie OT Tristan Wirfs and RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn – to jell. But even in a highly competitive division, the Bucs appear to have ample firepower to end a 12-year playoff drought and make a serious push beyond that.”
By Brady’s standards, 10-6 might be viewed as a disappointment if he was still with the Patriots, but a record like that would be celebrated with the Bucs.
Davis has the Saints winning the NFC South again with a 12-4 record, so Tampa Bay would be a wild card team in this scenario. But Brady knows how to win in the playoffs. All the Bucs have to do is get him there.
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