Bucs' Rival Throws Shade at NFC South Reign

When thinking of the NFL's most dominant franchises of recent seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may not initially come to mind. Some of the flashier teams like the Kansas City Chiefs or Buffalo Bills may strike a pulse. 

But in one aspect, Tampa Bay has put themselves on the same grounds as those two. These three teams have the longest active division winning streaks in the league with the Chiefs maintaining one of the longest ever at nine in a row atop the AFC West while the Bills have won the AFC East for the last five seasons. 

The Bucs sit in third in this pursuit, claiming the NFC South each of the last four seasons, claiming four home playoff games in that span. They have capitalized on that advantage two times in that span. 

Their goal is to hit their fifth in a row in 2025 and they should be the early favorites in the race. But New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan believes his team could be within reach as the pursuit begins next season. 

“You’re climbing a hill. But let’s just not say they’re running away with it,” Jordan said Wednesday on Good Morning Football. “The last three years, I think, you know they clearly won the NFC South this last year at 10-7, the year before that 9-8, the year before that 8-9 — c’mon, let’s just say it’s definitely attainable to go after.”

Jordan is not wrong here. The Bucs' run has not been marked by sheer dominance, instead taking the crown by gutting it out through the final week of the regular season. Going further, the South has not given them much of a proper challenge in this time either. 

But the Bucs have not stumbled into this success by accident. They have gone a combined 16-8 in NFC South games over the last four seasons, truly the must haves in a divisional pursuit. 

Tampa Bay translated their success over the last half decade through a coaching change and a major quarterback shift with Tom Brady stepping down and Baker Mayfield taking over. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Tristan Wirfs on the offensive side along with Antoine Winfield Jr. and Lavonte David on the defensive side have helped bridge that gap. 

That same win total that Jordan speaks of has progressed each season. If that trend continues, the Bucs will hit 11 wins this time around. 

With the steady improvement of their rivals, the Bucs will need to be better equipped to withstand the challenges of a grueling 18-game season to continue their reign. However, that same burden falls on all three competitors in their division to hold off one another and take out the one at the top.