Buffalo and The Return of Bills Mafia

By Lawrence Lang

With the preseason in the rearview mirror, we now look to week one for the Buffalo Bills. The Bills will be opening their season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who they beat last season 26-15. Quarterback Josh Allen would go 24/43 for 238 passing yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Heading into the season opener, the big question is how Josh Allen will perform this season after his six-year $258 million contract extension. Allen is definitely worth the money since he brought back life to the Bills. In the 2020 season, he brought them a ten-win season first time since 1999 when the Bills went 11-5 and also brought them their first division title first since 1995, a year before Allen was born, and even brought them to the AFC Championship for the first time since 1993. 

Allen also brought it last season, finishing 2nd in the AP MVP, only to be beaten by Green Bay Packers Qb Aaron Rodger. Allen had a 69.1% completion percentage, 37-10 TD-INT ratio, a 107.2 Passer Rating, eight Rushing Touchdowns, and one Receiving touchdown. So all eyes are on Allen to see if he can have a repeat performance and be a candidate for MVP again with the likes of Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, to name a few. 

The Bills are also now the top dog in the division since Tom Brady’s departure from the New England Patriots at the end of the 2019 season when he left for Tampa Bay and went on to win the Super Bowl this past year with them. The Patriots were the Thanos of that division, winning the division from 2003-2007 and again from 2009-2019 and collecting five Lombardi trophies (03,04,14,16,18). Then Like Ironman in Endgame, the Tennessee Titans snapped their fingers and killed the Patriots Brady era with a pick-six in the 2019 playoffs.   

  The Bills became the top dog because of their team and because the rest of the division is a little lackluster, and that every other team is in the midst of a rebuild. In the 2021 Season, The New York Jets and the Patriots are starting their season with rookie quarterbacks Zack Wison and Mac Jones. The Miami Dolphins have Tua Tagovailoa, who is in his second year of the league but also doesn’t mean that the division won’t be competitive because of all the young talent behind the center. 

Looking at the Steelers, the Steelers are out for blood after their 2020 season saw them start 11-0 then end in disaster, losing their next four of five games losing to the Washington Football Team, Bills, Cincinnati Bengals then barely beat the Indianapolis Colts then losing again to the Cleveland Browns to end the season at 12-4. Okay, they won the division, but the kicker here was that they would have home-field advantage in the playoffs and see the Browns again. Their season would end right there as they would lose in Wild Card weekend 48-37 making this what could have been a run at a SuperBowl for the Steelers just to end in utter disaster for them. So the Steelers will be out for redemption this year with Ben Roethlisberger back for what could be his last season in the league. Big Ben will look to give everything that he can give in what is a tough AFC North.

Keys to the Game.

  1. How will the Bills stop the Steelers offensive game, especially Wide Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster?
  2. Can Josh Allen start the season off with a win to start his campaign for his first MVP trophy?
  3. Can Big Ben show that he can still dish out at 39 years old and show that the Steelers can forget the 2020 season and that they are not a fluke of a team? 
  4. How much attention will Cole Beasley get since his comments about the NFL vaccine policy? 
  5. Will this play a factor in Sunday’s game with Bills Mafia back in Highmark Stadium at total capacity? 

This game has a chance to be a high-scoring affair but at the same time can be a low-scoring affair if the defenses show up and perform. Look for Allen and Rothlisberger to throw the deep ball in this game, and if your fantasy football person, that will be great for you in your week one matchup. The Bills might just edge out the Steelers since this will be the first time they have a packed stadium of fans since 2019. Since 2020 saw a global pandemic with the coronavirus that limited fans threw out all of the sports. Bills Mafia, enjoy yourselves Sunday; you deserve this moment as it’s been a long time since all of you can come together and that your team has brought life back to your city.

Time For The Purr To Become a ROAR

By Mark Halpern

The new-look Detroit Lions take the field this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. Why do I call the lions a new look? Well, it is because they have a new DEN leader in Jared Goff. Goff is coming over in the trade for Stafford earlier in the off-season and is bringing the swagger and leadership he provided in Los Angeles. Geoff is starting over in his career, and not a wrong time. He is in his prime, but as he looks to the left and right from underneath center, he no longer has the offense of weapons he had with the Rams—this is an actual test for any veteran quarterback.

We know Goff leads the Lions offense, but the offseason saw free agency pick away at an excellent wide receiver core. Marvin Jones Jr left to be the number one receiver in Jacksonville, and Kenny Golladay went to the New York Giants {; the world is still asking why}. The wide receivers are now led by Tyrell Williams, Kalif Raymond, and Quintez Cephus, who earned his spot by having a great preseason. It is a very young core, and I think Geoff will have a hard time, especially against the San Francisco Secondary. Deandre Swift returns as the lead running back. Swift had a promising rookie season and is looking to build off that. He has been dealing with a groin injury from the beginning of training camp and only has been practicing for a week or two. They will need him very healthy as most teams will stack the box until Goff’s wide receivers prove they are a real threat. The offensive line has good depth and better be ready cause they will be busier than a plunger in a toilet factory. Lead by center Frank Ragnow and Penei Swell, this line has the experience, but will they hold up. Also, returning from a good rookie year is tight end T.J Hockenson. He can block and is an excellent route runner and target for Geoff. Geoff had an outstanding reputation with his tight ends with the Rams, so Hockenson could have a terrific year even if the team is lackluster.

The Lion’s defense will be very busy as they are always considered the underdogs in the NFL. Trey Flowers will lead the Lions as the middle linebacker. Flowers is a good veteran and knows this defense must step up this season to give the offense a chance of winning games. On the defensive line, Michael Brockers looks to have a good year. He is very healthy and robust. The Leading man in the secondary is Jeff Okudah, who returns to run the secondary. He had one interception last year, but good coverage will make it, so the ball isn’t thrown his way. He can run with the best of them, and he will have his hands complete with trying to cover rookie standout Brandon Aiyuk.

The defense has a tough job in the first game, with the San Francisco offense capable of running and passing and is in no way short of stars. Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel are two young and talented wide receivers, and they have veteran leadership now, with Mohamed Sanu Jr joined the team in the off-season. The running game has always been a feature in this storied organization and is led by Raheem Mostert, rookie Trey Sermon, and the ever-dangerous tight-end George Kittle. Now you wonder why I haven’t mentioned the Quarterback because there hasn’t been a leader yet decided. Jimmy Garoppolo will get the start but, Trey Lance might get some playing time as well. This position was the focus, and it is right to start your veteran, but I don’t think they are 100% committed to Garoppolo, and we shall see.

This is a rough way for the Lions to have to start the season but, they need to come out and prove they can stop defenses and that their offense can put points up. I do not foresee a win for Detroit as I expect the 4ers to win 35-10.

Mayfield vs Mahomes V

By Lawrence Land Michael Rifkin

This Sunday, we will see a potential postseason match when Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns travel to Kansas City to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a Sunday afternoon showdown at 4:25 PM EST. This will also be the fifth time that Mayfield and Mahomes face off against each other. This will be their second meeting in the regular season; Mahomes and the Chiefs defeated the Browns 37-21 in November of 2018.

These two teams played in the divisional round of the playoffs last season, which saw the Chiefs win 22-17 and eventually went to play in their second consecutive Super Bowl. In that game, Patrick Mahomes went 21-30 for 255 yards, a passing touchdown, and a rushing touchdown. The bigger story was Mahomes left this game with a concussion, and with the game in the hands of backup Chad Henne, who on a third and long scrambled for 13 yards, and on fourth down and the game on the line, head coach Andy Reid believed in his team that he went for it and had Henne throw a short pass to Tyreek Hill who had eight catches for 110 yards on the day to get the first down and seal the victory for the Chiefs. The Chiefs start their quest for a third straight Super Bowl appearance when they take on the Browns.

For the Browns, they came off a pretty impressive 2020 season with a record 11-5 and finishing third in the AFC North behind the Baltimore Ravens also (11-5) finished 2nd and division winners the Pittsburgh Steelers finished (12-4) after starting 11-0. Mayfield would also have himself a decent season, completing 62.8% of his passes, had 3,563 passing yards and a 26-8 TD-INT ratio. They would face the Steelers in the Playoffs and get a 48-37 victory, then, as stated earlier, would lose to the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. The Browns will try to capture their first division title in 32 years when they won it back in 1989 when they went 12-4.

Besides the game at hand, this will also mark the fifth time that Mahomes and Mayfield face each other. The first time they faced each other was in 2016 when both qbs were still in college. Mahomes (Texas- Tech) and Mayfield (Oklahoma) would put on a show for the ages.

Mahomes went 52/88 734 yards passing for five tds and one int along with 85 yards rushing and two rushing TDS
Mayfield went 27/36, 545 yards passing, and seven tds zero ints.

So what will Sunday bring when they go at it for around five? Are we in for another shootout? We will have to wait and see Sunday.

Cardinals Look to Titan Up.

By Michael Rifkin

The 2021 season for the Arizona Cardinals kicks off with a challenging task, go to Tennessee and defeat the Titans. The Cardinals were 8-6, heading into week 16 and looking at securing a wild card spot. They lost their last two games and missed the playoffs, something they haven’t reached since 2015, so this is a big year for third-year coach Kliff Kingsbury who is on the hot seat and not just because he coaches in the desert.
The Cardinals will not have two familiar faces with them in 2021 in receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who remains unsigned, and cornerback Patrick Peterson who is now playing for the Vikings. But the Cardinals did sign some veteran presences adding JJ Watt, who will be a Future Hall of Famer and up until this season spent his career with the Houston Texans to put Chandler Jones, who missed most of 2020 with a Biceps injury, and drafted Zaven Collins out of Tulsa in the first round to help rush the passer.

They signed receiver AJ Green from the Bengals to boost the outside opposite, Deandre Hopkins. Green should help in the red zone for quarterback Kyler Murray who last season had a 67.2 completion percentage for 3,971 yards with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions; he also added 11 touchdowns rushing. But the most significant number for Murray was sacked 27 times, so the Cardinals added Center Rodney Hudson from the Raiders to anchor the offensive line.The Titans last season went 11-5, Won the AFC South, and lost to the Baltimore Ravens on Wild Card Weekend.

The Titans made a few splashes this offseason; they signed pass rusher Bud Dupree from the Steelers and traded for star receiver Julio Jones from the Falcons. Jones was limited to 9 games last season due to injury. Now quarterback Ryan Tannehill has two excellent receivers to throw to Jones and AJ Brown, who last season had 70 catches for 1,070 yards and 11 touchdowns. As great as those two receivers are, the key to stopping the Titans is containing running back Derrick Henry, who ran for 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. Henry averaged 126.7 yards per game. Last season the Cardinals gave up 4.6 yards per carry, so it will be interesting to see what they do defensively. With Peterson in Minnesota and Malcolm Butler retired, pressure is on third-year corner Byron Murphy to take away Brown or Jones.

The Cardinals will be put to the test early this season; if they think they have a shot at being a playoff team, they need to get off to a strong start. They will be put to the test in week, one, going to Nashville to play a Titans team with Super Bowl aspirations.

To Become Giants Again and Not Little Ones Again

By Jeff Knapp

The Giants started the week by releasing Guard Ted Larsen and then converting some salary of Sterling Shepard and Logan Ryan to a bonus, clearing 6.94 million dollars in cap space.This Sunday at 4:30, the New York Giants will host the Denver Broncos. The season opener will be an exciting matchup for the Giants.

The Broncos look to improve from last season with the return of Von Miller and the additions of rookie CB Patrick Surtain II, veteran CD Kyle Fuller, and QB Teddy Bridgwater, who threw for almost 4,000 yards later season in Carolina. The Giants will be tested with RB Melvin Gordan and WR Jerry Jeudy.It looks like Saquon Barkley will be back and at 100% for the opening day coming off his 2020 season-ending injury. With Saquon back, it should relieve some pressure from Daniel Jones, who is in make or break season after throwing for 2,943 yards, 11 TDs, and 10 INTs. He also ran for 423 yards.

The durability of Saquon is one of my biggest questions, but for me, the reliability of the Giants “Bad News Bears” of an offensive line is my biggest question. Last year they allowed Daniel Jones to be sacked 45 times, which puts Houston’s David Carr getting sacked 76 times in 2002 in perspective. The Giant’s offensive line might actually be the worst in football, so I’m seeing a lot of check-downs and short passes and a scrambling Daniel Jones, who might break 600 yards rushing this year. When it comes to the progression of the offensive line, I’m very interested to see how 2nd-year lineman Andrew Thomas grows from last year, especially when other big named O-linemen like Jedrick Wills, Mekhi Becton, and Tristan Wirfs were all available.

Although it’s tough to predict how the Giants are going to do this year because of the o-line performance and injuries to some key players, staying away from the injury bug and the o-line can keep the sacks at no more than 30, we have a very good chance. I believe in our defense, even with the loss of DT Dalvin Tomlinson. If everything comes together, I see the Giants defeating the Broncos 20-13 and finishing the season with eight wins and nine losses. I believe they will split wins with both the Eagles and Cowboys and win both games against the Washington Football team. I’m not looking forward to what happens against the Chiefs or the Bucs.
This week I can see Saquon finishing the day with 120 total yards and a TD, Jones throwing for 240 yards, and a TD to Darius Slayton.

Who needs the biggest season for the Rams?

By Zakary Haines

LOS ANGELES–The Los Angeles Rams made one of the biggest moves of the off-season. Trading Jared Goff and several draft picks to the Detroit Lions and acquiring veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. This was not a surprise. Stafford did not want to go through another rebuild after another disappointing season in Detroit. Meanwhile, the Rams made another playoff exit only a few years removed from their latest Super Bowl appearance. Now the Rams are under the microscope. It’s an important season for many Rams players, including some of the biggest names of this roster. 

Matthew Stafford: Stafford left Detroit as the franchise’s stats leader in just about every category a quarterback can lead in. He even had a 5,000 passing yard season and was only one of eight quarterbacks to accomplish this feat. Regardless, Stafford needs to prove that he is the missing piece to the Rams title-contending hopes. With a new 17 game format, this will not be an easy task. However, Stafford has been known as an “Iron-Man” of the game. He has played with multiple injuries over the years and even managed to throw this game-winning touchdown with an injured shoulder. If the Rams were looking for a quarterback to stay on the field, they have found their man. With a new coach, team, and set of plays, Stafford needs to show the league he is one of the best in the game. 

Jalen Ramsey: Ramsey has proven to be one of the top corners in the game. He was even included in the “99 Club” for the latest installment of the “Madden” series. With that in mind, Ramsey still needs to prove himself as the top-tier, lockdown corner he claims to be. Ramsey has issues locking down top wide receivers, which was obvious during their playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. He was not able to stop Aaron Rodgers from connecting with wide receivers like Davante Adams. Ramsey got burned multiple times on deep balls and shallow routes, including this play on the goal line. If Ramsey wants to be considered the best, he has to shut down some big names. 

Sean McVay: McVay took over as the Rams head coach in 2017 and has not looked back since. Becoming one of the youngest head coaches in the NFL ever, McVay has accomplished so much. He became NFL Coach of the Year in 2017, reached the playoffs every season except in 2019, and his overall record is 43- 21, going 3-3 in the playoffs. Despite making it to the Super Bowl before, McVay has not recaptured that momentum in the following seasons. What McVay needs to do this season is show that he can take the team on a much meaningful playoff run. With Stafford as his number one quarterback and a number one defense ready to continue their work, McVay should have one of his best seasons yet. 

This team has a lot of ambition and hopefulness. However, their schedule is going to require them to hit the ground running. With a schedule difficulty of .515, the Rams need to be in high gear early on. With teams such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week three, Tennessee Titans in Week nine, and playing all of their division rivals before their bye week in week eleven will be a challenge. But it is not impossible. The Rams have made significant improvement on the offensive end and should outperform last year’s 22nd ranking. Overall, this team made the necessary improvements in their weaker areas while maintaining their strengths. Despite the tough schedule, the Rams are looking to be a top team in the NFC for the upcoming season.

Jacksonville Jaguars Week 1 Pre-Game

By: Noah Trombley

The NFL season is here and week 1 is already underway and it will continue this Sunday with some highly anticipated matchups. The Jaguars will open their season against the Houston Texans in Houston and there’s a lot of stories to watch during this game. 

Firstly its of course Trevor Lawrence, the rookie phenom Quarterback who was named the starter last week by head coach Urban Meyer. This will be Lawrence’s first game playing against NFL capable starters however he couldn’t have had a better team to start his NFL career against. The Texans last year were abysmal against the passing game of any team and they didn’t do much to get better on that side of the ball. Last year opposing quarterbacks went 377/541 against the Texans, that’s a 70 percent completion percentage! They also gave up over 4000 yards through the air and allowed 30 passing touchdowns to only 3 interceptions they forced. Lawrence should not have a huge challenge waiting for him as long as the offensive game plan is sound he should be fine in the pocket and able to find receivers when he needs to, however after saying all this he most likely won’t need to be a major factor during this game because of the man behind him, James Robinson. 

If you thought the Texans defense was bad at stopping the passing game then oh boy you are in for a shock. The Texans defense last year allowed over 2500 yards on the ground and allowed opposing running backs to score 24 touchdowns! So look out for James Robinson to have a big game against this defense as they also lost arguably the greatest defensive player of this generation in JJ Watt to the Arizona Cardinals. 

Both of these offensive stars should be ready to go this season and they should easily take care of the Houston Texans and start off this season like they did last year. 

Lastly the defense only needs to be decent coming into this game in order to stop Tyrod Taylor and the limp Houston offense. If it wasn’t for an amazing carry job by Deshaun Watson last year the Texans would have not even scored a win last year. All the Jags have to do is not give up any big plays and they should put in a good defensive performance this Sunday.

DALLAS vs TAMPA TIME TO TACKLE THE CHAMPS

By Mark Halpern

Well, it’s that time again for Dallas Cowboys football to return to prime time for week one in the NFL, and what better challenge than to take on the defending Super Bowl champs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last season we saw this proud football team miss the playoffs and sit at home and watch Brady win another ring. Last year the Cowboys were riddled with injuries to the offensive to defensive sides, most notably quarterback Dak Prescott. Once the Cowboys lost their star quarterback, the rest of the season went downhill and literally into the crapper. This season is starting with more promise, and let’s see why.

Offensively the Cowboys are back to full strength with the return of their lost leader in Prescott. Last season’s injury seems to be forgotten, and Dak is ready to run and gun. Zeke {979 yards on the ground last year career low} has lost a ton of weight and turned into pure muscle-making him look like the player they drafted in 2016. The wide receivers in Cooper {1000+ yards}, Gallup {843 yards} and Lamb {935 yards} are back and are the best in football at the position. This wide receiver core could have three 1000-yard receivers, which hasn’t been done in a long time in the NFL. More importantly, is that the offensive line has returned to almost 100% health for this year. This was a big reason the offense did so poorly last year. The line was significantly injured and only had two of its main starters past week four last season. The line was being held together by band-aids. Except for Zack Martin {which is no slight loss either} who will miss the first week due to covid-19, the line is ready to go. Now missing Martin is a significant loss because he is one of the field generals out there for the boys, so others like Tyron Smith or La’el Collins will have to lead. The Cowboys go up against a Tampa defense that was yielding 327 yards again for passing and running last year. We all hope that the Cowboys have the tools to blow this number out of the water if they are the team.

Defensively the Cowboys are a new-looking scheme. Dan Quinn comes in to run this defense that was close to last in the league, conceding almost 400 yards a game last season. For a team like the Buccaneers with capable receivers in Mike Evans {Perennial all-pro} Chris Godwin {All-pro} and bad boy Antonio Brown, the latter has been dealing with a knee injury. They also have two competent runners in Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette, who combined for 1200 yards rushing. So an offense that can produce like Tampa is licking its chops. Dan Quinn came in and overhauled this defensive, starting with the line. Demarcus “Tank” Lawrence and Randy Gregory are manning the lends with Dorrance Armstrong and Neville Gallimore joining in closing the holes. The Linebackers return in Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch, and all-pro veteran Keanu Neal will join them. The Cowboys also used two of their draft picks in Micha Parson and Jabril Cox, who will create depth to this impressive core which is ranked in the top-5 in the NFL. They can cover, blitz, and force turnovers that this defense was towards the league’s bottom in creating. Trevon Diggs now mans the secondary, Jordan Lewis, Donavan Wilson, and veteran Malik Hooker, who brings significant experience and will help bring this secondary out from the ashes. The defense knows whom they are facing, and I do not expect them to play it safe. Tampa does not have a young offense that is suitable for this young defense, but what it lacks in youth gains in experience, so they must pick their moments.

The key to winning this game is not to let Tom Brady have time to do what he has done to opposing defenses over the past ten years and pick them apart. They must get to him and get to him early in the game. I expect the Cowboy’s defense to blitz a lot more than they did last season, which I hope creates problems for Brady. The offense must come out firing on all cylinders and not only open holes in the run game but get the ball into the hands of their speedy wide receivers. Look for Dak Prescott to have 300 yards passing and three touchdowns, Elliot to eclipse 100 yards running and score at least one touchdown, and Cooper and Lamb to each have 100 yards and a touchdown each. I expect the defense to sack Brady at least a few times and cause problems in the passing game because if they don’t, it will be a long night.

This game will be a hard-fought game on both sides of the ball, and when the final seconds run out, I expect the Cowboys to be victorious. I foresee a final score of Dallas 31 and Tampa 17.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers A Quest for Repeat Begins

By Robert Mills

ORLANDO – The time we have been waiting for is finally here, the start to the regular season! It seems like it was just yesterday the Buccaneers were celebrating a 31 – 9 blowout win over Kansas City in Super Bowl 55. They will start that journey back to that on opening night this Thursday, September 9th, at 8:20 pm. Based on everything we have seen from preseason and last year, I fully expect an exciting, high-scoring affair for this game. Between the Buccaneers headlines of returning all 22 starters from last season and the Cowboys being at full strength finally having Dak Prescott back from his gruesome ankle injury last season, the offenses will more than likely shine.

The big thing I will be watching this game is how the Buccaneers defense will handle its first actual test of the season. We did not get that gauge in the preseason due to many backups playing, and even though the Cowboys aren’t exactly considered lethal in offense (17th in 2020 based on PPG), that was without Dak Prescott. Expect to see a lot of pressure applied to Dak early on to set the tone. If there is one thing Arians is confident in, it’s the defensive line. However, the big story is that the Cowboys will be without OG Zack Martin due to league Covid-19 protocols. Now, for a Buccaneers fan, this is welcoming news, but if you are a Cowboys fan, you have every right to be genuinely worried, especially knowing the injury proneness of Dak Prescott. Martin is considered one of the (if not the) best guards in the NFL. His absence will create very difficult runs for Elliott and allow Buccaneers big guys in Vita Vea and Ndamukong Suh to wreak havoc in front of Dak. And to make matters even sweeter for the defense, if they close in on those two big guys, this will allow Jason Paul-Pierre (JPP) and Shaquil Barrett to make the rush on the outside to get sacks.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Buccaneers have a pretty favorable matchup. The Cowboys have recently gone through a complete defensive overhaul bringing in a new DC to change the scheme. This doesn’t change the fact the Cowboys had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year, allowing almost 28 PPG. What we do not know is if this will carry over. With the weapons Brady will have at his disposal, even the best defenses in the league would struggle. That being said, Brady is not usually a deep pass thrower, so expect to see a lot of man defense from the cowboys. I do not expect to see a ton of pressure, as leaving even one person open for a split second is enough for Brady to make them pay. Also, I would like to see Gronk play a more blocker role again this year. I think their tactics from last season were almost perfect; why change a broken recipe?

Overall, I think everything is heavily in the Buccaneers favor. If Dak plays a hot game, I estimate a near 50 point spread with Buccaneers winning 31 to 17. If Dak does not play well, that could be an even bigger win. I do not see how they lose this game between the passing threats Tampa has and the stacked defensive line going against their anemic offensive line. Crazier things have happened, though, and let’s celebrate the official start to the 2021 NFL season!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Final Roster

By Robert Mills

ORLANDO – With Week 1 of the regular season upon us, NFL teams have now trimmed down their rosters to the 53 players required. The Buccaneers are no exemption, and as of August 31st have announced that roster. In this article we will dig into the nitty gritty of that roster, and look at the offensive, defensive, and special teams roster choices. Looking at the top level, I agree with almost all of the choices made by the organization, but we will get into the questionable ones. Overall, 23 players were cut from the roster which included 7 veterans on both the offensive and defensive side. This is an indication that HC Bruce Arians knows what he is looking for in his players, and did not make these choices based on years in the league, but what every player will be contributing to this season. 

First, let dig into the offense. This side of the coin included 12 roster cuts including veterans such as QB Ryan Griffin and WR Jaydon Mickens. For most people the change at the QB position may come as a surprise, but seeing as Griffin was never a steady or reliable backup this move doesn’t surprise me. Excluding preseason Griffin only ever attempted 4 passes with the Buccaneers as a steady 3rd string, and this goes all the way back to the 2015 season when he was picked up by the Buccaneers. Though Blaine Gabbert may not be the league MVP at QB, he has been a reliable backup over the years averaging about a 75 QBR over the past 5 seasons (2 with San Francisco, 1 with Arizona, 1 with Tennessee, and last year with the Buccaneers). With Trask now being the future of the franchise, it was only expected he would be on the roster. The other interesting note from the offense is the Buccaneers have decided to go with 4 RB’s instead of the normal 3, and this is after cutting veteran RB C.J Prosise. I cant say I am shocked at this, as Prosise only had 1 run for 1 yard in all 3 preseason games. Though, I was expecting Giovani Bernard to also be on the chopping block. It will be rather interesting to see why they decided to go with 4 RB’s so we will have to watch that closely. 

On the defense and special teams 11 roster cuts took place and yes that also includes veterans, most notable being CB Antonio Hamilton. Hamilton actually had a pretty good preseason, taking 105 total snaps and recording 11 tackles in the 3 preseason games. Unfortunately for him though, that position is currently pretty well stacked with talent. Competing with players such as Carlton Davis III and Sean Murphy-Bunting who most people would probably say are two of the best cornerbacks in the league. Hamilton was essentially competing for the 5th and final roster spot for cornerback, and his only competition for that spot was Dee Delaney. While Hamilton had a great preseason, Delaney had a BETTER preseason recording 9 tackles and 2 interceptions. 

For the most part, these are very solid choices. We should watch closely to see if having 4 RB’s will have any sort of affect on the offensive game plan. The big thing to watch right now is how the Buccaneers will address having K Ryan Succop, DL Ndamukong Suh, OL Nick Everett and OL Earl Watford on the reserve/COVID-19 list. If they become active before week 1 vs the Cowboys, more roster moves will need to take place. Overall though, I give these roster picks a solid B+. I think the better alternative to having 4 RB’s would have been to drop Bernard. By doing so, they could have kept TE Tanner Hudson as a backup. Having only 3 TE’s seems dangerous considering 2 TE’s are continually in each snap with the offensive play calling used by Arians. With that being my only real complaint, I believe the cuts were fair, and cant wait for the season to officially start! The Buccaneers will open week 1 against the Cowboys, check out my pre-game analysis as I break down all the details.