Tampa Bay is a sleeper candidate for being the Rams’ biggest threat in 2025
Galactus is one, if not the most feared being in the Marvel universe. The iconic villain will hit the big screen (if there’s one large enough) this weekend in the new film “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” Everyone should be able to see him arrive for a planetary snack, and to keep on this fantastic theme, I’ve identified the L.A. Rams’ biggest conference threat in 2025: the Buccaneers.
Tampa Bay is the best team that few people are talking about, and has the potential of being the NFC’s Galactus in-waiting. Sure, the Eagles are the reigning Super Bowl champs, but the Bucs have more than enough firepower to keep up with anyone.
For one, they have a player who’s about the size of Galactus—too soon?
This team scored 502 points in the regular season, ranking fourth in the league. Former Rams quarterback Baker Mayfield threw 41 touchdown passes, finishing only two behind Joe Burrow’s league-leading 43.
Plus, TB has one of the most promising young running backs in Bucky Irving, and one of the NFL’s top receiving duos. Trio, if rookie Emeka Egbuka carries over his production from Ohio State.
The Bucs have all the makings of a super scary team that can make a deep postseason push. Playing in a painfully weak division should do the trick, as the Saints are rebuilding—or should be—the Panthers need a lot of things to go their way and the Falcons will probably choke away any playoff hopes they have late in the year.
Everything is leaning towards Tampa Bay winning its fifth straight division title. However, the one element that could prevent them from going far is coaching.
I believe Baker and the offense will be fine with Liam Coen now in Jacksonville. Instead, I’m more worried about Todd Bowles, who is a Doctor Doom-level defensive genius, but an average head coach. Bowles struggles in key situations that someone in his position should not be making seven years into the job.
He did sign an extension this offseason and has made it a goal to improve the team’s situational awareness this season. Guess we’ll see how that goes!
Los Angeles, on the surface, is a title contender, but we need to view the Bucs in a similar light. TB’s trip to SoFi Stadium in November on Sunday Night Football could be a dark horse NFC Championship preview.
To quote Marvel’s big bad, “I am the hunger that dooms worlds.”
The Rams had better hope that the Buccaneers don’t do enough to harm their world in ‘25. Assemble L.A.’s Fantastic Four, Sean McVay, because here comes Galactus.