Tampa Bay Buccaneers After the Bye: Five Bold Predictions

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 7-5 as they hit their bye week. With many predicting the team would win ten or eleven games in 2020, the team needs a 3-1 finish or better to make those predictions a reality.

Of course, none of those predictions came from inside the locker room or coaches offices, they came mostly from out of here. As do our bold predictions every week. The team may be off, but our takes on the fate of the 2020 Bucs are not. So here are our bold predictions for the final stretch of the season.

Bailey: The Bucs have a decently favorable schedule the rest of the way, with games against the Vikings, Falcons, Lions and Falcons. It’s not all that bold to predict that Tampa Bay wins out, but I’ll go ahead and go the extra step—the Bucs win the rest of their games, each by more than one possession. Just two of their seven wins up to this point have been by eight points or less, and that number will stay at two by year’s end, only with the number of total wins jumping up to 11.

David: Mike Evans is almost 400-yards from reaching his seventh-straight 1,000-yard receiving season in the NFL. Hitting the mark would push Evans past his childhood idol, Randy Moss, who reached six-straight seasons to start his own storied career before falling short in 2004 while playing in just thirteen games. To be exact, Evans needs 96.75 yards in each of the final four games to reach 1,000. The Vikings, Falcons and Lions are all in the bottom ten teams in the NFL in allowing receptions and yards to opposing wide receivers specifically. Evans is finally getting healthier than he’s been all season and the bye week coupled with a chance to play in the post-season for the first time are big time motivators. I predict Evans hits the 1,000-yard mark, and does so before Week 17.

Evan: Tom Brady is on pace for throwing the most interceptions in a single season, which is not ideal, but somewhat expected when you play in this offense. But guess what? I have good news. None of Tampa Bay’s remaining opponents (Minnesota, Atlanta x2, and Detroit) have more than 9 interceptions on the season and none of them rank higher than 17th in the NFL in interceptions. In other words: They aren’t very good at picking off quarterbacks. Brady is going to be ready to set the league on fire after the bye and one of the results will be avoiding interceptions for the rest of the season. The interceptions will stay at 11 in 2020.

James: Mine is a little bold prediction and a little wishful thinking. We've seen the way the offense can operate when Ronald Jones is leading the charge and hopefully the coaching staff took note during the bye week. So, my bold prediction is that RoJo will out-touch Leonard Fournette at a 4-to1 ratio the remainder of the season, therefore allowing Jones to finish in the top four in the NFL in rushing.

Jason: Where’s the like button on these? I think the other guys hit the nail on the head. Many fans are even going as far to say that Brady will go on a tear once they’re in the playoffs and get them to the big dance, but I’m not quite ready to go that bold yet. Instead, I’m taking Bailey’s lead and sticking with the remaining schedule. The Bucs secondary is in dire shape right now and have been getting absolutely shredded as we witnessed the past two weeks. I’m going bold to say that they figure things out after the bye week, and they win outright with the defense not allowing more than 14 ppg for the remainder of the year.

Editor’s Pick by Gil Arcia: I’m going with James here. Why? Because if the Buccaneers offense wants any kind of success down the stretch, thereby would be committed to their running game. And not just their running game, but Jones specifically. That isn’t just bold, it’s smart.