Big-Play Upside
Tampa Bay asks Baker Mayfield to attack downfield off aggressive play action. Todd Bowles answers with a blitz-heavy defense that can create negative plays but also places stress on the coverage.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2026 Team Rankings and Ratings
PFM Archetype
No Soft Spot, No Superpower
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78.4PFM Team Scorei
PFM Verdict
Why PFM Ranks the Buccaneers Here
Baker Mayfield, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka give Tampa Bay enough top-end talent to keep the offense aggressive. The Buccaneers rank No. 20 because replacing Mike Evans’ reliable production leaves a real test, while coverage busts still expose the defense. Todd Bowles has a team with a clear identity, but the depth behind the starters is not strong enough to hide both problems.
NFL Rank#20Current PFM ranking
NFC Rank#10Among NFC teams
QB Stability#19Baker Mayfield · Not the Problem
Season OutlookIn the Playoff Mix
Head coachTodd Bowles
Offensive coordinatorZac Robinson
Defensive coordinatorTodd Bowles
PFM Team DNA
View all NFL team rankingsTampa Bay Buccaneers Team DNA
Defensive Consistency
Todd Bowles' blitzes have to create a negative play before the coverage is isolated. Tampa Bay cannot replace Mike Evans' reliable offense and keep giving explosive touchdowns back on the other side.
Tampa Bay Has Real Big-Play Stress
Tampa Bay ranks 9th in explosive-play ability. Baker Mayfield gives the offense a player defenses have to find. That burst can flip a drive without asking the offense to be perfect.
Todd Bowles Has to Replace More Than Mike Evans
Tampa Bay's coaching position is 18th as the offense adjusts to life without Mike Evans. Bowles must replace dependable receiving production while stopping the coverage busts that erase otherwise good defensive work.
PFM ROAD AHEAD
2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Strength of Schedule
Tampa Bay has one of the league’s more favorable schedules at No. 26, with opponents averaging 78.5. Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions still give the schedule a real test, but 2 games against current top-10 teams keep the full road from looking as heavy as most.
Difficulty Rank#26No. 1 is toughest
Opponent PFM Avg.78.5Average across opponents
Next 3 Avg.76.6Upcoming opponents
Top-10 Matchups2Games vs. current top 10
Away games left8
Top-10 road opponents1
at Cincinnati Bengals79.4 PFM · #16
Sep 13 · 1:00 pmAway
vs. Cleveland Browns71.4 PFM · #30
Sep 20 · 1:00 pmHomeBottom 10
vs. Minnesota Vikings78.9 PFM · #19
Sep 27 · 4:05 pmHome
Toughest remaining opponent: 
Los Angeles Rams at 90.7 PFM.
Around the League
League Context
Closest Team DNA Match
Built Like Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta FalconsMatch distance: 2.20 rating points
Shared profile: Defense and Roster Strength.
Tampa Bay uses coverage and the defensive front to disguise pressure by changing fronts; Atlanta uses coverage and the defensive front to create pressure without constant blitzes. The connection in Defensive Rating and Roster Strength is support beyond the headline defender, from the rush to the coverage and the depth behind both. Tampa Bay separates in QB Stability through a more dependable answer when the offense falls behind schedule.
Where they separate: QB Stability. Buccaneers hold the stronger current rating.
Division Pressure
NFC South
Carolina is rising, Atlanta still has a quarterback question and New Orleans is rebuilding around Tyler Shough. Baker Mayfield and Todd Bowles keep Tampa Bay in front, but coverage busts and the loss of Mike Evans' reliable production could erase that stability.
Supporting Team Information
More About the Team
Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl Era
Tampa Bay owns 2 Super Bowl titles from 2 trips, with the latest coming in Super Bowl LV in 2021.
- Super Bowl Titles
- 2
- Super Bowl Appearances
- 2
- Super Bowl Record
- 2–0
- Last Appearance
- 2021 Super Bowl LV
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