There are no moral victories in the NFL. Yet, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are better than their 6-6 record shows. Currently, Tampa Bay is in second place, five games behind the NFC powerhouse Atlanta Falcons.  Much like the Falcons, the Buccaneers have a young nucleus destined to do great things in years to come.

The Buccaneers season can be summed up with one word, inconsistent. Thanks to a 1-3 September Tampa Bay has clawed the entire season to reach .500. The Buc’s have lost to the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, and the Falcons by one score or less.

Perhaps the brightest star in Tampa Bay has been thousand yard rusher Doug Martin. The rookie out of Boise State has given Tampa Bay stability in the back field for the first time since the days of Warrick Dunn. In addition, Josh Freeman is coming in to his own in his fourth year under center. These two will cause mayhem in the NFC South for years to come. Freeman’s passer rating is above 94.0 and has thrown 21 touchdowns already this season. Freeman has utilized free agent acquisition Vincent Jackson like Tampa Bay management had hoped when they gave him a five year, $55.56 million contract this off season.

Tampa Bay’s defense is their down fall, and must be addressed before the Buccaneers can win the NFC South. However, the effort has been made by the organization from top to bottom to restore dominance in Tampa Bay. Watch out for this team, a new wave of football is being played down south.

Share