Since the early 2000s, your football journalist has often insisted on ignoring Tom Brady when it came time to predict the winner of the next Super Bowl. Too often.
“He’s not going to win yet, it’s not possible,” I convinced myself. But not this time.
The New England Patriots have had great teams during their two decades of domination. Their first three Super Bowl conquests were successful thanks to Brady and a fiery defense that fueled timely play. Their 2007 attack was devastating with Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and company. More recently, there was a bit of everything in the teams that won three titles from 2014 to 2018.
But on paper, the Patriots have never had a roster as talented as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently have. Never. It’s almost ridiculous how strong the Bucs are. Let’s take the tour if you don’t mind.
When Brady chose to move to Tampa Bay, it was the line in front of him that was the biggest source of concern. Would the behemoth quintet be tight enough to give Brady the extra second so he can orchestrate the attack?
First choice of the club in 2020, Tristan Wirfs has changed the game. The fourth offensive lineman chosen at this auction, the tackle on the right was certainly the best of the group. Brady also made sure the unit’s other four starters live up to his expectations, and as usual, he didn’t do it with pats on the back …
It must be said that the arrival of the Gronk did not hurt in pass protection and on ground games. Rob Gronkowski has always been a great tackle. He may not be as good as he was at the height of his career, but his two Super Bowl touchdowns have proven he remains a very good tight end. He is still one of the top 10 in the NFL and perhaps the most complete yet.
PHOTO SCOTT AUDETTE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rob Gronkowski
Cameron Brate is best known for his Lombardi catch after Brady simply decided to throw him the precious trophy from boat to boat during the Bucs’ sea parade. But he’s a good tight end, too. He has 223 catches and 29 touchdowns in 98 NFL games.
Then there is OJ Howard, a former first choice who was injured at the start of the season and who was not playing during the Bucs conquest. His potential remains considerable and if he emulates Gronkowski, Howard will become a very good tight end, too. So don’t ask yourself why Antony Auclair no longer plays with the Bucs…
On the floor, Ronald Jones II came out of his shell last year and Leonard Fournette had perhaps the best moments of his career during the playoffs. If you only have five or six players near the line of scrimmage, Fournette will charge you for it every time.
Jones II and Fournette are still with the squad, but it wasn’t enough. The Buccaneers have hired Giovani Bernard, a running back who specializes in aerial play and has caught 342 career passes. When he lays his head on his pillow at nightfall, Brady must be smiling from ear to ear.
And we haven’t even talked about the wide wingers yet.
The Bucs have named Chris Godwin as a franchise player… even though he may only be second among their receivers. Mike Evans played seven seasons in the NFL, seven seasons over 1,000 yards.
PHOTO MARK LOMOGLIO, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chris Godwin
If the Bucs’ opponents manage to find a way to neutralize their ground game, their tight ends, Evans and Godwin, Brady will be able to use the strategy that Ben Roethlisberger has favored for nearly a decade: toss the ball at Antonio Brown profusely. .
Brown is admittedly no longer the dominant receiver from a few years ago, but he has now had a year to familiarize himself with the Bucs and his many personal issues seem to be behind him. Like Brady, Brown is a workaholic, so don’t be surprised to see them wreak havoc together for another five years…
When Antonio Brown is your third receiver, life is good, my dear friends. Youngsters Scotty Miller and Tyler Johnson are progressing well and Julian Edelman is expected to land in Florida any minute.
Only weakness?
Thanks to quarterback hunters of the caliber of Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul, the Bucs had 48 sacks last season. They then had the luxury of picking Joe Tryon in the first round, another quarterback hunter who was one of the team’s stars at training camp.
The Bucs finished first in the league against the run in 2020. Ndamukong Suh remains one of the NFL’s top tacklers to congest the line of scrimmage and Vita Vea is on the verge of becoming one. Devin White and Lavonte David are probably the premier pair of inside linebackers on the tour.
All of these players are back. Everyone is back! The Bucs haven’t lost a single of their 22 starters last year, it should be remembered. Not one.
If there is a weakness in Tampa, it is in the tertiary sector, as we saw Thursday night against Dallas. There are already a few injuries and the Bucs will have to fix it.
Arians touch
Bruce Arians will have the chance to manage this dream team. Arians might not be a great strategist like Bill Belichick, but he’s a very good head coach in the true sense of the word. The dynamics and the atmosphere within the Bucs seem very good. We shouldn’t be surprised to see Brady more relaxed since he joined his new team.
PHOTO CHRIS O’MEARA, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bruce Arians, head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Arians is also the most inclusive coach in the NFL and arguably professional sports. His four main assistants (Harold Goodwin, Todd Bowles, Byron Leftwich and Keith Armstrong) are African Americans, and two women (Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar) are in his coaching group.
Are you tired of seeing the handsome Tom conquer the Super Bowl? You may need to be patient with your pain. He already has 7 and could ultimately go up to 10. The author of these lines thinks he will add an eighth this season.
And when his playing career comes to an end, maybe 10 or 15 years from now, Brady would make a great GM if his heart tells him. He proved he knew how to properly assess talent by choosing to join the Bucs 18 months ago.
Miguel Bujold’s predictions
- Philadelphia to Atlanta = Atlanta
- Pittsburgh à Buffalo = Buffalo
- Minnesota à Cincinnati = Minnesota
- San Francisco to Detroit = San Francisco
- Arizona au Tennessee = Tennessee
- Seattle à Indianapolis = Seattle
- Chargers de L. A. à Washington = Washington
- NY Jets at Caroline = Caroline
- Jacksonville à Houston = Houston
- Cleveland à Kansas City = Kansas City
- Miami in New England = New England
- Green Bay v. New Orleans (in Jacksonville) = Green Bay
- Denver at the New York Giants = New York Giants
- Chicago aux Los Angeles Rams = Los Angeles Rams
- Baltimore to Las Vegas = Baltimore
Three matches not to be missed
PITTSBURGH IN BUFFALO, SUNDAY, 1 p.m.
Expectations haven’t been so high in Buffalo for at least 25 years. Minimum. Josh Allen is one of the favorites to win the NFL MVP title and there is talent all over the place at the Bills. It was the start of a new era of success, much to the delight of Bills fans who had not been pampered since the mid-1990s. In Pittsburgh, the TJ Watt case was finally settled. The linebacker signed a four-year $ 112 million extension that makes him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. Well-deserved. The Bills beat the Steelers in their 2019 and 2020 clashes.
CLEVELAND AT KANSAS CITY, SUNDAY, 4:25 p.m.
The Chiefs and Browns met in the second round of the playoffs last January, a 22-17 win over Kansas City. It will be recalled that Patrick Mahomes was forced to leave the match due to a concussion. It will be very interesting to see what role Odell Beckham Jr. plays in the Browns’ offense. The receiver missed most of last season and it was oddly from the start of his absence that Baker Mayfield and the offense kicked in. As for the Chiefs, the game of the offensive line will be one to watch. The organization has invested a lot of money and a few draft picks to improve it during the offseason.
CHICAGO AT THE LOS ANGELES RAMS, SUNDAY, 8:15 p.m.
The coaches and decision-makers of the Rams and Bears are under a lot of pressure. In Chicago, driver Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace got another chance to show off despite the failed “era” Mitchell Trubisky. Among the Rams, the acquisition of Matthew Stafford will pay dividends, and quickly. The price the Rams paid for it was exorbitant. Sean McVay’s team is one of the few in the NFL that prioritizes highly talented players (Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Stafford, among others) over depth. It remains to be seen whether the strategy of sacrificing several top draft picks in return for star players like Ramsey and Stafford is the correct one. One thing is certain, McVay has never had so much pressure on him.
