Finishing the regular season with a 13-4 record, it has been another strong campaign for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With the all-important play-offs to come, the reigning Super Bowl champions will be quietly confident they can go all the way once again this season.
Bucs Take Momentum Into Play-offs
With just one defeat in their last eight games of the regular season, the Bucs will take some real winning momentum into the play-offs. Those backing the Bucs to defend their Super Bowl crown will have taken heart from their form going into the play-offs, with a shock 9-0 defeat to the New Orleans Saints being their only real setback. That extremely rare shutout for star quarterback Tom Brady seems to have been a catalyst for the impressive performances to follow.
Tampa Bay dusted themselves off quickly from the defeat on home soil against the Saints, to win on the road at both the Carolina Panthers and the New York Jets. Many punters in the states where betting on NFL is legal will have seen real positive signs from Tampa Bay bouncing back at the first time of asking. Of course, gambling is not legal in Florida but there are 18 states where online NFL gambling is permitted. Punters then saw the Bucs cap off the regular season with a return to the Raymond James Stadium to earn another convincing 41-17 win over their NFC South rivals Carolina. Three wins on the spin have set Tampa Bay up well for the biggest tests to come in their hopes of retaining the Super Bowl title.
Brady Continues to Defy Age
Once again it has been another impressive season for seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady, who at the age of 44 continues to shine at the highest level. The former New England Patriots quarterback is of course no stranger to the play-offs and his experience will again be a key factor to any success the Bucs might enjoy this season. With 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdown passes during the regular season, it has been another strong campaign for the Californian playmaker.
Brady has had some key weapons in the Bucs’ offense at his disposal, with wide receiver Mike Evans earning 14 touchdowns through the regular season. Chris Godwin was also a go-to man out wide for Brady, as he edged Evans for the most receiving yards with 1,103 in 14 appearances. It was unfortunate to see Godwin suffer a serious knee injury against the Saints, which has ruled him out of the remainder of the season. The Bucs continue to be more of a threat through the air with Brady in the pocket, but runningback Leonard Fournette enjoyed another strong campaign. A total of 812 yards and eight rushing touchdowns saw the 26-year-old make another significant contribution before injury also cut short his season.
While the Bucs have seen some of their offensive stars sidelined, with Brady in their ranks, there is still real hope this team can do something special again this season.
