Tampa Bay Buccaneers: How the Bucs Can Still Make the Playoffs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2011 season is not over yet.  If a few improvements are made, the playoffs are still a plausible possibility for the Bucs.

Coming into 2011, the Bucs thought their impressive divisional record from 2010 would carry over to the season.

They made little improvements through free agency to add a few missing pieces to the puzzle.

The "young Bucs," as they have been dubbed, have the youngest team in the NFL.  With youth comes unpredictability and uncertainty.

It also brings a disregard for expectations and criticism—kind of like the cross town Major League Baseball Tampa Bay Rays.  Those Rays came back from a record setting nine game deficit in September to steal a wild card berth.

If a couple of things change, these young Bucs could be on their way to shocking the nation just as the Rays did a little over a month ago.

Get off to Faster Starts

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a horrid first quarter and usually find themselves playing from behind.  

Through the first eight games of the 2011 season, the Bucs have failed to record a touchdown in the first quarter.

If Raheem Morris can game-plan more effectively prior to Sunday afternoons, instead of adapting and making adjustments in real time, the Bucs may have a chance to turn their season around.

First quarter struggles are usually a direct result of flaws in preparation and coaching.

Score in the Red Zone

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rank 15th among NFL teams in yards massed each game.  This shows they can move the ball effectively.  They also rank 11th in passing yards per game with 245.5 per contest.

Where the Bucs fall short—is in the scoring department.  They average a pedestrian 24th in the NFL with 18.4 points per game.

Their biggest shortcoming, though, is not in overall scoring but in their ability to punch the ball into the end zone after a successful drive.

They rank dead last in the NFL with a 36.36 percent red-zone scoring average.

Passing Game Does a 180

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback Josh Freeman and his wide receivers have looked out of sync all season.  What was supposed to be a position of strength heading into 2011, has now become one of the glaring weaknesses.

The Bucs are looking for answers, can Freeman and standout wide receiver Mike Williams re-connenct in time to save the 2011 season?

Williams has fallen off significantly, recording only 363 yards and one touchdown despite his team high 72 targets.

To put that in perspective, second year standout Preston Parker has recorded 366 yards receiving and two touchdowns with only 39 targets to date.

More Balance on Offense

More balance on the Tampa Bay Buccaneer offense clearly means more LeGarrette Blount.  While injures have undoubtedly altered the game-plan in Tampa Bay this season, the running game should not be abandoned to early.

Last week against the New Orleans Saints, Blount averaged over five yards per carry and recorded 72 yards rushing on only 13 carries.

Blount was playing extremely well in the first quarter until he lost the ball, turning it over to the Saints and setting up their first touchdown on the game.

After that, it seemed Raheem Morris had seen enough of his stud running back.

It's understandable to question your running back after a fumble but abandoning him completely down only one touchdown?

Freeman needs the pounding of Blount to keep defenses honest.

Without balance, Freeman and the Bucs are doomed to fail.

Must Finish Season 6-2

To realistically have a chance to make the playoffs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers must win six out of their next eight games to finish the 2011 season.

The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons have both been up and down so far in 2011 but are both winning consistently.  Atlanta, specifically, is on the rise and Drew Brees can take any game into his hands and win it.

Tampa Bays' remaining schedule highlights the Houston Texans in Week 10, Green Bay Packers in Week 11, Dallas Cowboys in Week 15 and the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17.

In order to make the playoffs, the Bucs need to win at least two of those games.

Sunday of Week 10 is a crucial but not essential win for the young Bucs.