Where do the Buccaneers stand in the Week 1 Power Rankings?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into Week 1 with one goal on their mind — the Super Bowl. Anything less than that will fall short of their expectations. They open up the season with a divisional matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs dropped both games to Atlanta last season, so payback is on their minds.

Most national outlets tend to agree that the Bucs are a step ahead of the Falcons and are contenders to potentially make a run. However, most aren't willing to fully buy in yet. Week 1 will be a good test for the Bucs as Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans skipped the preseason, but something tells me they'll be ready to go.

Heading into Week 1, some media outlets have the Bucs as high as six, while others are still lower on them and have them around the middle of the pack. Time will tell where the Bucs ultimately end up, but I have a feeling more than a few people will be surprised. Here's the weekly round-up of where the Buccaneers land in the power rankings.

Fox Sports: No. 10

"One of the biggest complaints about my initial Power Rankings was that I didn’t have the Bucs in the top 10. First, they were 11th, so relax. Second … fine. Are you happy now? But be careful what you wish for, because this team has been hit hard by injuries this summer. LT Tristan Wirfs and WR Chris Godwin will each miss a few weeks. WR Jalen McMillan could miss more than that. TE Cade Otton and RB Rachaad White have been battling injuries. But hey, they’re in my top 10 now, so good luck!"

Preseason ranking: No. 11

NFL.com: No. 7

"If you wish to think of the Buccaneers as the best team of the second tier, be my guest. That’s sort of how I’m approaching them this year, but I really believe they have a high ceiling if they receive some good luck on the injury front and can make incremental improvements defensively -- more takeaways, a little tighter against the pass, better in first halves. That’s not a high bar to cross. No, the offense is not above examination, and first-time play-caller Josh Grizzard will be Baker Mayfield’s third offensive coordinator in three years with the Bucs. Still, the firepower is there, with many options to showcase. Seven of Tampa's first 11 games are on the road, too, but I am buying Bucs stock and putting it in the safety-deposit box. If they can weather the early storm and hold off the Falcons, these Buccaneers feel like Super Bowl dark horses to me."

Last Ranking: N/A

The Athletic: No. 16

"The NFC South favorites got off to a rough start with the news that Tristan Wirfs would miss training camp after having arthroscopic knee surgery, but the news has been mostly good since then. Wirfs was activated off the PUP list last week, an indication he could be available at some point in the first month of the season, and rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka has gotten a great deal of positive press."

Last Ranking: No. 16

Sports Illustrated: No. 14

"Emeka Egbuka just takes off, man. There’s something about seeing real speed, real finesse and real releases translated to the NFL that can give you jitters, even when the games don’t matter and even if Egbuka only caught a small number of passes this summer in games. I don’t think it matters. I think it’s a very real reason why I picked the Buccaneers to win 12 games this year and possibly finish out 2025 as the No. 1 seed in the NFC."

Last Ranking: N/A

ESPN: No. 6

"Tampa Bay has found its franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield and he'll have one of the league's top supporting casts, which now includes first-round wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. The defense still has concerns at certain positions, but the unit can be good enough to give the Bucs a shot at their fifth consecutive division title and sixth straight trip to the postseason."

Last Ranking: N/A

CBSSports: No. 6

"They are loaded. Baker Mayfield will push to win the MVP with some big numbers. The defense will also be much improved."

Last Ranking: No.9

NBCSports: No. 8

"Every year, they’re overlooked. And they love it."

Last Ranking: N/A

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