Bucs Near The Top Of PFF Tier Rankings Entering 2022

When Tom Brady briefly retired in February, the outlook for the 2022 Bucs changed dramatically. The roster still featured plenty of young talent, but it was never going to be easy to replace the seven-time Super Bowl champion. Whether Tampa Bay was going to ride with Blaine Gabbert, Kyle Trask or secret option C, the team’s playoff prospects were in question.

Then, 40 days later, Brady returned. That changed everything once again, with the Bucs getting one more year out of their Super Bowl window. With Brady back under center, Tampa Bay did work in free agency. Needs were addressed, depth was built and the roster was reloaded for another run at the Lombardi Trophy. That’s why the Bucs’ position in Pro Football Focus’ tier rankings heading into the 2022 season is no surprise.

The top tier of PFF’s rankings includes “True Contenders” and that’s where the Bucs find themselves. Tampa Bay came in at No. 2, behind only the Buffalo Bills. Here’s what PFF’s Sam Monson had to say about where Todd Bowles and his team are:

“Until we see real evidence of Tom Brady‘s decline, we have to assume that he will remain as one of the truly elite quarterbacks in the game, which makes the Bucs immediate contenders every year he is at the helm. Brady’s un-retirement paved the way for several other players that were scheduled to hit free agency to return, and the team patched up the holes that did appear in the draft. Adding a receiver such as Russell Gage, who was an underrated weapon in Atlanta and averaged 1.96 yards per route run last season, could make a real impact on the offense.”

Are The Bucs’ The Top Dogs In The NFC?

Whether or not the Bills are really the top team in the NFL, PFF’s rankings tag the Bucs as the NFC’s best. They are ranked just ahead of the Rams, who beat them in last year’s NFC Divisional playoffs before winning the Super Bowl. Los Angeles holds a three-game winning streak over Tampa Bay. Sean McVay feels like Todd Bowles’ kryptonite. The Rams are the defending Super Bowl champions. So, should the Bucs be the favorites in the NFC ahead of them heading into 2022? Monson seems to think so.

“The defending Super Bowl Champions are already being disrespected! Before we go overboard, remember that the Rams were the No. 4 seed a year ago and needed Matthew Stafford to up his play from an 80.7 regular season PFF grade to 89.5 in the postseason to go on the run that they did. The Rams also lost critical parts of the roster, as Robert Woods, Odell Beckham Jr., Sebastian Joseph-Day and Von Miller now play elsewhere. The Rams added Allen Robinson and Bobby Wagner to help offset those losses, but there’s a good chance that, at best, they have taken a sideways step in an offseason where several contenders got better.”

It’s an interesting point that Monson makes. Did the playoff Rams over-perform as compared to the regular season Rams? It’s possible. They won the Super Bowl nonetheless, but they may very well fall back down to earth in 2022. That’s more speculation, of course. The other point is more concrete. Los Angeles’ roster experienced some turnover this spring, with some significant losses. A couple of big moves in response should help. But Monson seems to believe McVay’s team took a “sideways” step while other teams improved.

The last two Super Bowl champions will face off at Raymond James Stadium in Week 9. That’s when Tampa Bay will get a chance to prove that it can beat Los Angeles. But with the two teams presumably being the favorites to meet again in the NFC Championship Game next January, that would be the bigger one. But right now, PFF likes the Bucs to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVII.

Heavy Favorites In The NFC South Once Again

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

Tampa Bay finally returned to the top of the NFC South in 2021. It was the Bucs’ first division championship since 2007, and they’re heavy favorites to get another one this year. When browsing PFF’s tier rankings, it takes a while to find another NFC South team after the Bucs at No. 2. Next in line are the Saints, who come in at No. 20. They are the final team in the “Eyes On The Playoffs” tier.

Monson points to Jameis Winston as an “unknown factor” while wondering how the Saints will move forward now that both Sean Payton and Drew Brees are gone. New Orleans is another team that Tampa Bay can’t seem to beat – at least not in the regular season. The Bucs have lost seven straight to the Saints outside of the playoff win in 2020. But Tampa Bay is still expected to be the much better team in 2022.

The Panthers find themselves in the “Rebuilding” tier. They come in at No. 29, with a heavy focus on their quarterback competition between Sam Darnold and Matt Corral, “a player the rest of the NFL didn’t want for over 90 picks.” And just below the Panthers are the Falcons, who check in at No. 30.

With its failure to land Deshaun Watson, Atlanta has a question mark at the quarterback position. The team traded longtime starter Matt Ryan to Indianapolis and will now decide between Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder. There really isn’t a reason to expect either Carolina or Atlanta to compete this year. The battle for the NFC South should once again come down to Tampa Bay and New Orleans.

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