The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have bounced back nicely after Tom Brady's retirement a few years ago.
Tampa turned to Baker Mayfield as their next answer at QB and he has not disappointed. Mayfield was on fire in 2023, passing for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns in the regular season. He even led the Buccaneers to the playoffs, where they trounced a reeling Eagles operation that backed into the postseason.
The Buccaneers lost to the Lions in the next round of the playoffs in a one-score game. They also faced Detroit in the regular season and lost at Raymond James Stadium.
Tampa Bay now has a chance to return to Ford Field and get revenge on Detroit in Week 2.
Can the Buccaneers carry over their momentum from Week 1 and defeat the Lions? Or will we see a repeat of last seasons performances?
Below are four Buccaneers bold predictions ahead of this highly-anticipated Week 2 matchup with the Lions.
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Baker Mayfield exceeds 300 passing yards but throws at least one hideous interception
Mayfield may have played the best game of his NFL career in Week 1.
The Buccaneers QB shredded the Commanders last week, going off for 289 yards and four touchdowns in a winning effort.
Mayfield looks more comfortable than ever. This is his first offseason with the same team since his days in Cleveland. The Buccaneers also brought in Liam Coen, who Baker knows very well.
Therefore, it is reasonable to hope that Mayfield can light up a Lions secondary that was one of the league's worst coverage units in 2023.
However, the Lions look different in the secondary than they did last year. Detroit pumped considerable resources into their secondary, including two draft picks in Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Detroit did not look invincible in Week 1, and that's without the Rams testing the Lions down the field at all. Mayfield won't be so kind.
My prediction: Baker Mayfield throws for more than 300 passing yards as the Buccaneers lean heavily on the vertical passing game. However, Mayfield makes at least one ugly interception, possibly in a crucial part of the game.
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White has more than twice as many receiving yards as rushing yards
White has proven throughout his young NFL career that he is a much more efficient receiver than he is a runner between the tackles.
The Buccaneers love giving White carries, but he is often inefficient at gaining yards with those carries.
Week 1's victory over the Commanders was a perfect example. White rushed 15 times for 31 yards, going for 2.1 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Bucky Irving had nine carries for 62 yards at 6.9 yards per carry.
The types of touches were different, but it shows how woefully inefficient White has been as a pro.
That said, he's an excellent pass catcher. White hauled in six catches for 75 yards against Washington, which was second on the team behind Chris Godwin.
I almost made my prediction that White would have more receiving yards than rushing yards, but that would be far too easy. Not only did he make that happen against the Commanders, but the Lions have a very strong run defense unit. Time to go bolder.
My actual prediction: White has more than twice as many receiving yards than rushing yards against the Lions.
Mike Evans leads the Buccaneers in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns
Evans is inevitable.
No matter what happens with the Buccaneers, Mike Evans always seems to go for over 1,000 yards receiving every year of his career. It seems that way because it's true. Evans has never had fewer than 1,006 receiving yards in a season, making him one of the most consistent NFL players in recent memory.
Evans got the 2024 season off to a strong start with 61 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Week 1 against the Commanders.
He may be matched up with a familiar face against the Lions. Detroit traded for cornerback Carlton Davis III this offseason and he has taken over as the Lions CB1.
Buccaneers fans should expect Davis III to shadow Evans for most of the game, intent on shutting him down with tight man coverage.
That may not work against a receiver like Evans.
My prediction: Mayfield and the Buccaneers coaching staff decide to force feed Mike Evans to the Lions secondary. Evans leads the team in every major statistical category: receptions, targets, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
Lions defeat the Buccaneers by two scores in shootout made worse by Tampa Bay's injuries
The Buccaneers are certainly a frisky team in the NFC this year, but this is a tough matchup.
Tampa Bay is seriously banged up with major injuries on both sides of the ball. The Buccaneers will be without crucial starters like safety Antoine Winfield Jr., tackle Luke Goedeke, and defensive lineman Calijah Kancey.
Those injuries could make it much more difficult for the Buccaneers to execute important parts of the gameplan against the Lions.
Baker Mayfield may face more pressure from Aidan Hutchinson without Goedeke. This may force Tampa to invest extra resources in chipping or double-teaming Hutchinson.
Jared Goff may be sitting pretty in the pocket with Calijah Kancey on the sideline. Vita Vea is the only dominant force on the team's front seven at this point. He can easily be double-teamed, and Detroit's elite offensive line can afford to make that happen.
The Lions love attacking the middle of the field, and not having Winfield Jr. is a big blow. Tampa can still scheme their way into some nice looks, but it won't be the same without one of their best defensive players.
My prediction: the Buccaneers put together an excellent game plan and work around their injury deficiencies. They deploy a potent passing attack and pepper in a few runs to keep Detroit honest. Despite all of this, Tampa will still lose by two scores.
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