The 2025 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 18 Weeks Later
On Saturday, January 3rd, fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers checked their phones and TVs with anxious anticipation. The first quarter brought the Buccaneers back to dominating the field with an early touchdown 6 minutes into the game. Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw an 18-yard pass to tight end Cade Otton, securing the first score of the game at 7-0. Near the end of the quarter, kicker Chase McLaughlin pushed the Bucs the extra mile in what seemed to be a (hopefully) easy win for the Buccaneers after a four-game losing streak and a redemption after losing 20-23 to the Panthers two weeks prior with a 29-yard field goal.
McLaughlin had been a key player for the Buccaneers throughout this heartbreaking season. McLaughlin held consistently and brought a New Year’s miracle for the Buccaneers in Week 18 by scoring two more field goals at 36 and 48 yards.
Although the Buccaneers won in Week 18, tying the score and leading the NFC South division, the team’s future hinged on Sunday, January 4th’s matchup of the two divisional teams: the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons. If division rivals the Atlanta Falcons, who lost to the Buccaneers in Week 1, won, the Buccaneers would be eliminated from the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2019. Sunday’s game ended with a final score of 19-17 with the Falcons beating the Saints, eliminating the Buccaneers from the playoffs.
Tampa Bay fans may find themselves during the playoff season coming up with ways to blame head coach Todd Bowles or players such as Baker Mayfield for not having perfect careers, but its important to remember the curse of injuries that plagued the team for most of the season: Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs, Jalen McMillan, Jamel Dean, and more crucial players all found themselves sidelined for up to 7 weeks in the cases of leading wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
With this loss and elimination, Buccaneer fans can only find solace in expectations for the 2026 NFL draft. The Bucs have now secured a top-half draft pick, pick 15, in the 2026 NFL draft. The Buccaneers may want to focus their draft attention on fixing up their defensive line, especially in terms of allowed passing yards. Some of this may be considered a failure on Todd Bowles part, but using their earlier draft picks for building up a stronger defense could get the team back on track for the 2026 season.