Will the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Win the 2020-2021 NFC Championship?

The GOAT signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason, and it took the team from mediocre dwellers to Super Bowl contenders within a 24-hour time span. Joining Tom Brady in Tampa Bay is his old sidekick, Rob Gronkowski, and a plethora of skill position players.

Also coming to Tampa is an outstanding run defense that ranked first in the NFL in 2019, and Tom Brady’s arrival should trigger the Bucs’ pass defense to step up as he won’t turn the ball over like his predecessor, Jameis Winston, did.

Time is also ticking on the Bucs, meaning you will find the team surrounded with a sense of urgency to win now. The Buccaneers are currently 6/1 odds or +600 to win the NFC championship at SportsBetting.ag.

1 – Tom Brady’s Bunch

The Brady Bunch has arrived in Tampa, with the GOAT leading the charge. As mentioned, he has Rob Gronkowski joining him after the latter’s one-year stint at retirement. Also joining Brady in Tampa is NFL lifer, LeSean McCoy.

Already playing in Tampa is a decent duo of tight ends in Cameron Brate and O J. Howard. Neither one of these tight ends produce like Gronkowski, but both are fantastic rotational players at TE2 and TE3.

What you can and should get excited about is the dynamic duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who combined for almost 2,500 receiving yards, 17 touchdowns, and 153 receptions in 2019.

Look for even greater numbers with Brady throwing them the ball. The team also has some decent depth at running back now that McCoy is in town with Ronald Jones and rookie Ke’Shawn Vaughn.

Yes, the Brady Bunch: Florida Edition is in Year 1 of what you know is a historic run with another NFL lifer in Bruce Arians leading the way.

Barring a meltdown, the Tampa Bay Bucs will make a playoff appearance with this group on offense.

2 – A Run Defense’s Doormat

While the pass defense struggled, the run defense was outstanding in 2019. It was so good, they often forced teams to pass, ranking first in the league with just 73.8 yards allowed.

Run stuffer Lavonte David leads the charge along with Devin White. The latter will make a fantastic jump in 2020 after he finished second to David in total tackles.

They also have a fantastic defensive line to fill the running lanes. It starts with Ndamukong Suh, who is still among the NFL’s best gap fillers as he heads into his 11th season. William Gholston has produced well since the Bucs drafted him in 2013.

And nose tackle Vita Vea has come into his own over his first two seasons and the Bucs expect a Pro Bowl caliber season from him in Year 3.

Look for an encore performance from the team’s rush defense, which again will force opponents to throw and become one-dimensional.

However, unlike in 2019, look for an improved pass defense since the Bucs won’t face so many turnovers in 2020 now that the turnover prone Jameis Winston is in New Orleans.

3 – Tampa 2.0 Defense

No, the Bucs aren’t switching back to the old Tampa 2 soon. However, we can call this defense that ranked 15th in the league in 2019 the “Tampa 2.0” defense as it will improve even more in 2020.

Despite the talent flowing through the D, constant turnovers often wore them down. They can expect Tom Brady to throw a fraction of the picks Winston threw, somewhere in the six to 10 range and no more than 15. The latter of which is half of the 30 picks from Winston.

The Bucs boast two marquee pass rushers in Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett, who combined for 28 of the team’s 47 sacks in 2019, which ranked seventh in the league.

With two Pro Bowl-caliber linebackers in the middle and a push from the defensive line combined with more rest on the sidelines, look for even greater productivity in 2020. Maybe not in sack totals, but in pressures and quarterback hits.

This will force quarterbacks to get rid of the ball faster. It will throw timing off with receivers as they must throw before they’re ready. And with a stellar run defense down in Tampa, look for a lot of one-dimensional play from the offense.

This will also give improving corners Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean leeway in the secondary. The college teammates made leaps in 2018 as Davis put his rookie struggles behind him and Dean finished second on the team with 17 passes defensed.

While you shouldn’t see this team become a clone of the 2002 Buccaneers, they will figure to finish better than their 15th total defense ranking in 2019 and lightyears ahead of their 28.1 points allowed per game ranking.

4 – Time Keeps on Ticking, Ticking, Ticking

This one is hit or miss, as age may take its toll on the over 30 players like Brady, Suh, Pierre-Paul, McCoy, and Gronkowski. All of whom are major contributors to this Buccaneers team.

However, as the clock continues to tick on the futures of each of these players, as does the sense of urgency, much like their rival, the New Orleans Saints. Oh, and let’s not forget the 68-year-old Bruce Arians, who easily could have opted out of coaching in 2020 . But he’ll be on the sidelines anyway.

With that said, if Brady wishes to take the stairway to seven, he knows he’s in crunch time. He’s beyond the twilight of his career.

Each of these aging players either want to make their first or last hurrah and bring a second NFC Championship to the city of Tampa. With such urgency, look for the Bucs to take some risks to do whatever it takes to get to Super Bowl LV.

While it sounds redundant, as all 32 teams will go the extra mile, teams like the Bucs may play more aggressive ball down the stretch. They might rely on things like more onside kicks, going for it on fourth down, etc.

Age on the field is a double-edged sword. Experience counts, as does the added sense of urgency.

5 – Best in the NFC?

At the beginning of the season, some teams stand out more than others. And with Brady coming to Tampa along with Gronk, the Bucs are one of those teams who are at least in the top four.

The others are the New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, and Philadelphia Eagles while outliers like the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys also exist. But let’s compare the Bucs to the NFC’s best and you make the call as to who you will put your money on in 2020.

What gives the Bucs the advantage over the other teams?

Let’s begin with the Niners, who built their offense on the running game in 2019. The Bucs’ stellar run defense will match well, while their pass rush will create a nightmare for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Tom Brady is a quick-thinking quarterback who will negate the Niners pass rush should the teams matchup in the playoffs.

Let’s move onto the Saints, who the Bucs play twice in 2020. You can expect a shootout, as Drew Brees is every bit as quick as Brady at decision-making. He also boasts better accuracy.

However, the Saints have nothing more than gadget players outside of stud Michael Thomas. Perhaps you can include Alvin Kamara in the mix.

Brady and the Bucs have two receivers who can play to Thomas’ caliber along with the returning Gronkowski. If running back Ronald Jones improves upon his outstanding improvement in 2019, he will complement the aging McCoy well.

Both teams face a sense of urgency, but the Bucs have the stars on offense that the Saints lack outside of Thomas and to an extent, Alvin Kamara.

Moving onto the Eagles, who everyone seems to count out instead of favoring Dallas in 2020. It’s a foolish ideology. But let’s talk Dallas. The Bucs don’t meet the Cowboys in the regular season, but a playoff matchup is always possible.

Brady’s ability to win in January trumps Dak Prescott’s and every Cowboys team since 1995. While the Cowboys’ offense is one of the league’s best, the Bucs can take running back Ezekiel Elliott out of the equation early.

The Dallas Cowboys also finished 2-6 against defenses who ranked 15th or better in 2019, meaning most of their offensive production came in games against teams like the New York Giants, Washington, Detroit Lions, and Miami Dolphins.

The Cowboys trounced teams with the worst defenses in football in all but two games, where they lit up the scoreboard against the Eagles in the first go around and the Los Angeles Rams.

Onto the Eagles, who the Bucs don’t meet unless the teams play one another in the playoffs. First off, will Carson Wentz ever be healthy enough for a playoff game?

The Eagles boast an outstanding pass rush like the Bucs, but again, Brady’s quick decision-making negates it. And while the Eagles are set at one corner with Darius Slay, asking the undersized Avonte Maddox to cover either Evans or Godwin is a chore.

Also, don’t expect the Bucs defense to give into the Eagles’ potentially dangerous rushing attack with Miles Sanders and a wildcard in Jalen Hurts.

With that said, the Bucs boast an advantage against the NFC’s most likely contenders for the NFC Championship. The hardest matchups will come against the Saints and the Eagles.

Conclusion

Sure, 6/1 odds means if the Bucs make it to and win the NFC Championship, you won’t make a huge profit here unless you fork some cash. However, only one team can win the NFC in any season, and the Bucs are among the league’s safest picks to win it.

If you are thinking about taking your chances to bet on a few teams from the NFC to win the conference, it makes sense to place a larger bet on the Bucs in 2020 than you would on teams with more odds stacked against their favor.

The Bucs, along with teams like the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers, are your safest bets in 2020.

What are your thoughts? Will Brady and Gronk give the Bucs the last push or is your money on someone else?