Baker Mayfield’s mid-career rejuvenation may be the defining story of this current era of Buccaneers football. But Todd Bowles is a defensive-minded head coach, and while Tom Brady’s 2020 arrival changed everything for Tampa Bay, it was Bowles’ defense (when he was serving as defensive coordinator under Bruce Arians) that carried the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title that season. In the Mayfield-Bowles era, Tampa Bay’s defense has been lacking.
This season, the Buccaneers rank No. 21 in total defense, averaging 338.4 yards per game allowed. Their run defense is once again a top-10 unit, at No. 8 overall, thanks in large part to the presence of star Vita Vea at defensive tackle. But Tampa Bay’s pass defense remains abysmal, clocking in at No. 27 in the league.
The Falcons, with a struggling Kirk Cousins, should not be much of a threat. But remember, it was a “Thursday Night Football” game against the Falcons last year that produced by far the best game of Cousins’ rocky tenure in Atlanta, as he threw for a career-high 509 yards and four touchdowns in an overtime victory in Week 5 of the 2024 season.
