Buccaneers Head into Second Half of Season With ‘Abysmal’ Defense

Getty Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive backs Josh Hayes and Antoine Winfield Jr.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense, if it wanted to, could offer up plenty of excuses for a 3-game losing streak that’s seen the team’s record drop to 4-5 headed into a Week 10 home game against the San Francisco 49ers.

They have offered none.

Instead, quarterback Baker Mayfield has played some of the best football of his career while missing two of the NFL’s best wide receivers in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans and a rotating cast of skill position players outside of tight end Cade Otton, who is having a breakout year.

The Buccaneers’ last 2 losses have been grueling; a 31-26 loss to the Atlanta Falcons and a 30-24 overtime loss against the undefeated, 2-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday Night Football in perhaps the toughest road environment that exist in pro sports right now.

While the offense has been valiant in the face of adversity, the defense has done the opposite. They’ve crumbled.

“The Tampa defensive stats are absolutely abysmal,” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said on November 7. ” … First of all, they’re 31st in first downs, 30th in passing yards and 24th in yards per play. And then you flip it the other way. The Niners have some really good defensive stats that I was surprised by. Like they’re fifth against the pass, they’re second in first downs, things like that.”

The 49ers were -6.5 point favorites headed into the game, according to ESPNBet.

Things Won’t Get Easier With Return of McCaffrey

Having a struggling defense doesn’t lend itself to what the Buccaneers will be tasked with against the 49ers — being the lucky team that gets to face 2023 Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey in his season debut.

McCaffrey missed the first 8 games of the regular season with Achilles and ankle issues before San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan announced he has the green light to return against Tampa Bay.

That could be a real problem for head coach Todd Bowles’ defense.

In 2023, McCaffrey had 2,023 yards of total offense and 21 touchdowns, including 101 yards of total offense and 1 receiving touchdown in a 27-14 win over the Buccaneers.

In 2022, McCaffrey had 153 yards of total offense and 2 touchdowns in a 35-7 win over the Buccaneers.

Mayfield Putting Buccaneers’ Offense on Back

Mayfield has been playing like the 3-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Buccaneers before the season might be one of the better financial deals cut with any NFL starting quarterback — at $33.3 million per season he’s drastically outplaying some of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league including Dak Prescott ($60 million), Trevor Lawrence ($55 million) and, most notably, the man who replaced him on the Cleveland Browns in Deshaun Watson ($46 million), who was having the worst season of his pro career before he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in Week 7.

Headed into Week 10, Mayfield is second in the NFL in passing with 2,389 yards, 23 touchdowns and 9 interceptions to go with 31 carries for 148 yards and 1 touchdowns — numbers that have him on pace to make his second consecutive Pro Bowl.