Second Half Surge: Bold Predictions For The Buccaneers

I think if I had told every Buccaneers’ fan back in early August that Tampa Bay would spend the majority of their season before the bye week without Mike Evans, Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin, Calijah Kancey, Luke Goedeke, Cody Mauch, and Jalen McMillan while losing players like Jamel Dean, Benjamin Morrison, Zyon McCollum, and Haason Reddick for games here and there, there isn’t a single one of those fans that would believe the Bucs would be sitting at 6-2 and preparing for the second half of their season. I don’t think that too many fans would believe that they would be sitting as the number two seed in the NFC with an easier path for that top spot than teams like the Eagles, Lions, and Rams.

Yet, Here We Are!

There have been some surprises – both good and bad – so far in 2025 but this team has been able to find ways to win despite all these players missing time. Offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard has gotten some flak on social media for his playcalling – with people conveniently forgetting that this isn’t the offense we were supposed to see. This wasn’t the offense he envisioned throughout July and August. This is an offense that is a product of unfortunate circumstances and as the season progresses, we’re going to start to see more of what the true vision was. Goedeke and Bucky are going to be back. Then hopefully Godwin. Shortly after that, you’ll see McMillan and Evans if all goes according to plan – and that’s when you’ll see the full power of this team unleashed on unsuspecting defenses to close out the season and head into the playoffs. But what can we expect from these Bucs over the next nine games? I’m going to give you some bold predictions of how I see things shaking out the rest of the way;

Baker Mayfield Takes Care Of Business

Through eight games, Baker Mayfield has 1,919 yards and 13 touchdowns. That’s a far cry from the 4500 yards and 40-plus touchdowns last season. He’s currently on pace for 4,077 yards and 28 touchdowns. I tell ya…I just don’t see that happening. I think Baker ends up with 4,200 yards and at least 34 touchdowns – an improvement on his 1.6 touchdowns per game to 2.3 per game. Baker has three games this season with one or zero touchdowns and I don’t think we see another game without at least one touchdown this season. He’s going to face some vulnerable secondaries down the stretch and will certainly be able to have a couple of those three or four touchdown performances.

Emeka Egbuka Cements His Offensive Rookie Of The Year Title

  Now, I think he’s still the front runner, but the emergence of Jackson Dart in a quarterback favored environment makes this far from a slam dunk. That said, Egbuka has dominated in his rookie season and is among the league leaders in most receiving categories. Seventh in yards, yards per catch, and yards per game, top-15 in first downs, tied for the fourth most receiving touchdowns this season – and he’s doing all of that while being just inside the top 40 in receptions. That’s insane. The second half of the season should look even better for the rookie after putting up 562 yards and five touchdowns in the first eight games, so I’m calling for Egbuka to finish with over 1,200 yards and get thirteen touchdowns – which would be just under one per game the rest of the way. That would put him in a tie for second most all-time for a rookie with Ja’Marr Chase, John Jefferson, and Billy Howton and trailing the record holder Randy Moss who finished with seventeen in 1998. It would also break the Bucs’ rookie record of twelve set by Mike Evans in 2014.

Bounce Back Bucky

  The Bucs’ run game has been, well, not good this season. They’re 24th in the NFL in rush yards per game. Some of that has to do with the offensive line, some of it has to do with Rachaad White and Sean Tucker’s inefficiency, some of it has to do with that Lions game when they only ran the ball eleven times as a team. But Bucky Irving changes all of that. We haven’t seen that home run ability that he showed so much of his rookie year, so those explosive plays have just built up and are waiting to flip games on their heads. White leads the team 287 yards on the ground. Bucky, who hasn’t played since the week four loss to the Eagles, has 237 yards but no touchdowns. Once he returns – along with Luke Goedeke – the Buccaneers are going to be able to find their rushing identity once again. Bucky will finish the season with over 900 yards on the ground and get into the end zone at least five times.

Yeah Yeah, Yaya

  Yaya Diaby has been a force over the last month and currently leads the team with four sacks and seven tackles for loss. While many hoped and expected Reddick to be the guy for the Buccaneers, he’s wearing a lot of hats in this defense. He’s been solid with his pass rush but also provides a ton of value in run defense as well as dropping into coverage. For Yaya, it’s been all about getting the quarterback. The Bucs’ schedule the rest of the way provides some favorable matchups for Diaby and the pass rush. Matthew Stafford isn’t a mobile guy, Drake Maye has been sacked the second most times in the NFL this season, Tua and Rattler have both been sacked the tenth most in the NFL this season. Look for Diaby to come out in this second half on fire and finish strong with double-digit sacks.

Okay, Dean – You Can Make A Scene

  What a revelation Jamel Dean has been this year. Already a career high in sacks, interceptions, and takeaways in a season. He’s been one of the best corners in the NFL so far this year with no signs of slowing up. I think he continues his fairy tale season and doubles his interception total as well as finding the end zone at least one more time on his way to a Pro Bowl as well as All-Pro honors. Now, all the fans that wanted him gone are going to be hoping that Jason Licht finds a way to get him to stay.

Can They Really Do It?

  These first three games out of the bye are huge – and by far their toughest matchups the rest of the season. Hosting the Patriots then back to back road games against the Bills and Rams. Ideally, the Bucs come out of that stretch at 2-1 with one of those wins coming against the Rams. But here’s the thing; even if they go 1-2, as long as that win is against Los Angeles, I think the Buccaneers finish the season 13-4 and as the top seed in the NFC. The Eagles and Rams have much tougher schedules than the Bucs the rest of the way. On top of that, the Lions and Packers are going to have to battle it out with each other for the top of the NFC North. The Packers have the tie-breaker and the advantage because of their tie while the Lions still have to take on the entire NFC East, Rams, Steelers, Vikings, and Bears. The Packers get the Eagles, Vikings, Ravens, Broncos, and Bears twice.

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Both of those schedules are a lot harder than the Buccaneers who, after this three game stretch, get the Panthers twice, Saints, Falcons, Cardinals, and Dolphins. We know that this team can finish strong because they’ve done it the last two years. Now, with a favorable schedule from week thirteen on, they can absolutely run the table the rest of the way to get to thirteen wins. I’m not sure any other team is going to find themselves in a position to do that with their remaining schedules. So, don’t stress or freak out if the Buccaneers lose their next two to drop to 6-4. It’s entirely plausible that, after that, they rattle off seven straight wins to finish 13-4 before going into the postseason with all their weapons intact and fully prepared to stick it to every defense that thinks they have a chance at stopping those four receiver sets with Bucky in the backfield.

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