How the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Found the Treasure, Turning Heads in the NFC

Now nearly 10 weeks through the NFL season, it’s amazing to me that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 7-3. With the spirit of confident head coach Raheem Morris, and fast-maturing quarterback Josh Freeman, Tampa has won the games they’ve had to, and might be looking at a wild card playoff spot. All signs for the future of this team point in the right direction, primarily because this team is young. 

Josh Freeman

Out of every quarterback who is not already an established veteran in this league, Josh Freeman has taken the biggest step forward this season (yes, including Mark Sanchez).

To date, Freeman has thrown 14 TDs and five INTs, with a quarterback rating of 92.0. On paper, he’s done a tremendous job thus far, but compared to last year, it’s the absence of his timely turnovers that mean the most to this team.

The youngster had 24 turnovers (18 INTs, six fumbles) last season, compared to only seven this year. Tampa’s offense is not by any means proven or dangerous, which is why Freeman’s ball control has been so significant in their victories.

Freeman has played his best football not only against the NFC, but also in quarters two and four. This shows his ability to close out halves, and put points on the board in critical spots.

As a leader, Josh Freeman has engineered four fourth-quarter comebacks this season alone! He has a knack for these clutch situations, and as his offensive weapons continue to develop, Freeman will win more games without having to feel the pressure.

He has without a doubt put the team on his back this season, with a little help from his trusty wideout, Mike Williams.

Mike Williams

This kid’s put up Pro Bowl numbers as a rookie, without a veteran quarterback throwing him the football.

He was drafted in the fourth round in 2010, but proved to Raheem Morris in training camp that he’s worthy of being the Bucs’ No. 1 wide receiver.

Williams is on pace for around 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns, and even managed to score Sunday despite his minor trouble with the DUI.

Perhaps the most important aspect that Williams has provided to his team is the presence of a weapon for Freeman to throw to. He’s expanded the field for a team whose offense didn’t have much prowess in the public eye at the start of this season, especially after Antonio Bryant’s departure.

Williams as a threat on the outside has also lowered expectations for Kellen Winslow Jr., and allowed Cadillac Williams and fellow rookie LeGarrette Blount to do an ample job on the ground. In fact, Tampa ranks 12th in the league in rushing offense.

Williams is a star in the making if he can keep his head focused on the rising of his franchise, and the opportunities he can develop for himself. At this pace, he’ll not only be hauling in more passes, but a healthy contract as well.

Beating the Lesser Teams with Confidence

In all honesty, Tampa Bay could possibly have the easiest schedule of every NFL team this season.

So far, the teams Tampa’s defeated have a combined record of 17-53, a winning percentage of 24 percent. Sure, some of these games have been close victories, but then again they have not beaten a team with a winning record.

Tampa needs to beat a playoff contender. They have been handled easily by the Falcons, Saints and Steelers. For the rest of the season, the only major teams they have left to play are the Baltimore Ravens, the New Orleans Saints again and Atlanta again.

Raheem Morris needs to rally his team together for these three huge contests, as all of these teams appear headed for the playoffs, and both the Saints and Falcons are division rivals.

More than anything, it’s essential for Tampa Bay to stay confident too. Just a few weeks ago, Morris pronounced them “the best team in the NFC.” Now, I do not concur with that statement, but I think Tampa can keep this run going and make the playoffs as a wild card team. The run game must stay effective and the defensive secondary has to cover the pass better than they have.

Raheem Morris’ Illuminating Attitude and Balanced Team

Morris is only 34 years old! Ronde Barber is actually older than his coach.

As a youngster, and relatively new coach, Morris can relate to his raw roster in a way. He has every one of these players believing in themselves, and Morris’ team puts on a show almost every week.

Morris has also managed to go back to Tampa’s old roots, running the football. Neither of the main backs resembles Warrick Dunn at the moment though. The team ranks 12th in the NFL on the ground, as they do enough damage to open the pocket for mobile Josh Freeman.

LeGarrette Blount’s second chance with Tampa is special. He’s emerged as an explosive back even with the limited workload, and appears to be the predecessor to the injury-prone Cadillac Williams. Blount’s best game was in the win against Arizona, where he scored two touchdowns.

Another area of success for Tampa Bay this season has been the team’s pass defense.

They currently rank sixth in the NFL in that category, but then again were torched by the two prominent quarterbacks they’ve played (Brees, Ryan). On the bright side, Aqib Talib has been great for the secondary, coming up with timely interceptions this season.

Tampa needs a defensive captain to hold down their front-seven, but they’ve defied all expectations. To give the readers an idea, ESPN had Tampa ranked 30th prior to the start of the regular season—they currently stand at 11th in the power rankings.

Raheem Morris and his coaching staff seem to be able to bring the best out in players, the team is far ahead of schedule as far as achievement goes.

I look forward to more triumphant wins from Josh Freeman this season, and I think the Buccaneers will finish over .500 at the least.

The NFC is also weaker this year, so Tampa’s chances of playing football in January are favorable. Scary, huh? I think so!