Tampa Bay Buccaneers Among 'Most Vulnerable' Division Champions

Will the Buccaneers' streak as the NFC South's champion end in 2024?

Oct 22, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) reacts after a run against the Atlanta Falcon in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Despite going from Tom Brady as the team's quarterback to Baker Mayfield, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a three-year streak as the NFC South's champion. They put together some incredible late-season heroics to capture another divisional title and playoff appearance.

This offseason, the Buccaneers did everything in their power to run it back, including returning Mayfield, Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. on new contracts. The three high-impact players are each going to help the team remain competitive on both sides of the ball.

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Still, CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin raised question as to whether the team improved enough to repeat as a division champion for the fourth time in a row.

"Believe it or not, the Bucs have the third-longest division-title streak in the NFL. Adding to their prospects, the South is still relatively weak, and they secured basically every core piece of their surprisingly scrappy 2023 run, Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. included. On the other hand, did they truly improve as opposed to simply opt to "run it back"?" Benjamin writes.

While they might not have improved on the roster, continuity is going to help the team take a leap from where it was a season ago. The rest of the teams, though, is the main reason for Benjamin thinking the Buccaneers might be in a vulnerable spot as the defending division champions.

"The Atlanta Falcons don't project as world-beaters, but with a steadier hand under center in Kirk Cousins, their young weapons and now-Raheem Morris-led defense could quickly challenge for the throne," Benjamin wrote. "The New Orleans Saints, who refuse to rebuild, are always liable to hang around thanks to Dennis Allen's defense. And the Carolina Panthers frankly can't be much worse than they were in 2023, with Dave Canales now running the show."

Did the other three teams in the NFC South truthfully do enough to leap over the Buccaneers? That has yet to be seen, and it'll be interesting to see how the division standings shake out during next season.

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