NFL 2022: Brady bids to lead the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl
The Tampa Buccaneers head into the 2022 NFL season as one of the favourites to win the Super Bowl next February.
The latest NFL odds rank them as the second favourites behind the Buffalo Bills to clinch the title for the second time in three years.
Veteran quarterback Tom Brady will be crucial to their hopes, but is it realistic to expect a 45-year-old to lead them to another championship? We assess the Bucs’ chances.
Brady continues to defy his age
While Brady is undoubtedly a fine physical specimen, age ultimately catches up with everyone at some point in their lives.
Brady has teased that he could play until he is 50, but it is unlikely we will see him in an NFL uniform when he hits the half century.
The Buccaneers have plenty of attacking talent at their disposal, which gives them more than a fighting chance of fully utilising Brady’s talents.
His experience and ability to handle pressure should help the Bucs reach the play-offs, but winning the Super Bowl could be a bridge too far.
Bucs suffer crucial roster exits
The Bucs sustained some significant losses on offense this summer, with Rob Gronkowski, Alex Gappa, Ali Marpet and Ronald Jones all leaving.
Jordan Whitehead, Richard Sherman, Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul have left the defensive unit, creating holes on the other side of the ball.
However, several of those players did not live up to expectations last season and their exits open the door for others to step up to the mark.
The Bucs made some useful acquisitions in the NFL Draft, but whether that will be enough to deliver short-term success is debatable.
Bowles has a point to prove
Super Bowl-winning coach Bruce Arians moved upstairs earlier this year to allow former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to step into the hot seat.
Arians was criticised for being overly conservative towards the end of his tenure, and Bucs fans will hope that Bowles lets the brakes off a little.
His record as New York Jets’ head coach was poor, meaning that he has a massive point to prove during the upcoming campaign.
While that could work in the Bucs’ favour, it is probably unrealistic to expect Bowles to win the Super Bowl in his first season in charge.
Bucs’ schedule looks tough
The Bucs face the toughest opening to the season of any NFL team as they face the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs, all games available to watch via live NFL streams if you are not in front of a tv.
The game against New Orleans could be particularly challenging, with the Saints winning seven of their last eight meetings with the Bucs.
Their overall schedule is the fourth hardest based on their opponents’ records last season, further ramping up the pressure on Brady and co.
The Bucs should progress to the play-offs, but winning the Super Bo
