Baker Mayfield is making Patrick Mahomes–like sidearm throws to Cade Otton as he surges toward the turf. Mike Evans, at the age of 30, is running full steam at cornerbacks, lowering his shoulder and, instead of trucking someone, is barrel rolling over their backs and picking up extra yardage. Vita Vea is comically lifting two humans and pressing them into the backfield, making Devin White’s path to the backfield easier than an escape from Arkham Asylum.
The Buccaneers have started the season against two teams—the Vikings and Bears—that will be picking in the top 10 of next year’s draft. Those teams are a combined 0–4. Both of them may end up starting a different quarterback in 2024 than they are now. (I’m willing to wait another week to work myself up about Justin Fields if you are, too.) However, that does not mean we should dismiss what Tampa Bay is doing. Next week’s Monday Night Football game against the Eagles could show us, with a bit of definitiveness, if the Bucs might have been the team we all missed on this preseason (this, coming from a guy who picked them to win three games for the entirety of the season).
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