The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need a strong finish if they want any hope of reaching the NFL postseason in 2024, and they got off to a hot start as they blew out the New York Giants 30-7 in MetLife stadium this past Sunday.
Much of the same was going for the Buccaneers on the day, although it appeared that the defense saw some improvement after getting a few players back healthy following the team's bye week. While the defense played admirably against a team without a true starting quarterback manning the helm, the Bucs' offense picked up right where it had left off.
The Bucs welcomed back wide receiver Mike Evans into the fold after dealing with a hamstring injury, and he produced at less than 100%. Still, the play on the ground eventually led me to name the Buccaneers' running game as the 'X-Factor' in their win against the Giants.
A large reason why I decided to go with the group is because as a whole, Tampa Bay rushed for over 150 yards between Bucky Irving, Baker Mayfield, Rachaad White and Sean Tucker, and all four of those guys also scored on the ground, making the Buccaneers the first franchise in NFL history to have four players score rushing touchdowns in a single game.
Without the resilience of these guys on the ground, the Bucs likely could have found themselves in precarious situations but fortunately for them, they were able to do what was needed to keep this game comfortable and then some.
The Buccaneers run game and offense as a whole have been one of the best in the league thus far and they will look to continue rolling down the home stretch when they face off against NFC South rivals the Carolina Panthers to get back to .500 on the season
