What Happened to the Buccaneers After Beating the Seahawks?

The Bucs came away with a 38-35 victory over the Seahawks in Seattle in a game in which both teams celebrated their 50th seasons with throwback uniforms. It was an all-time classic regular-season matchup that improved the Bucs to 4-1 before reaching 5-1 and pushed them as being viewed as one of the top contenders in the NFC.

Following their elite start, things quickly took a downturn. They finished out the season 2-7, costing them the lead in the NFC South and a playoff spot.

Not one factor played the overwhelming role in the Bucs' collapse in 2025, but rather many factors.

Injuries decimated the roster. Offensive skill players, starting offensive linemen and key contributors on the defensive side of the ball all suffered big injury hits, and those injuries did not allow the Bucs to have much cohesion throughout the year.

The offense regressed rapidly from its 2024 success. Quarterback Baker Mayfield's production dipped drastically in the latter half of the season, including struggles with accuracy and efficiency, and the inefficiency of the offense as a whole contributed to the inconsistency.

The defense wasn't any better. After starting the season turning the ball over and holding teams from scoring, the unit dropped drastically after the midway point. Turnovers were far and few between, the unit couldn't get to the quarterback and coverage breakdowns allowed for explosive plays.

Special teams also struggled, with kickoff coverage and blocked kicks hurting field position and scoring chances, while mental mistakes and penalties also led to further problems for the efficiency of the 2025 Buccaneers.

If the Buccaneers were able to battle through all these things and not let things internally get to them, they could have found themselves in the playoff hunt playing for a chance to reach the playoffs.

Everything was there for the Bucs to have a successful season, but this team did not have what it took to overcome the challenges that were given to them. Looking like a playoff contender early is great, but you have to maintain that level of play and mental fortitude throughout the season if you want to be seriously considered as one of the top teams in the league.

The Bucs were close, and as evidenced by their win over the Seahawks and close loss to the Patriots, they have the roster to be able to be one of those top teams. Unfortunately, it didn't unfold that way in 2025, but there is a chance they can turn the tide this upcoming season with the understanding of how close they were if it weren't for their own demise.