Buccaneers Success In 2023 Requires NFL Playoffs Appearance

The question about whether or not Todd Bowles will be the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beyond this season is going to be answered by measuring the team’s success compared to expectation. For one, that bar is set in the postseason.

What does coach Todd Bowles have to accomplish in 2023 for his second season as the leader of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be considered a success?

For NFL.com’s Adam Rank, nothing short of a playoff appearance by the Buccaneers is acceptable.

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“After a disappointing 2022 season, I think Todd Bowles is going to need to make the playoffs,” says Rank. “Especially in a division as wide open as the NFC South. All four teams must feel like they can win the crown and go to the playoffs. Getting into the tournament is a huge accomplishment.”

Rank’s analysis isn’t directly tied to Bowles’ job security, and there are plenty who feel this year should be considered year one after giving the coach a redshirt freshman season due to sudden change and being irrevocably tied to the dysfunction that was an offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and Tom Brady-led offense.

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Now, new offensive coordinator Dave Canales appears to at least have a more firm grasp on his unit than Leftwich ever did, and it seems the quarterback position is once again following the lead of a brain trust.

Even with these assumed improvements, there are fans and media surrounding the Bucs who speculate it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for this year’s squad to suffer an implosion of sorts. 

Sending the team to the top of the 2024 NFL Draft all but ensures a franchise-leading caliber quarterback in next year’s class, and gives the franchise an excuse to walk away from toxic salary cap decisions like giving linebacker Devin White a $100 million deal - if his play doesn’t match the supposed demand and the demand is in fact real.

But the question Rank set out to answer wasn’t what might be best for the long-term health of Tampa Bay as a franchise, but what would be the measurement of success. 

And Brady or no Brady - definitely no Brady - it’s playoffs or bust for the Buccaneers in 2023.

Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82

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