Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buccaneers: How Strong Can They Finish the Season?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Nov 13, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter looks on from the sidelines against the Chicago Bears in the second half at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers won 36-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Playing their best football of the season, how good can the Buccaneers be?

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Buccaneers fans, I think we are starting to finally see the program that Koetter and Licht envisioned for their team.

After falling to 3-5 and putting their season nearly on the brink, the Bucs have stormed back right into the playoff race. A win over the Bears and a stunner over the Chiefs has brought them to 5-5, one game behind the Falcons in the NFC South. 5-5 is also directly in the thick of the Wild Card hunt.

The Bucs have gotten healthy and have played the best football of the season. We are heading into the stretch run, the month of December. Solid football in the month of December often leads to football in January.

The remainder of the Bucs schedule yields only two winning teams. Can a strong finish bring them the same fate? How strong can they finish?

The topic of the final six games is this week’s roundtable discussion. What is realistic to expect from our Bucs to finish the year? Here is what we came up with.

Nov 20, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) hands the ball off to running back Doug Martin (22) against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Rohman-USA TODAY Sports

Make Some Noise?

There’s no doubt that Sunday’s win over Kansas City was a big one for Tampa Bay. But, at 5-5, there’s still work to be done for playoffs to be in the team’s future. The rest of the schedule is rough, but if the Bucs continue to play like they have in the last two weeks, they’ll have a chance to make some noise.

So, what’s a reasonable record to expect the rest of the way for Dirk Koetter’s team? Looking at the schedule, I’d probably go with 4-2. That’s asking a lot, but 4-2 is definitely reasonable if the defense keeps playing the way it has in recent weeks. The offense will start clicking with a healthier Doug Martin, but it will be the defense that has to continue to step up.

Wins against Seattle and Dallas may be a little too much to ask, but it’s not unreasonable to expect the Bucs to pull off wins against the Chargers, Saints (twice) and Panthers. Those three teams are beatable if the Bucs play the way they have lately. If Tampa Bay plays its best football the rest of the way, a 9-7 record could be the result.

–Bailey Adams

Nov 13, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter against the Chicago Bears at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers won 36-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Haunted by Missed Opportunities

With the Bucs sitting at 5-5 and facing a relatively tough stretch of opponents coming up in their final six games, a playoff run seems tough to imagine. The Bucs have improved a lot since earlier in the season but a couple of missed opportunities will haunt them during this stretch. The Bucs best case is probably a 4-2 record to finish the season, ending up at 9-7, which may or may not be enough for a wild-card.Realistically however, the Bucs will probably end up with seven to eight wins. Both Seattle and Dallas will be extremely tough games to win, along with San Diego, both games against the Saints, and the final game against Carolina. Their records may not reflect it, but these will all be close, hard-fought games for the Bucs.If the Bucs can split with New Orleans, beat San Diego, and beat one of Seattle, Dallas or Carolina, they can reach eight wins which would be a relatively successful season and a solid spring-board into next season.–Michael Horan Next: Confidence and Swagger

Nov 20, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) looks to pass during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Confidence and Swagger

Realistically with the remaining schedule for the Bucs, I can see them ending with a 9-7 record. The reason I believe this is due to the confidence and swagger this team currently has. At this current moment there is a feeling that the Bucs as a franchise are beginning to turn the corner. Whether it be due to the returning of some key players, Winston with a late season surge, or just overall brilliance from Koetter, the Bucs are finally on the right track.

Sitting at 5-5 they only have two teams with an above .500 record left to play. Personally the only two losses right now that I can foresee would be the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys. Both of these two teams are at the top of the NFL and both are contenders for a Super Bowl run. As for the Saints, Panthers, and Chargers, the Bucs have a good chance.

To sweep divisional opponents can be extremely difficult but it is not out of question. If the defense continues to hold as well as it has the past two games things could go very well. As for the Chargers… they like the Bucs always seem to find a way to lose, but I’m giving the advantage to the Bucs due to their road warrior status. The Bucs travel great. Let us hope the Bucs can continue to squeeze everything they can out of this roster. A playoff run could help this franchise immensely.

–Zach Sauers

Nov 20, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) rushes against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Philadelphia, 26-15. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Two Top Opponents

The Bucs are back at .500 ten games into the season. With six games remaining the Bucs play four teams under .500. The other two are against Seattle and Dallas. Tampa is going to be challenged this week when the Seahawks come to town. The Bucs get a break this with Seattle missing Earl Thomas but their offense is clicking at the right time and I can’t see the Bucs pull off two upsets in a row against top ranked teams.

Next they fly across country to take on the Chargers who could be 0-10 or 10-0 if the ball bounced the other way this season. The Bucs should win this game because the Chargers may have actually have a worse home field advantage than the Bucs do. After that they play the Saints twice in three weeks. The Bucs should split against the division rival. In between the Saints they play the hottest team in the NFL in the Dallas Cowboys, which will be tough as we know.

In the final week of the season the Bucs go against division rival Carolina in a game that could have serious implications on the division depending on the Falcons and Panthers remaining games. The Bucs need the Falcons to lose a few games to give them a shot at the playoffs but if they play like they did against the Chiefs the rest of the season, anything can happen. My final record prediction for the Bucs this season is 8-8 just barely missing the playoffs.

–Brian DeFeo

Nov 13, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

A 4-2 Finish?

With just six games remaining and the Bucs at .500 I think it’s fully possible this team goes 4-2 down the stretch and finishes with a 9-7 record.

Seattle will be an uphill climb as yet another former member of this franchise returns to try and spoil the home-crowd part. Michael Bennett is a true force to be reckoned with on the defensive line, and will probably be in Jameis Winston’s face all day.

As for San Diego, there lies a game which is certainly winnable. If the linebackers can contain Melvin Gordon and the line holds up for three seconds consistently, then this should be a ‘W’.

The two match-ups against the Saints are must-wins because they’re should-wins. Chris Conte has to keep the lid on Brandin Cooks, so expect him to be a hero or goat in that one.

Carolina has already fallen to the Bucs once, and there’s no reason they can’t do it again with Doug Martin on the field this time.

Dallas would be the other upset win for this team if they can pull it off, but the trio of Ezekiel Elliott with Dez Bryant and Dak Prescott just seems to be too much with the Cowboys’ offensive line playing the way they are.

–David Harrison

Nov 20, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) hands off the ball to running back Peyton Barber (43) against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Rohman-USA TODAY Sports

Not Quite There

Bucs fans are riding high after a big road win in Arrowhead. Moving forward, this team has a tough road ahead. In the six remaining games, there are three divisional matchups, two matchups against first place teams, and a cross-country road trip.

The Seahawks and Cowboys are two of the hottest teams in football and will be the biggest tests for this rising Bucs squad. Unfortunately, I don’t see the Bucs coming out on top in either one.

Sweeping the remaining division games won’t be easy, either. I do believe the Bucs can beat both the Saints and Panthers, but see them splitting with New Orleans.

I’d say a realistic expectation in the remaining six games is 3-3. Anything better will be a very pleasant surprise and will put the Bucs in the playoff hunt. I just don’t think this team is playoff caliber quite yet.

–James Yarcho

Oct 10, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter reacts in the third quarter. The Buccaneers defeated the Panthers 17-14 at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

No Killer Instinct

This team has been something, hasn’t it? They are out, and then they somehow pull us back in with improbable play like last week. They are coming on at the right time, and they only play two teams with winning records the rest of the way. They are Seattle and Dallas, but still, it’s only two games, right?

Like James on the previous slide, I am not so sure they can run the table in the other four games. Even over the past two weeks, they haven’t proven to me that they have that killer instinct. They aren’t good enough to run off that type of streak, and I too see them at 8-8.

–Alan Schechter

How good can the Bucs be? Sound off in the comments below.

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