2008 NFL Preview: NFC South

The second reason is that they were good at controlling the clock and playing field position.  They ranked 11th in both rushing yards and rushing attempts.  They tied for first in the NFL with interceptions thrown, tossing just eight.  Jeff Garcia had only four interceptions on the season, three of them coming in the Jacksonville game.  That combination resulted in an offense that did not put the Bucs defense in bad position on the field.  Even though the Bucs didn’t force turnovers and sacks, the opposing offense had to go the distance.

That isn’t to say that the Bucs defense doesn’t have talent. Derrick Brooks is still a great linebacker. Gaines Adams had six sacks in his rookie season and should look to approach double-digit sacks in 2008. Ronde Barber is still a very respected cornerback. There are a lot of quality players on that defense.

The problem for the Bucs is that Brooks is 35 and Barber is 33-years old. Those are two of their best players.  he Bucs have done a good job of adding defensive talent. They drafted Aqib Talib to add youth to the secondary and replace Brian Kelly who left for Detroit in free agency.  The Bucs must continue to get younger on defense as the last remaining pieces to their 2002 Super Bowl team are reaching the twilight of their brilliant careers.

Weaknesses: The offense was not very explosive in 2007. The Bucs were 20th in points scored with 20.9. They were 18th in yards, 16th in passing yards, and 11th in rushing yards. If Tampa Bay wants to take the next step, they have to do better on offense.

Jeff Garcia (38) did make the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement. The Bucs do not have a shortage of quarterbacks behind him. Chris Simms, Brian Griese, and even the retired Jake Plummer are all property of Tampa Bay, and with the exception of Plummer, ready to play on a minute’s notice.

Joey Galloway had his third straight 1,000-yard season in Tampa Bay, but turns 37 in November. Earnest Graham filled in well for the injured Cadillac Williams and had 898 rushing yards to go with his 10 rushing touchdowns.  Warrick Dunn should do well in Gruden’s offense as a pass catcher, but he too is 33-years old.

There just isn’t a lot after that. Williams has been injured and disappointing since a strong rookie campaign in 2005.  Ike Hilliard had 722 yards and one touchdown in 2007 as the No. 2 receiver.  Michael Clayton has fewer yards (1029) in his last three seasons than he did in his rookie season of 2004 with 1,193. He has been beyond disappointing.   They just don’t have a lot of weapons after Galloway to throw down the field to. Tight End has been a nonexistent position.  Alex Smith led the way with 385 yards and three touchdowns.

The Bucs tried to upgrade their receiver position with Dexter Jackson in the second round. His biggest contribution will probably come in the return game. The Bucs figure to have to win with strong defense, good running, short passes, and no turnovers in 2008. They just don't have the firepower to challenge the top offenses in the NFL.

Prediction: This is always a tough division to pick. The Falcons won the division in ‘04, the Panthers in ‘05, the Saints in ‘06, and the Buccaneers in ‘07. It seems like any team could win this division year in and year out and the Bucs have the defense to compete.

I like the Bucs defense, but I still don’t understand how they won the division over the Saints in 2007. While Garcia was a nice addition and defense does go a long way to helping a team win games, the Saints passing game was vastly superior and should have been enough to carry them, even with their 0-4 start.  Had Payton not called that gadget play against the Bucs late in the fourth quarter that gave Tampa Bay new life, New Orleans would have tied Tampa Bay for the division lead in Week 13 and Tampa Bay would probably not have been able to rest everyone to close the season. Things could have turned out much different.

This team reminds me of the 2006 Baltimore Ravens. The individual and team statistics do not scream division winner, but at the end of the year they are on top. Coaching was as much the difference in 2007 in the NFC South as anything. Jon Gruden is by far the best coach in that division.

I think Garcia can still lead this offense and they have intriguing backups should he go down. Detroit, Chicago, Oakland, Kansas City, and Denver all offer potential for wins. Dallas, Seattle, Minnesota, Green Bay, and San Diego could all be very tough opponents.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?