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Greg Auman
NFC South Reporter
That the Bucs’ 2023 season ended — with disappointment no less — in the third week of January 2024 says a lot.
Sunday’s 31-23 loss to the Lions finished a surprisingly resilient season for Tampa Bay, which exceeded most outside expectations in not only winning a third straight division title, but a playoff game as well.
“Obviously, anything short of the Super Bowl is a disappointment,” coach Todd Bowles said after Sunday’s loss. “We didn’t come in to make noise. We came in to get to the Super Bowl, so from that standpoint, it’s a disappointment. But I’m very proud of the guys, the way they fought all year long, the things they dealt with, the injuries they fought through, the young guys stepping up, the older guys playing above anything they could ever do.”
Had things ended differently, had the Bucs not shut out the Panthers in their regular-season finale to clinch the division title, had they not pulled off a dominating victory over the Eagles in the wild-card round, Bowles might not be back for a third season as head coach. The Bucs might have been looking for a new quarterback as well, but there’s strong mutual interest to bring back Baker Mayfield after a comeback season with career-bests in touchdowns and passing yards.
“I love this group. I said that all year, and that’s authentic. I mean that,” said Mayfield, who spent time with three teams in 2022 before landing with the Bucs last spring. “And so, it would mean a lot for me to bring back a lot of key pieces, to get this back together, and to get it in year two in the system [and] make huge strides. I would love that.
“Who knows how it’s going to play out, but I can’t say enough about this organization for the opportunity they gave me this year, and so just thankful. Hoping it works out.”
Could the Bucs win a fourth straight division title? If they can bring back their key leaders, it’s certainly in play, though a…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/bucs-surprising-season-leads-to-higher-expectations-for-2024
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Publish date : 2024-01-22 19:58:05
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