Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season Preview History
2011 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS PREVIEW:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers surprised everyone last year, going 10-6 and just narrowly missing out on a playoff berth. With a strong core of young talent that led the way last year, there's no telling how high the ceiling on the Bucs is this year, and it would not be surprising to see them playing in the postseason.
The biggest reason for Tampa Bay's success last year was the steady play from quarterback Josh Freeman. He'll be under center once again, and looking to build on an already-solid foundation. Freeman will be joined by second-year receiver Mike Wililams, who had a breakout rookie season, as well as running back LeGarrette Blount, who surprised everyone by running for 1,000 yards last year.
Although the offense received much of attention last year, the defense was just as reliable. The secondary is led by veteran cornerback Ronde Barber, who will be back for his 14th season with the team. As for the front seven, the Bucs are expecting big things out of their first round draft pick, defensive lineman Adrian Clayborn, who was among the most fearsome defenders in the Big 10 last year.
2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Football Preview:
Seven straight losses to open the season doomed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year, and they stumbled to a 3-13 finish. Playing in the same division as the defending Super Bowl champions and the upstart Atlanta Falcons may make it difficult for the Buccaneers to significantly improve upon last season's disappointing results.
The Buc's offense was woefully under-productive in 2009 and ranked toward the bottom in both rushing and passing yards. Their inability to score was due largely to instability and inexperience at quarterback. Josh Freeman is expected to be the starter heading into the season. While he showed promise when starting the second half of last year, he also threw 18 interceptions in just nine games.
Freeman's leading receiver will likely be tight end Kellen Winslow. Tampa Bay also has a talented running back in Cadillac Williams, but he is injury-prone and may not be able to handle the entire load.
The defense did not fare much better than the offense, and surrendered a league high 158.2 yards per game on the ground last season. Changing this woeful stat will be the job of the linebacking corps, including Barrett Ruud, who recorded 142 tackles in 2009. Although the run defense is porous, the Buccaneers have two of the best cornerbacks in the league with Aqib Talib on the left and crafty veteran Ronde Barber on the right.
2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Football Preview:
The 2009 season opens for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a couple of notable figures missing from their sideline, former Head Coach Jon Gruden and long-time Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin. The new sheriff in-town for the Bucs is Head Coach Raheem Morris, who has led the Tampa Bay defense for the past couple of seasons. Morris inherits some talent on offense with wide receivers Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton. The Bucs also brought in talented, yet troubled, tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. If Morris can motivate Winslow and get his quarterbacks playing good football, then the Tampa offense could be unexpectedly good. On defense the Buccaneers should regain their place as one of the top units in the NFC. They have talent across the unit in players like Chris Hovan, Gaines Adams, Barrett Rudd and Aqib Talib. Look for Tampa Bay to field an aggressive defense in 2009 and a solid offense. If those two come together then the Bucs could be heading downstate to Miami for the 2010 Super bowl.
2008 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Football Preview:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have become one of the toughest teams in the NFL. The Tampa Bay Bucs struggled last season and missed the playoffs, and even had some struggles early this season, but they've established that they are in the hunt for a playoff berth, and will be a tough team to get through for anyone with Super Bowl aspirations. A game this year at Raymond James in Tampa is an exciting experience where Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans can watch these perennial underdogs led by quarterback Jeff Garcia fight to bring the team back to the glory they saw just a few years ago.