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USATSI

Future first-ballot Hall of Famer, the G.O.A.T., Tom Brady brought instant credibility and success to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, taking a team that hadn't reached the postseason for 12 seasons (2008-2019) to the promised land by winning Super Bowl LV in the 2020 season. Now that he has retired, seemingly for real this time, the Buccaneers are back to being viewed the way they were prior to his arrival: as major underdogs. 

Tampa Bay will hit the road in Week 1 of the 2023 season to face the defending NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings, and even though they're going from a quarterback drafted 199th overall (Brady) to most likely a passer taken first overall (Baker Mayfield), the Buccaneers are seven-point road underdogs. That's the largest spread the Buccaneers have had against them since 2019, the year before Brady arrived, according to SportsLine. The seven-point spread is their largest specifically since Week 4 of the 2019 season, when Jameis Winston, who was in the midst of becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a single season, led them into battle in Los Angeles against the Rams

Winston shocked Vegas and likely many bettors everywhere as he outdueled Rams quarterback Jared Goff, compiling 385 yards, four touchdowns and only one interception on 28 of 41 passing for a 120.5 passer rating. Goff threw three picks in addition to 517 yards and two scores while attempting a career-high 68 passes, 45 of which were completed. Tampa Bay backers can only hope Mayfield or Kyle Trask, a 2021 second round selection, can have a similar performance against Kirk Cousins come Sunday, Sept. 10.