The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fallen well short of expectations so far this season, but former coach Bruce Arians is not adjusting those expectations one bit.
In an interview with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Arians offered a bullish outlook on the rest of the Buccaneers’ season. He confidently predicted that the team would win the NFC South, and added that a Super Bowl title is still very much in play.
“I think (head coach) Todd (Bowles) has done a great job. Once you win the division, then let’s go play,” Arians said. “How many Super Bowls can you get out of it? The present isn’t as bright as the future, but the future will be real bright in a few weeks.
“This is going to be one of those seasons where (fans) say, ‘I hate you! I hate you! Oh my God, ‘I love you! I love you!’ Todd will win the division. Whatever happens after that? I hope we get rings.”
Arians believes that the team’s regular season record does not matter much as long as the team gets a home playoff game. From there, anything can happen, and the former coach is a believer in the talent on the team.
Arians is not necessarily wrong, but few would back the Buccaneers based on how they’ve played lately. They are fresh off a rather ugly loss against Cincinnati and are just 6-8, one game ahead of their three NFC South rivals. Counting out Brady in the playoffs is never a good idea, but the Buccaneers have to get there first, and follow that up with a lot of improvements.
