It is time to panic if you are a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan. After the Bucs 0-2 start and a blown lead against the Cleveland Browns, Dan Orlovsky of ESPN made it clear that the panic meter is incredibly high in Tampa Bay right now.
“Incredibly high,” Orlovsky told Pat McAfee on his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. The former NFL quarterback went on to read his notes on the Bucs.
“Bad zone defense,” started Orlovsky. “Bad zone defense. Bad pressure distribution. Too soft in coverage. Poor tackling. Poor tackling. Poor tackling. Poor tackling. Blown coverage. Defensively, the [Bucs’] breakdowns in the second half, specifically, were so significant.”
The breakdowns in the second half on defense we’re so significant..
They called seven screens on offense yesterday and none of them worked” ~ @danorlovsky7 #PMSLive
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Panic Meter is Incredibly High
According to PFF, the Bucs had 14 missed tackles. That was spread across nine different players. Five different players missed more than one tackle.
He did not leave out the offense, though. He noted that the offense is boom or bust and does not have consistency. They live on screens and shot plays.
“They called like seven screens yesterday. None of them worked,” Orlovsky said of Tampa Bay. “It’s either a 40-yard completion down the field or a 40-yard miss down the field.”
Mayfield was 2-for-11 when throwing the deep ball in Week 2. He was 7-for-7 on passes behind the line of scrimmage, but the Bucs had six yards of offense. The screens and shot plays did not work.
The Bucs are undisciplined on defense, and they do not have a clear plan on offense; this looks like a sinking ship in Tampa Bay.
Buccaneers Off to Troubling Start
This could have been predicted. The Bucs finished 2-6 to end the 2025 season, and head coach Todd Bowles entered the 2026 season on the hot seat. Because of that, the team is trying to make too many changes too quickly, and the results are not coming fast enough.
On defense, they have an influx of new personnel. They had 17 players take snaps for the Bucs. Eight of those players did not take a snap for the Bucs last year. When you add in Benjamin Morrison and Calijah Kancey seeing more work due to being healthier, more than half of the defense is adjusting to each other on the fly.
On offense, Baker Mayfield is on his fourth offensive coordinator in as many years. Zac Robinson does not have the time to bring in the offense he wants, as the team has to find ways to make it work quickly. He is being asked to microwave the meal.
So, it is hard to see things turning around. That is why Orlovsky has the panic meter so high. The question now is whether Bowles makes it through the season, or if the Bucs decide to move on during the year.
ESPN Analyst Gives Brutal Assessment of Bucs After 0-2 Start