Is there a better middle-aged athlete in sports history than 44-year-old Tom Brady?
Is there a player more crucial to the Bucs’ chances of repeating as Super Bowl champs than the seven-time champion quarterback?
Is this the year linebacker Devin White ascends to superstar status?
Will the “Grave Diggers” in the secondary continue to bury Bucs opponents?
Can the defensive line continue to play at the same high standard it has established despite its advancing age?
Is the return of coordinators Byron Leftwich, Todd Bowles and Keith Armstrong as important, or maybe even more so, than those of the 22 starting players?
We answer these and more questions in our 2021 Bucs season preview section, which publishes in Sunday’s Tampa Bay Times.
Here are the covers for the print section. For your convenience, we’ve pulled together links for all of the online stories below.
It bears repeating: This could be Tom Brady’s best year ever
The Bucs quarterback is the last to win back-to-back Super Bowls 17 years ago. Can he do it again? Read here.
The Godfather? Star Wars? Alien? These Bucs could be best sequel
Not since the Steelers in 1979 has a Super Bowl champion returned all of its starters. We rank all 22 of the Bucs anticipated starters. Read here.
Many happy returns? Start with the Bucs coordinators
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Explore all your optionsThe Bucs have 22 starters back from their Super Bowl 55 team. But retaining Todd Bowles and Byron Leftwich may make the biggest difference. Read here.
A Super Bowl repeat would propel Bucs into rarefied NFL air
Only eight teams (the Steelers did it twice) in the Super Bowl’s 55-year history have won back-to-back championships. Read here.
What to expect after Tom Brady wins a Super Bowl? Playoffs, maybe more
If past is prologue, Brady will at least lead the Bucs back to the postseason this year. He accomplished this in New England every season after winning a Super Bowl except one. Read here.
40 TDs? 4,633 yards? That just ain’t normal at Tom Brady’s age
Is the Bucs quarterback the greatest middle-aged athlete in sports history? The numbers suggest Tom Brady is a one-of-a-kind performer. Read here.
An age-old question: Who was the best athlete over 40 before TB12?
Tom Brady is rewriting the rules for athletes over 40, but who were the top middle-aged performers before the quarterback arrived in Tampa Bay? Read here.
Think Brady’s flourishing for his age? Check out the Bucs’ defensive line
The team’s oldest position group (aside from quarterback) keeps playing at an ageless level. Read here.
Is this the year Devin White graduates to superstar status?
The Bucs linebacker has an old school style of play that conjures up some of the game’s greats. Read here.
‘Grave Diggers’ live on in Bucs secondary
The unit, still one of the team’s youngest, remains hungry for more rings and respect. Read here.
Biggest threats to Bucs’ Super Bowl path? Breaking down the NFC
The Bucs may finally have a leg up in their division, but who could ultimately stand in their way of reaching a second straight Super Bowl? We size up the NFC. Read here.
Biggest threats to Bucs’ repeat chances? Breaking down the AFC
The early favorites in the AFC? The Bills, Chiefs and perhaps a bunch of Alabama rookies. Read here.
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