Can The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Bounce Back?

In 2010, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shocked many NFL fans and commentators alike by going from a 3-13 record in 2009 to finish 10-6 — just missing the playoffs. They became the first team since the 1970 merger to field 10 rookies in a season and still finish with a winning record.

The turnaround of such a young team was largely attributed to strong coaching from young second year Head Coach Raheem Morris and outstanding performances from quarterback Josh Freeman, 4th round rookie wide receiver Mike Williams and undrafted running back LaGarrette Blount.

Fast forward to 2011 and it was a completely different story.

The Buccaneers slumped to a 4-12 record as the team struggled to find any rhythm offensively or defensively. On offense they had no real punch with Freeman failing to inspire his team as he had in 2010 and Williams showing no real ability to find holes in opposing defenses that he had in his rookie season. Blount looked good at times but his season was hampered by constant injuries and by the end of the season he was an afterthought in the minds of most defensive coordinators.

It couldn’t all be laid at the feet of the offense however. The Bucs defense was equally abysmal as they were embarrassed week in and week out. They were among the worst in the league, allowing the most points in the league (494), the most yards per play (tied at 6.3), most yards per pass attempt (tied at 7.6), the most rushing yards (2,497) and the most rushing touchdowns (26). They also allowed the second most yards per attempt (5.0), the second most rushing first downs (135), the third most total yards (6,311) and fourth most total first downs (356) of all teams in 2011.

As a consequence, Head Coach Raheem Morris was fired along with his entire coaching staff as the Glazer family who own the team chose to clear house and start again from the ground up. They are taking their time finding a replacement Head Coach and while several people have been interviewed such as Packers OC Joe Philbin, former Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress and Bengals DC Mike Zimmer, there has been no indication that a hire will be made any time soon which will mean it will be even longer before assistants are hired and we get any idea of what identity the team will have in 2012 and beyond.

The one thing in the Bucs favour is that they have a relatively young roster. While they have a few veterans in the locker room (Ronde Barber and Kellen Winslow Jr being chief of these), most of the more talented players are under 30. From wide receivers Williams and Aurelious Benn, quarterback Freeman, running back Blount and offensive tackles Donald Penn and Jeremy Trueblood to defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers, defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price, inside linebacker Mason Foster and cornerback Aqib Talib (who is arguably one of the best corners in the NFC), Tampa Bay has a solid backbone of young players to help lead them back to the days of being in Superbowl contention under coach Tony Dungy.

The question is – can they get there? To do so they’ll need to find a Head Coach with strong leadership qualities – something Raheem Morris seemed incapable of in 2011. The biggest downside of having a young team is that the majority of players don’t have enough experience to help them get through the tough times of the week to week grind in the NFL. Further to this, the Bucs need to sign some experience to the roster. In particular, an experienced quarterback to backup Josh Freeman would be ideal – perhaps Mark Brunell, Byron Leftwich or even Donovan McNabb. A talented team is nothing without good leadership.

Then there is the identity of the team. Is this a passing offense or a rushing offense? Is LaGarrette Blount the future or should they draft Trent Richardson? Is Josh Freeman really a franchise quarterback?

There are so many questions on this team that the chances of a return to playoff contention in 2012 is highly unlikely. With that being said, this is still a team on the rise and despite the setbacks of 2011 they can be fully expected to contend in what could be the toughest division in football for the next decade.

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