TAMPA, FL. – The number of teams in the history of the NFL that have managed to go undefeated through the entirety of a season is two, the 1972 Miami Dolphins and the 2007 New England Patriots.
The difference between Miami and New England though was that the ‘Fins were able to finish that perfect season with a Super Bowl win, the Patriots weren’t. Not even the biggest and most skilled NFL predictions experts have been able to get it right with their picks for teams that could‘ve gone undefeated in prior seasons, with many of them ending up with one loss in their records.
But, with this upcoming 2021 season, talks around the football world about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looking like a perfect fit for a regular-season undefeated run is gaining more and more momentum.
The question here is, can the Buccaneers pull off an undefeated record in 2021? Let’s break it down.
Looking Back At Last Season
After putting up a dominant performance last season that led to a Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are ready to run it all back again, but this time with some added bonuses. For one, if they were able to win a Super Bowl in their first season together, doing it again doesn’t seem that difficult, at least for them. Secondly, this time they’ll be able to play with fans in the stands, something that can clearly tip the scales psychologically for the players.
Last but not least, there’s that guy that plays QB for them, what’s his name? I think he’s kind of famous. Oh yeah, Tom Brady. Brady is poised to add yet another ring to his collection and with Tampa Bay ready to do it all over again, but this time with the chance to go undefeated through the season, let’s analyze how much truth there is behind the idea of the Bucs being able to go undefeated in the upcoming 2021 season.
The Whole Gang Is Coming Back For 2021
One of the main reasons why the reigning Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers are gaining so much hype with the idea of going for the Super Bowl once again and even maybe going undefeated in the season is the fact that they managed to bring all of the 22 starting players from their championship game lineup against the Chiefs back for another season.
While having to choose between hitting the free agency market to try and find another team or just ride once again with coach Bruce Arians and Brady, the choice seemed pretty simple for the Bucs starters, why stop at one, when you can have two or more rings?
Now, if we were talking about a championship team that was just good, then this news wouldn’t be as important or relevant, but we’re talking about an offense led by Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski and a defense led by Devin White, Lavonte David, and Ndamukong Suh.
If they were able to win a Super Bowl after just having one season, and remember, a COVID-19 ridden season to congeal and do what they did, imagine what the second-year effect might end up doing on this team.
Their Schedule Is Fit For A Dominant, Even Undefeated Season
Another reason to not throw away the idea of the Bucs actually being able to come away with a perfect 17-0 regular-season record is their strength of schedule. Apart from their starting game, where they receive a Dallas Cowboys team who are seriously hoping that Dak Prescott’s return has the same effect as a messiah coming back to his flock’s effect, the Bucs don’t really see any real threats of action until week 3 when they visit the Rams in LA.
After that, I’m not shy to say that it isn’t until Week 14 where the Bucs could end up facing their biggest challenge of the season and even a potential Super Bowl matchup when they play the Buffalo Bills at home in Tampa. Other than that, if Tampa Bay puts the gas from the get-go there will seriously be no real way of stopping them towards achieving an undefeated season.
Final Thoughts and Predictions
As I just pointed out, given the fact that the base of the team is all coming back, with Bruce Arians’ coaching and leadership skills, the Brady effect, and the strength of schedule, it’s hard to not see why imagining the Bucs going 17-0 is not such a farfetched idea.
Now keep in mind, there’s only one active player that has been able to do a feat like this, yes, Tom Brady. But while Brady and his 2007 Patriots ended up losing the Super Bowl to Eli Manning’s Giants, look at the team Brady has around him nowadays, plus all his experience in the league.
I don’t see any real opposition to believing in the idea of a 17-0 Bucs season, but in any case, if any proof is needed, keep an eye out for that Week 14 matchup against Buffalo, if the Bucs win there, it will become extremely hard for any team to stop Brady and the Buccaneers.
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