The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will enter the 2022 NFL season as one of the favorites to reach and win Super Bowl LVII. Much of that has to do, of course, with quarterback Tom Brady's decision to come out of retirement. Despite being 45 years old, Brady can clearly play at a high level.

The Buccaneers added numerous weapons to the offense as well. They signed free agent wide receivers Russell Gage and Julio Jones to an already loaded receiver room. The Bucs even brought in Kyle Rudolph to replace Rob Gronkowski. Obviously, that's a step down but Rudolph is still a former Pro Bowl tight end.

All of that has led to Las Vegas to give Brady and the Buccaneers a good shot at another title. But I am here to tell you that they are in more trouble than meets the eye.

Here are the four reasons why the 2022 Buccaneers are in serious trouble.

4 Reasons why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2022 Season is on Shaky Ground

4. The Buccaneers Schedule

One of the primary reasons Tampa Bay is likely going to struggle more than most people realize is the schedule. The NFC South division matches up against the NFC West and the AFC North this year. That means that outside of their divisional games, the Buccaneers have to play the Rams, 49ers, Cardinals, Bengals, Ravens, Steelers and Browns. I purposefully did not include the Seahawks in that sentence because that team is going to be a train wreck. But the other seven teams are stacked with talent and will be a difficult opponent.

The other three games on their schedule are the Cowboys, Packers and Chiefs. If you include the two games against the Saints, that makes 12 games the Buccaneers could lose. They obviously won't lose 12 games. But their over/under on FanDuel sits at 11.5 wins. They might not make double digits.

Only the Rams, Cardinals and Bengals have a more difficult schedule this year.

3. Tom Brady vs. Father Time

I am not crazy enough to say that Brady's career is finally going to fall off a cliff. At this point, he has taken father time into the championship rounds like no other athlete in professional sports history. Yes, there have been athletes play beyond 45 years old. Gordie Howe comes to mind. Howe did not retire until he was 52. But the last decade of his career, he was not close to the player that dominated hockey for two decades prior.

Brady can still play at an elite level. He proved that last year. But one has to wonder if his head is fully in it this year. After he retired, the Buccaneers QB reportedly was interesting in joining the Miami Dolphins at the executive level. After the Brian Flores scandal, that plan fell through. Brady's fall back option was to come out of retirement and play in Tampa Bay again.

He then signed a deal with Fox Sports to be an announcer. That will not begin until after he leaves the game of football, but clearly he's thinking beyond his playing days.

Then Brady, in the middle of training camp, leaves the team for a family matter. That's something he has never done during his illustrious career. All of this has to make you wonder how invested is he heading into this season.

2. New Orleans Saints

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The biggest, and only, threat to take the NFC South division away from Tampa Bay is the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have a new head coach this year in Dennis Allen. He was previously the defensive coordinator, but not just any D-coordinator. Allen has done as good a job as anyone over the years in slowing down Brady.

The last two seasons, the Saints have played the Buccaneers five times. Tampa Bay was outscored 127-53 in the four regular season meetings, all losses. The Bucs did win the only playoff matchup, but Brady struggled in that game as well. Thankfully for Bucs fans, their defense picked off Drew Brees three times.

Nevertheless, Dennis Allen and the Saints will not be intimidated. Their offense is getting Michael Thomas back. They signed Jarvis Landry and drafted Chris Olave. Alvin Kamara is not likely to be suspended this year and the defense is top-5. Winning the NFC South is not going to be as easy as people think.

1. Offensive Line Issues

The biggest reason for concern for the Buccaneers is their offensive line. That problem began during the offseason. Pro Bowl offensive guard Ali Marpet retired. Then their other Pro Bowl guard, Alex Cappa signed with the Bengals in free agency. Things did not get any better as training camp opened.

Pro Bowl center Nick Jensen suffered a serious knee injury and could miss the entire season. Then right tackle Tristan Wirfs suffered an oblique injury. Then on Sunday, Aaron Stinnie suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Stinnie was going to start at left guard with so many departures.

That forced Luke Goedeke into action at the position. He had a dreadful performance vs. the Titans Saturday. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles even acknowledged how dire the situation is.

Everyone knows that Brady is the master of manipulating a pocket. With so many great edge rushers in the NFL, Brady simply shuffles his feet, steps up in the pocket and buys the time needed. But the one thing Buccaneers and NFL fans know about Brady is that he doesn't like pressure up the middle.

That's how the New York Giants won two Super Bowls against him. With Tampa Bay having to play back ups and third stringers on the interior of the line, versus their schedule, it might be a very different looking season.