CBS Sports Projects Disappointing Season for Buccaneers in 2024

Could Tampa Bay's playoff streak end in 2024?

Jan 21, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; (Left to right) Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Robert Hainsey / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have undergone a stark reversal of fortune since 2020. The team has made the playoffs every year since 2020, which is the longest active streak in the NFC at the moment, and things are looking up again with the team re-signing some big free agents — or are they?

CBS Sports recently published an article projecting six NFL teams that could miss the playoffs in 2024. Surprisingly, the last team listed was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who would have to lose the NFC South and not make the wild card to lose out on a playoff spot last year.

Here's what CBS writer Cody Benjamin had to say about Tampa Bay's playoff chances:

Surprisingly, they have the longest playoff streak of any team on this list. And yet that speaks mostly to the painful lack of competition in the NFC South," the article stated. "They did excel at retaining key players this offseason, but are we giving them too much credit for "running it back" as opposed to upgrading a borderline wild-card lineup?"

This is an interesting subject to broach. On one hand, the Bucs have upgraded their lineup — they've signed Jordan Whitehead back to replace Ryan Neal, and they've also shored up their depth on the interior offensive line. Combine that with the new prospects they'll get in the draft, and Tampa Bay will certainly look different (and perhaps better) heading into next year.

On the other hand, there is merit to questioning whether or not the Bucs can improve this year. The team did go 9-8 in 2023 and suffered a bad losing streak in the middle of the year that it cannot afford going forward. Additionally, the Atlanta Falcons have gotten stronger with the addition of Kirk Cousins, so Tampa Bay will have to play better to win the division once again.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 offseason.

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