Tampa Bay Buccaneers Keep Falling In Latest NFL Power Rankings

After the Bucs Week 7 loss, the media has seemingly lost faith in them. Where did they fall in the most recent power rankings around the league?

The Buccaneers lost for the second straight week while falling to a 3-3 record on the 2023 season. The Bucs' defense played a solid game with three forced fumbles on Desmond Ridder but the defense wasn't the issue.

The theme of the Bucs' struggles these past two weeks has been the offense and the below-average run game. The Bucs' leading rusher of the game was Rachaad White with 34 yards. It is very tough to get things going on offense when the offense is one-dimensional.

Media outlets around the league had Tampa Bay fall down their power rankings. Here are the Bucs Week 8 power rankings by national sites.

NFL.com

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-5)

The good vibes of the Bucs' 3-1 start have fizzled. They have gone backward offensively since the Week 5 bye. The run game remains MIA. The defense has played well enough in two straight games, but they've lost both at home. On the surface, Baker Mayfield's stat line of 275 passing yards and a 31-yard run Sunday look pretty nifty. But his play, along with much of the offense, has dipped in recent outings. Is there hope for improvement in the passing game? Perhaps some, maybe in the big-play department? That said, Tampa has protected Mayfield well this season, and he hasn't been throwing balls up for grabs. What we've seen to this point just might be somewhat close to the Buccaneers' offensive ceiling.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Designate Running Back For Return, Run Game Help Coming?

CBS

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6)

Two straight losses has this team reeling a bit. The offense couldn't seem to get it going the past two weeks.

USA Today

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1)

They're about to play four of their next five (and six of eight) on the road … which might be a good thing given the Bucs are 1-3 in Tampa this season.

ESPN

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4)

The Athletic

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2)

After a surprising 2-0 start, the Buccaneers are 1-3 in their last four games, averaging 14 points per game in that span. Baker Mayfield is 23rd in the league in passer rating (81.5), his off-target percentage (15.4) is the fourth-worst in that stretch, according to TruMedia, and the running game is not helping him. Tampa Bay is last in the league, averaging 3.4 yards per carry, and has only five rushing touchdowns, the fewest in the league.

Yahoo

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4)

The Buccaneers are coming back to Earth. They have lost three of four since a 2-0 start, had a damaging loss to NFC South rival Atlanta on Sunday and this week will play at Buffalo on a short week. The Bucs weren't expected to be very good this season but a solid start led to optimism. We're probably seeing Tampa Bay's true level these past couple weeks.

Bleacher Report

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4)

After a 3-1 start, the Bucs have come out of their bye with all the explosiveness of a wet marshmallow, scoring just 19 points combined in back-to-back losses.

Against the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa was outgained by over 70 yards, turned it over twice and committed nine penalties. The team's 29th-ranked run game managed just 73 yards on 20 carries. And Mayfield threw a costly interception in Falcons territory in the fourth quarter.

"Anytime you're constantly hurting yourself, getting behind the chains, you don't make the job any easier," Mayfield told reporters. "A lot of pre-snap penalties for us. It's on me for not being on the same page as everybody. ... We have to eliminate those simple mistakes."

The Buccaneers just aren't a good enough team to overcome self-inflicted wounds, especially with the schedule the team has coming up.

In Week 8, the Bucs have to travel to Buffalo to face an angry Bills team on a short week, followed by a trip to face a surprisingly competitive Houston Texans team. A Week 11 trip to San Francisco also looms on the schedule.

None of the teams in the NFC South are pulling away, but the Buccaneers also don't have a ton of margin for error.

READ MORE: Mike Evans Points Out One Main Reason For Buccaneers Offensive Problems

NBC Sports

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2)

Baker Mayfield is getting a little too banged up.

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