Post-Tom Brady Buccaneers in trouble with analytics ranking Tampa Bay near bottom in 2023

With Tom Brady under center, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl in 2020. However, in the era leading up to the championship season, the franchise was stuck near the bottom of the league in most campaigns.

Now, with No. 12 chasing greener pastures, the Florida-based outfit is heading for a return to poor form. At least, that is what ESPN's Pro Football Power Index appears to be stating.

In the ranking, the Buccaneers were labeled the 30th-best league in the 32-team NFL. Only the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans were ranked lower. This ranking also places the team at the bottom of the NFC South race before the first snap of preseason takes place in late July.

The Atlanta Falcons were ranked 26th overall, the Carolina Panthers were ranked 27th, and the New Orleans Saints were ranked 22nd. In other words, ESPN isn't predicting big things for any team in the NFC South division in 2023.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2023 schedule: Which games are winnable for Baker Mayfield?

Mike Evans at Miami Dolphins v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Winning could be a sparse commodity for the franchise in 2023, so fans hoping to watch their team win will need to pick carefully when getting tickets. So, which games could have a happy ending for the franchise this season?

One plus for the franchise is that the weather will be warm all year round. Meaning, those hoping to watch the team live can do so much more comfortably on average than much of the league.

The easiest game for the Buccaneers comes in the Week 2 home game against the Chicago Bears. Chicago has a yearly problem with winning and Justin Fields has only proven to be reliable in looking good while losing.

Tampa Bay may get a brief window of sunshine at .500, but it could all be downhill from there as they hope to figure out a new identity at quarterback.

One last window of forecasted sunshine is most likely to happen in Week 7 when the team faces the Atlanta Falcons. This, however, operates under the assumption that Desmond Ridder, a third-round draft pick in the 2022 NFL draft, doesn't pop. This is quite likely, considering only one first-round quarterback was taken last year.