How Far the Buccaneers Fell in This Week's NFL Power Rankings

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their Week 1 matchup to the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday, and clearly, there's a lot to work on.

There was plenty of hype around the Bucs in numerous respects during the offseason, from revamped position groups like the front seven to a new quarterbacks coach and two big extensions to quarterback Baker Mayfield and defensive tackle Vita Vea. A lot of that didn't show up in Week 1 — the Bucs displayed a weak pass rush and Mayfield fumbled three times, among other errors.

Naturally, a lot of preseason power rankings accounted for the excitement around this team, and after the loss, those power rankings aren't so favorable. The Bucs dropped quite a bit in national power rankings as we head into Week 2, but they do have a potential bounce-back game against the Cleveland Browns coming up next Sunday.

Here's how the national media is ranking the Buccaneers after that 33-27 Week 1 loss to the Bengals:

The Athletic: No. 22

"Baker Mayfield didn’t throw an interception but still turned it over three times on fumbles. The Bucs fought back to make the final score respectable, but it never really felt like they had a chance in this one. It’s weird for a Todd Bowles-coached team to finish last in pressure rate (21.6 on Sunday) for the week, which is not a great sign."

Sports Illustrated: No. 21

"From my column on John Harbaugh, I ask this question openly to teams that continue to hang on to their existing power structures despite glimpses of stagnancy: is the upside worth the downside, which seems to be losing games in nearly identical ways week in and week out? I saw it posited that four lost fumbles are not the coach's fault. I would respectfully beg to differ."

CBS: No. 18

"They were sloppy in the loss to the Bengals with all the turnovers. But the defense actually played pretty well against that offense, which is a good sign."

BleacherReport: No. 20

"Mayfield's desire to make a play at all costs can be a positive and negative. Against the Cincinnati Bengals, his relentless nature became a significant problem. Mayfield fumbled the ball three times, which directly led to 17 points by the Bengals. When Mayfield is on his game, he can light up an opponent. But there's always that part of him where everyone knows he's operating on the edge."

NFL.com: No. 14

"Yes, the Buccaneers lost on Sunday. Yes, they turned the ball over four times. There's plenty to clean up. But there's also a lot to like. Tampa Bay never punted, its defense bowed up in the second half to keep Cincinnati out of the end zone and rookie LB Josiah Trotter turned in one of the best debuts I’ve ever seen. For a team coming off a loss, the Bucs could feel much, much worse. Baker Mayfield needs to protect the football, though."

ESPN: No. 18

"The son of Eagles legend Jeremiah Trotter became the first rookie to record a pick-six and a sack in his NFL debut since sacks became an official stat in 1982, according to Elias Sports Bureau. His pick-six helped turn a four-turnover performance into a one-score game. He also amassed 10 tackles, including two tackles for a loss."

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