The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took full advantage of the New England Patriots not retaining Tom Brady, signing him as a free agent last year and subsequently winning the Super Bowl. Tampa Bay hadn’t even made a playoff appearance since 2007 before the run that Brady helped them on.
Heading into training camp in 2021, expectations are now high for the Buccaneers. They are well-positioned to once again challenge for a Super Bowl, as they are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball.
There hasn’t been a repeat Super Bowl champion in the NFL since the Patriots did it with Brady at the helm in 2003 and 2004. That 17-year streak could very well come to an end following this season.
Here are three reasons why the Buccaneers will repeat as Super Bowl champions.
3. The Presence of Tom Brady
Other than Tom Brady, there have been six quarterbacks to win Super Bowls in consecutive years; Bart Starr, Bob Griese, Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and John Elway. But none of them accomplished it with multiple teams, which Brady will be looking to do with the Buccaneers after accomplishing it with the Patriots.
Having Brady on your side is as good a bet as any to make the Super Bowl. He has made 10 appearances, the most in NFL history and won Super Bowl MVP five times, another record.
After seeing how fast he helped turn things around with the Buccaneers, he earned himself a spot on this list.
2. Their Schedule
The Buccaneers road to the Super Bowl was not an easy one last season. The Super Bowl was played at Raymond James Stadium, their home field, but they were on the road for the entirety of the playoffs. It was the New Orleans Saints, not the Buccaneers, who won the NFC South and had home-field.
This season, they could very easily have the postseason run through Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay has the fourth-easiest schedule in the NFL for the 2021 season based on the 2020 opponent win percentage.
The competition from their division could be less this season, as well. The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers are rebuilding, while the New Orleans Saints cap crunch resulted in numerous veterans being released. Drew Brees also retired, leaving some question marks at quarterback.
1. They Have Impressive Roster Continuity
When a team wins a Super Bowl, normally their players are poached in free agency as other teams around the league want to get part of the winning formula in their building. That didn’t happen to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In unprecedented fashion, the Buccaneers will be returning every starter from their Super Bowl-winning team for the 2021 season. That level of continuity has never been seen in the history of the NFL, as all 22 starters returning is a first-time occurrence.
There will be a few faces that need to be acclimated to the team, but the players who will be receiving a large chunk of the snaps will be with the program and ready to go. The Buccaneers will come out firing on all cylinders in a way that has never been seen before previously in the NFL.
