Buccaneers Fall In Power Rankings After Loss To Buffalo Bills

The Bucs suffered their third straight loss in Week 8. How much did they fall in the power rankings from national media outlets?

In Week 8, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveled up to Buffalo for Thursday Night Football. The Buccaneers struggled the entire game, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The Bucs almost made a comeback in the final minutes but ultimately fell short.

After Week 7, the Bucs fell in the power rankings on every single site. After Week 8, the Buccaneers fell even more. Here are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Power Rankings heading into Week 9.

READ MORE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sign Quarterback to Active 53-Man Roster

USA Today

19. Buccaneers (-1)

 Much as they're struggling, only one (San Francisco) of their next seven opponents (three in the AFC South) currently has a winning record. Don't expect Tampa Bay to disappear from the NFC South or wild-card races.

ESPN

20. Buccaneers (-5)

Baker Mayfield has been at his best when he has served in more of a complementary role and can rely on the defense, which propelled the Bucs to a 3-1 start. But they've struggled to put points on the board, scoring 16.3 offensive points per game (ranked 26th in the league), and now they've dropped three straight games. Mayfield's eight tipped passes at the line of scrimmage are also tied for sixth most in the NFL. Where Mayfield has shined through is in keeping plays alive and on third down. Mayfield's 41.3% third-down conversion rate on passes is the sixth-best in the league

Yahoo Sports

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4)

The Bucs were a fun story in the first month of the season, but their inability to score points puts a hard ceiling on them. Playing in the NFC South, however, raises that hard ceiling just a smidge.

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CBS Sports

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1)

They've lost three straight games to dampen what was a solid start to their season. But in their division, they are far from done.

Bleacher Report

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1)

They've lost three straight games to dampen what was a solid start to their season. But in their division, they are far from done.

ClutchPoints

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2)

A Thursday Night Football loss to the Bills started out Week 8 on a sour note for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and their loss happened largely due to the ineptitude of the offense – until late.

Baker Mayfield peppered Chris Godwin with plenty of targets and found him for a touchdown, but he only seemed to realize Mike Evans was also on the team in the fourth quarter, when he hauled in a touchdown of his own.

theScore.com

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1)

Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers' offense got off to a solid start, but things have started to sputter. Tampa Bay ranks 29th in success rate on offense since Week 5, spoiling the team's 3-0 start.

Sports Illustrated

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Had it not been for double-digit penalties, we may have been talking about a Buccaneers team surprising the hell out of the Bills. Alas, a few spurts of offensive prowess were not enough. Tampa Bay’s task from here: win the winnable. The Buccaneers get the 49ers just before Thanksgiving, but have the Texans, Titans, Panthers, Colts and Falcons all through early December. There is no reason to throw in the towel on this team just yet.

NBC

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3)

Baker Mayfield is doing his damnedest to will this team into contention.

NFL.com

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3)

After a 3-1 start, Tampa has lost three straight, and now -- in the thick of a tough portion of the schedule -- we'll see if this team is built to last. The Buccaneers are on the road for five of their next seven games. Their 2-1 record away from home (including Thursday's competitive loss to the Bills) suggests they can hang with most teams. Can the offense produce more scoring chances? In three games since the early bye, they have three TDs, five field goals, five drives that ended with turnovers (two on downs), and 15 punts. If Baker Mayfield can play a little more consistently and the offensive line can avoid crippling penalties, maybe the Bucs can convert a few more of those possessions into points. They're going to need to.

The Bucs will travel to Houston in Week 9 to try and get back on track again.

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