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Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans finally had their Super Bowl prayers answered at the end of the 2020 season.
That Super Bowl win, though, is now in the rearview mirror and the focus is strictly on 2021. Looking at the roster, this team is more than good enough to make another trip to the grandest stage of them all, but the roster is not quite invincible. Here are five strengths and weaknesses for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers heading into 2021.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers' strengths
#1 - Tom Brady
Who else? Without Tom Brady, this franchise would feel very different right now. Even as he turns 44 years old, the legendary QB has only gotten better. Last season, Brady threw for 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He threw 16 more TDs in 2020 than in 2019. Will he be able to breach the 40-touchdown mark this year?
#2 - Wide receiver
Mike Evans and Chris Godwin make for an amazing duo. Evans has never had a season in which he has not earned at least 1,000 yards. Godwin, meanwhile, has been good for at least 840 yards and seven touchdowns in each of his non-rookie years.
#3 - Playoff experience
One area in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are much improved is how much playoff experience the roster has this year. Going into 2020, few players had playoff steel. As of this writing, nearly the entire roster knows what it's like to compete in the postseason. This experience will come in handy in January and make it easier for the team to repeat a deep run.
#4 - Shaquil Barrett
Shaquil Barrett is approaching Von Miller-like status after another solid season. In 2019, Barrett earned an interception and 19.5 sacks. In 2020, Barrett drew more double teams but still found racked up eight sacks. If Barrett can hover around double-digit sacks again, the pass rush will be in great shape.
#5 - Jason Pierre-Paul
Even at 32 years old, Jason Pierre-Paul is still reaching the quarterback early and often. In 2019, Pierre-Paul earned 8.5 sacks. A year later, he earned 9.5 sacks and two interceptions. It's rare to see players get better after the age of 30. Long may it continue.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers' weaknesses
#1 - An iconic, albeit aging quarterback
Tom Brady is the oldest quarterback in the NFL. If injury were to strike the league's most iconic QB, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would go from Super Bowl contenders to favorites for a top-ten draft pick overnight.
#2 - Super Bowl hangover?
Tom Brady is the most disciplined player on the team and knows when the party is over and the work begins. However, almost everyone else on the team just received their first Super Bowl ring.
Whether they can be disciplined enough to focus on the future remains to be seen. Unlike with the Patriots, even Brady's head coach, Bruce Arians, is in uncharted territory in this respect.
#3 - An aging defensive line
Vita Vea is only 26 years old. However, Jason Pierre-Paul is 32. Ndamukong Suh is 34. Age is clearly a problem on this defensive line. If both Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh drop off this season, the Buccaneers' defense could crumble.
#4 - Devin White
Going into the NFL draft in 2019, there was a lot of hype around the young linebacker. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted him with the fifth overall pick, but he has struggled to deliver since. In 2020, he earned a PFF score of 43.4. He'll need a complete turnaround in his third season to get a new contract.
#5 - Backup quarterback
Yes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up Kyle Trask in the second round. However, ESPN's depth chart currently has him behind Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers elect to lock Trask in a box for 2021 to give Tom Brady space, the other backups on the roster do not inspire confidence.
Blaine Gabbert will likely be the backup quarterback if that is the case. He is 13-35 as a starter and has only completed 56.2 percent of his passes, according to Pro Football Reference. Put simply, without Tom Brady, the Buccaneers are likely to implode.
