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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have survived a dramatic offseason, which could well impact how they perform in the 2022-23 NFL season. First, it was the very brief retirement of Tom Brady that threw the team’s plans into disarray. Then came the retirement of Bruce Arians as head coach, with the veteran moving into a front-office position.
Arians has been replaced by Todd Bowles. Formerly Arians’ defensive co-ordinator, Bowles at least maintains continuity. But the logistical changes that come with a new coach will still be present.
The Buccaneers were excellent in 2021, finishing the regular season with a 13-4 record. But they were beaten in the divisional round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams.
Whilst the Buccaneers have a talented roster, some think that the 2021-22 campaign was the beginning of the end for them. This may come as a surprise, as they were Super Bowl champions only a year earlier.
Here are three reasons why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won't make the playoffs in the 2022-23 campaign:
#1 Tom Brady could run out of steam
Tom Brady is 44 years old and can’t keep defying logic and time. His fitness regime is tremendous, but there were signs in 2021 that he had started to decline.
As with Peyton Manning, there is a constant fear that Brady’s arm strength could go at any time, and that would leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a dreadful mess. They haven’t planned for life after Brady, despite the fact that the veteran will run out of steam sooner rather than later.
If that should happen in the early part of the 2022-23 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a real job making it to the playoffs. Their offense is built around Brady and if he were to falter anything could happen.
#2 Their defense is declining
When Peyton Manning lost his arm strength, it was Von Miller and the Broncos defense that carried them to a Super Bowl victory. While the Buccaneers' defense has been strong in the past, they've shown signs of wear in that area of late.
Many veterans who are rumored to be returning are arguably past their best. Ndamukong Suh is one example. He will be 35 years old at the start of the season. Steve McLendon, meanwhile, is 36 years old and Jason Pierre-Paul is 33.
A lot of the defensive responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Vita Vea and Devin White, but they can’t do it alone. A Todd Bowles-coached defense will always be well-drilled, but with him moving into the role of head coach, there is a possibility that the defense will show signs of decline.
The margins in the NFL are small and such a change could knock a couple of key plays out of the Buccaneers’ defense, which in turn could cost them vital wins.
#3 Adjusting to a new coach is challenging
Bruce Arians wasn’t an all-thinking, tactical-wizard. However, Tampa Bay didn’t need that. It was his force of personality that made the difference and he was able to communicate and inspire veteran players. As previously mentioned, his retirement has opened the head coaching doors for Todd Bowles.
Bowles had a really difficult experience in charge of the New York Jets. He wasn’t blessed with a talented roster, but you can only judge someone as a head coach based on their previous results and his were inarguably poor.
Furthermore, his style of coaching is more focused on honing skills on the practice field. He is very much a coordinator first and a man-manager second.
This isn’t a bad thing, as it can often help teams gain an edge. Just look at Bill Belichick’s work in New England.
However, the dramatic shift from life under Arians will be difficult to adjust to. Many of the better players are veterans who don’t need or want to be coached under such close scrutiny. Bowles might find this a problem.
If this adaptation period doesn’t occur quickly then Tampa Bay will have a problem. Early games can be tough and a poor start may well lead to a snowball of defeats that kicks them out of playoff contention.
