Tampa Bay Buccaneers try to become first repeat champ since ’04
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to repeat as Super Bowl champs, something the NFL hasn’t seen done since 2004.
The last time we saw an NFL team repeat as champions, Tom Brady was under center. Good news for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Somehow, 17 years later, Brady is once again trying to turn the trick, this time in the warmer climate of Tampa. The Buccaneers started off 7-5 last season before their late bye and then stunned the football world, winning eight straight, capped off by a dominant 31-9 rout of the favored Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
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For general manager Jason Licht, the hope was to bring back as many pieces as he could from the title-winning squad. It wasn’t going to be an easy task considering receiver Chris Godwin, edge rusher Shaq Barrett, linebacker Lavonte David and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh were all free agents.
Incredibly, Licht pulled off the miraculous by signing Suh to a one-year deal, David and Barrett to multi-year pacts and applying the franchise tag to Godwin, earning another year of team control. All told, the Buccaneers kept all 22 starters in house, giving them a real chance to raise another Lombardi Trophy this February at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Of course, the biggest issue for Tampa Bay might be health. Last year, head coach Bruce Arians’ club was very fortunate with injuries, as only defensive tackle Vita Vea missed real time. And, with Vea back for the playoffs, Tampa’s vaunted front was healthy when it mattered most.
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Looking at the Bucs, there are a legion of players who are on the wrong side of 30 years old including Brady, Suh, David, tight end Rob Gronkowski, receiver Antonio Brown and edge rusher Jason Pierre-Paul. While luck could be on Tampa’s side once more, odds say that will be a bigger obstacle come the 2021 season.
On the bright side, the Bucs have geography working for them. Tampa Bay is in a weak NFC South, with the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons slowly building, and the New Orleans Saints hoping Jameis Winston can lead them in the post-Drew Brees era. The Buccaneers should win the division easily, while the NFC West beats up its three contenders in the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.
It won’t be easy for the Bucs to win it all once again, but they have a great opportunity led by a man who knows how to do it.
