🏈 NFL Opening Night Preview: Defending Champion Bucs Takes On Big-D in Tampa 🏈

   

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Super Bowl LV Champions 

         

   

Back in February the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stunned almost everybody by not merely beating the defending champion Chiefs, but completely dominating them in every way. Yes, they dominated that game to win the second Super Bowl in franchise history. 

Now later today, they play their first game that actually counts since that tremendous win. Tom Brady is now 44, and you have to wonder just how much longer he can keep playing the game at such a high level. But he continued to defy expectations, and my guess is that he will be solid this season, as well. 

This year, the NFL season kind of just snuck up on me, admittedly. I realized only last night that the season opener was today. So, I did not get to do the division picks this year. However, I will try and do an overall season preview, along with my picks for who will qualify for the playoffs, and who will ultimately meet in this year's Super Bowl. Should be an interesting year.

Later today, it all gets started when the Bucs host the Dallas Cowboys. Tampa Bay, as the defending champion, figures to be the favorites in the NFC South. After all, the Saints lost Brees, the Panthers still figure to be in rebuilding mode, and the Falcons have not lived up to their potential since blowing that 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl a few years back. So that means that the Buccaneers really appear as the clear favorites to take that division. 

As for the Cowboys, they always seem like a difficult team to figure out. Every year, it seems that there is no shortage of hype surrounding them. And yet every year, they show tremendous inconsistency. They have the tools in place to be competitive, but it seems that something happens every year to prevent them from getting to that next level. That is why this team has not even reached the NFC title game even once since the last time that the 'Boys won the Super Bowl back in January of 1996. In terms of talent, I believe that the Cowboys have enough there to not only be competitive, but to win the division, and be a major factor in the NFC playoffs. But it seems like something happens to derail them every year. Maybe this year will be different, but I do not know.

In any case, I figure that this should be a good, tight, competitive game. However, the Bucs should be motivated to really play their best, wanting to win the home opener as defending champions. They may even have a real chance to repeat, although they have to both stay healthy and focused, and also need some luck on their side. That said, it does seem like they should have enough to get them past Dallas tonight.

My pick: Tampa Bay