NFC South: Biggest question for each team in 2020

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Do the Bucs have enough defense to reach the playoffs?

One of the biggest offseason moves ever by a player was watching six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady leave the New England Patriots after 20 seasons and sign on with Bruce Arians and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The club also orchestrated a trade to bring in former teammate Rob Gronkowski as well.

The Bucs feature quite the offensive talent especially at the skill positions with wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Gronkowski and fellow tight ends O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate and a potentially potent ground attack with 2018 second-round pick Ronald Jones.

But what about the other side of the football? A year ago, the Buccaneers ranked 15th in total defense and 30th vs. the pass. Of course, the team gave up the fewest rushing yards in the league. But a really closer look at this unit shows that Todd Bowles group surrender just 10 offensive touchdowns in its final six contests, opposed to allowing 31 such office offensive scores during a 3-7 start.

The team didn’t make a lot of offseason moves and still have to get franchised outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, the NFL leader in sacks in 2019 with 19.5 QB traps, under contract (courtesy of Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).

If Brady performs as expected and the defense picks up where it left off, it’s very realistic to think that Tampa Bay is headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2007.