Power rankings are always interesting to see how they can reflect upon your team and others within your division.
Following Week 1, the Bucs are now atop the NFC South as the lone team with a win in the division. The offense showed they can be explosive once again, and the defense showed they can be a wall when they need to down the line. They remain Super Bowl contenders despite their sluggish first half.
After Week 1, ESPN has the Bucs in the tenth spot, up three spots from their pre-season rankings, in which they were in the 13th spot. ESPN’s Jenna Laine had to spotlight the best newcomer from the game on Sunday, and it, of course, was wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. She writes, “In his NFL debut, the No. 19 pick and Ohio State’s all-time receptions leader caught two touchdown passes. The latter was the game winner with just under a minute remaining. It happened on a day quarterback Baker Mayfield appeared shaky — he was without the injured Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan — so the deep-ball connection with Egbuka had a calming effect. The more Mike Evans is singled out by opposing defenses, the more opportunities for No. 2.”
The Bucs will be playing the 16th-ranked team in the power rankings, the Houston Texans, in Week 2 on the road. Could a second straight road victory prove to be enough for them to keep climbing the rankings? Perhaps. The team will be facing a stiffer defensive test, but the Texans’ offense is showing that they are already beaten up with them missing their starting center.
It could lead to the Bucs’ defensive line feasting on the Texans’ offensive line on Sunday, which would make them look impressive, and in the end, they would be able to rise up the ranks.
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