Bucs' passing game is a lethal attack that can dominate the NFL in 2024

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rolled against the Washington Commanders on Sunday and the catalyst behind the big win was quarterback Baker Mayfield and the passing attack.

Mayfield, himself, was a rock star. He torched the Commanders secondary, completing 80% of his passes for 289-yards and four touchdowns. He did some damage on the ground too, with 21-yards on three carries. Most importantly, however, he escaped several sacks that would've either ended a drive or would've killed a drive if the Bucs couldn't make up the lost yardage. 

"I mean, that's a quarterback thing. You have to have a feel for that," Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told reporters when asked about Mayfield's ability to avoid sacks against the Commanders. "I can't sit up here and take credit for that, and I don't think the coaches can either. That's something that's ingrained in you, that you learn to do over time.

"And Baker has that knack for it, and he makes the right decision, mostly all the time. He did a heck of a job today."Mayfield has plenty of weapons to throw to as the season goes on and as long as everyone is healthy, it should only get better. Mike Evans looked like he was in midseason form and so did the connection between him and Mayfield. Chris Godwin, whom many pegged to have a big year heading into the season, led the team in both receptions (8) and receiving yards (83). Rookie receiver Jalen McMillan showed his sensational summer was no fluke by catching a 32-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield and would've had another one if he didn't drop a wide-open pass in the first quarter (Mayfield could've thrown a better ball, too).

In all seriousness, the Bucs already have one of the best wide receiver duos in the game and the addition of McMillan, plus an improved offensive line and Liam Coen's offense, could give the team the best trio of wideouts in the game. Potentially the league's best passing attack, as well.

"That's the standard that this group has," Mayfield told reporters after the game. "We expect to be able to come out and be that efficient. Every game is going to be different - this is the NFL it's highly competitive. But we expect to be able to be that efficient on offense.. [so] it's good to see that we came out Week 1 [and] put everything together. Like I said, there's still stuff to work on, but this is a good building block for us."

But, even if it doesn't finish as the best, it will certainly be one of the best.

There's one caveat to everything, however, and that's the state of the Commanders defense. Which is not very good, right now. The cornerback room is in shambles and the defensive line doesn't have a true EDGE rusher on the outside. Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne are excellent weapons, but they can't do it all. Having a reputable guy on the outside would alleviate so much for them, but unfortunately, he's not there.

At the same time, you want teams beating up on the squads we know are bad, right? It would be worrisome if the Bucs struggled against what will likely be a bottom-10 defense at the end of the year. That's certainly not what you want to see.

Either way, Mayfield and co. have a chance to do some big things in 2024 and so far, they're batting 1.000.