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2016-2017 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview
Key Additions: DE Robert Ayers, LB Daryl Smith, G J.R. Sweezy, CB Brent Grimes, CB Josh Robinson, P Bryan Anger
Key Subtractions: ILB Bruce Carter, CB Sterling Moore, DT Henry Melton
Strengths
In his first season as a pro, Winston racked up 4,042 passing yards and 22 touchdowns while adding 213 more yards on the ground to go with six rushing scores.
More on the passing game, Winston has two towers as his lead targets this season in Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. If Winston’s improvement trends upwards this year, expect Evans and Jackson to kill it downfield with opposing defenses already struggling to cope with the size mismatch.
Weaknesses
There was a lot of room for improvement for the Tampa Bay defense after allowing 26.1 points per game last season. The team addressed part of this issue by spending their first four picks in the 2016 NFL Draft on defensive players like cornerback Vernon Hargreaves and defensive end Noah Spence.
The offensive line had some promise last season with the team allowing just 27 sacks—fifth fewest in the league—but there remain liable pieces on the unit. Take for example the left side of the Bucs’ offensive line that allowed nine sacks and 28 quarterback hits. The right side of Ali Marpet and Demar Dotson appears to be much better, though, and improved performances from Smith and company should spell brighter days ahead for Tampa.
Key Player – Doug Martin
Martin had a blast carrying the rock last season, which was a pleasant surprise for the team given his uninspiring numbers the previous couple of seasons. Last year, Martin rushed for 1,402 yards and six touchdowns. That’s the kind of effort dudes are supposed to put in when they’re playing on a contract year, but Martin playing on that level again would transform Tampa’s offense into a much powerful unit.
Key Game – vs. Carolina (January 1)
The Bucs are still longshots to make the playoffs as they are priced +650 to win the NFC South, but that shouldn’t diminish the luster of their Week 17 showdown with the defending NFC champ, Carolina. The Bucs were manhandled by Cam Newton and crew last January, losing to the Panthers, 38-10. With the expected overall improvement of Tampa, though, the Bucs might just need a win in this game to squeeze into the postseason.
2015 Team Stats
| Category | Stat (Rank) |
|---|---|
| Points per game | 21.4 (#20) |
| Passing yards per game | 240.8 (#16) |
| Rushing yards per game | 134.9 (#4) |
| Scoring defense | 26.1 (#26) |
Writer’s Prediction
Tampa Bay finish the regular season with a 7-9 record.
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