2008 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Written August 14, 2008 by Jason Lowry
Its time to get going on another NFL season and Jason Lowry is ready to bring you his 2008 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season predictions. The Bucs are coming off a pretty impressive season a year ago, as they took advantage of the poor play from other teams in the division and wound up going 9-7, good enough for 1st in the NFC South. This year the Bucs are hoping that they can bring back pretty much the same team and repeat as division winners. The Bucs definitely have the talent to do so, and to see just what they will look like in 2008, lets take a closer look at all sides of the ball this season.
Offense:
It looks like the Bucs have finally found the answer at quarterback in Jeff Garcia, as he helped this Bucs team improve to over 326 yards a game and the 18th ranked offense in the league. The team brought in Warrick Dunn to add to the running game of Earnest Graham, Michael Bennett, and Carnell Williams. Its unclear if Williams will be able to return after a devastating knee injury, and that is likely why the brought a guy like Dunn into the mix. Where this team needs to improve is in the receiving game, as Joey Galloway can only have so much left in the tank. The team seems pretty high on 3rd year player Paris Warren and are hoping rookie Dexter Jackson can become another deep threat. The offensive line really started to show signs of improving into the unit this team has been looking for. The team did add center Jeff Faine to the mix, as he looks to improve a very strong right side that already includes tackle Jeremy Trueblood and guard Davin Joseph.
Buccaneers +1500 odds to win NFC Championship at Sportsbook.com
Defense:
The defense is getting a little older at some positions, but there is no question that this unit is going to still be good enough to put up another solid season. The defensive line could really get better if 2nd year player Gaines Adams continues to improve at defensive end. In the middle the team has a real force in the middle against the run in Chris Hovan. At linebacker the team still will send the veteran Derrick Brooks out on the field, but his time will again be limited. Look for Cato June to handle the other outside backer spot, and also fill in for Brooks when needed. Look for Barrett Roud to handle the middle, while Quincy Black and Adam Hayward battle for backup playing time on the outside. In the secondary the team is pretty set at corner with Pro Bowler Ronde Barber and the younger Phillip Buchanon, also don’t be surprised to see some of their first round pick in Aqib Talib this season. At the two safety spots look for Tanard Jackson and Jermaine Phillips to remain in tact, and Jackson could be up for even a bigger season, after he really impressed as a rookie.
Buccaneers +3500 odds to win Super Bowl at Sportsbook.com
Special Teams:
This unit comes in pretty strong this season as the return game looks to be pretty solid again this season. Micheal Spurlock looks to have found a home as the kick returner after becoming the first player to return a kick for a touchdown in Buccaneers history. It looks like there could be a battle for the punt return spot between rookies Talib and Jackson. Matt Bryant will remain the teams kicker after another solid season, and punter Josh Bidwell could be looking at a Pro Bowl if he improves off his performance from a year ago.
Buccaneers Over/Under 8 wins in 2008 at Sportsbook.com
Prediction: 3rd in the NFC South
Sorry Bucs fans, but we just don’t think this team did enough to keep up with the likes of the Panthers and especially the Saints. This team is still going to be very competitive week in and week out, but we feel they are looking at a pretty tough schedule that could only have them winning only 7 games this season.
If you think the Bucs are better than the 7 games we predicted, get over to Sportsbook.com and get your bet in on the Bucs season odds today. Also if you are looking for some more info on the Bucs, be sure to take a look at these great Buccaneers predictions.