3 Takeaways from Buccaneers' Week 1 Win

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended the 2020 season on an eight-game winning streak that culminated in a Super Bowl LV victory at Raymond James Stadium. They were back there Thursday night for the 2021 NFL season opener and found a way to keep that streak going.

The Bucs began the new campaign with an impressive 31-29 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Tampa Bay trailed by one point when it took over with 1 minute, 24 seconds to go. Then, Tom Brady led the Buccaneers down the field and set up Ryan Succop for a game-winning 36-yard field goal with two seconds remaining.

When the Bucs won the championship in Tampa back in February, it was in front of a limited-capacity crowd due to COVID-19 restrictions. On Thursday, there were 65,566 fans in attendance to watch the Buccaneers open the season 1-0 in the first NFL game with a full capacity since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

With Tampa Bay off to a strong start, here are three takeaways from its Week 1 victory.

Brady, Offensive Veterans Show Age Shouldn't Be Concerns

Mark LoMoglio/Associated Press

Brady turned 44 last month, but he doesn't look it. The seven-time Super Bowl champion and three-time NFL MVP continued to defy time at the start of his 22nd NFL season, as he passed for 379 yards and four touchdowns in leading the Buccaneers to victory.

Not only did Brady's numbers look impressive, so did his arm and the way he moved around the field. At some point, the future Hall of Fame quarterback is going to hang it up. However, there's no reason for him to consider that any time soon with the way he's currently playing.

"There was no doubt that we were going to win the game with him," Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians said, per Fred Goodall of the Associated Press. "It's just who's going to make plays."

Brady wasn't the only offensive veteran to have a big night. Antonio Brown (33 years old) led the team in receiving with five catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, while Rob Gronkowski (32) had eight receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns.

Brown and Gronkowski were solid in their first season with the Bucs in 2020, but Thursday night was more reminiscent of the players they were at their peaks. If this is indicative of how they're going to play the rest of the year, Tampa Bay's offense will be more dangerous than initially expected. Because you can sure count on Brady to get them the ball.

The Secondary Will Need to Perform Better in Future

Mark LoMoglio/Associated Press

While there were many positives for the Buccaneers to take away, one of the few concerns was the performance of their secondary. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who was playing in his first game since suffering an ankle injury in Week 5 of the 2020 season, threw for 403 yards and three touchdowns.

Dallas' offense can be tough to defend because of its numerous playmakers, such as wide receivers Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. And Prescott threw the ball a whopping 58 times. Not every team Tampa Bay faces is going to air it out to that extent.

Still, the Bucs allowed Prescott to complete 42 of those attempts. Many times, a quarterback performance like that is more than enough to lead a team to victory, and Tampa Bay won't always be able to withstand those types of showings against it.

To be fair, the Buccaneers' secondary was a bit banged up. Safety Jordan Whitehead didn't play due to a hamstring injury, cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting left in the first quarter with a dislocated elbow and safety Mike Edwards also came out for a bit because of an apparent injury.

It's only one game, and with how strong Tampa Bay's defensive front is, it doesn't have to rely on its secondary to be perfect. It may have just been the case of a strong opponent. But if not, the Bucs will need to find the right combination of defensive backs to prevent these types of performances from becoming a common occurrence.

Tampa Bay Remains Top Super Bowl Contender

Mark LoMoglio/Associated Press

The last time a team repeated as Super Bowl champions was when the New England Patriots won back-to-back titles in the 2003 and 2004 seasons, with Brady leading their offense. Could the Bucs now achieve that feat by winning another championship this season?

It's a realistic possibility. This is a strong team in nearly every facet of the game, and it showed that in the opener. Tampa Bay returned all 22 starters on both offense and defense, while also adding depth and rookies during the offseason.

The Buccaneers offense is already clicking. Their defense will perform better against weaker opponents. They were strong on special teams. And they found a way to pull out a victory in a game in which they were trailing with fewer than two minutes remaining.

Perhaps most importantly, the Bucs aren't satisfied after one win.

"We won, but we know it was far from perfect," Brady said, per Goodall.

Teams can be imperfect in Week 1 and still be a Super Bowl contender, and that's just what the Buccaneers are. Keep an eye on this team again this season, because it could be another special year for Tampa Bay.