Bucs Lead NFL in Key Offensive Stat

So far, so great for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sep 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (14) reacts after a play against the Washington Commanders in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't just cooking — they're arguably cooking more than anyone in the league right now.

The Bucs have been on a roll, first dismantling the Washington Commanders 37-20 in Week 1 and then grinding out a big win against the Detroit Lions 20-16 in Week 2. The offense has made it happen in both those games, with four touchdowns in Week 1 and two in Week 2, and as a result, quarterback Baker Mayfield and company lead the NFL in a crucial stat for prolonged offensive success.

Data scientist Sam Hoppen took to Twitter to analyze the NFL through the first two weeks, and one area he looked at was explosive plays — that is, plays that go for 15 yards or more. It's important for an offense to have a lot of them, as it lends to a unit being able to advance the ball and score from anywhere on the field. And as it turns out, the Buccaneers don't just have a lot of them — on offense, they have the most of them.

Offensive and defensive explosive play rates:

Former Panthers quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield leading the two most explosive offenses. pic.twitter.com/znqOw6qLGi

— Sam Hoppen (@SamHoppen) September 17, 2024

The Bucs have had explosive plays on 14.8% of their offensive plays, which is good for No. 1 in the NFL. They're right ahead of the Minnesota Vikings (2-0) at 14.3% and then the Indianapolis Colts (0-2) at 14.0%. The Bucs are also one of the five best teams in the NFL per EPA per drive, and while there is still (a lot) of football to play, Tampa Bay fans could be looking at a contender.

One area that needs work here, however, is the defense. The Bucs are 24th in explosive plays given up by the defense, so that's an area that the team will need to work on going forward. The defense has been injured, however, and that number might decrease as the Bucs get away from their Week 1 game against quarterback Jayden Daniels, who likely accounted for a lot of these on the running side.

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