The Tampa Bay Buccaneers open their season against the Cincinnati Bengals in less than 24 hours.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield has had great success against the Bengals in Cincinnati over his career. If that continues, the Bucs have a good chance to start the season off on a high note.

Expectations for the Bucs are mixed this year as they try to return to the playoffs after collapsing down the stretch a season ago. While they appear to be the most talented team in the NFC South, Tampa has consistently been placed anywhere between 18 and 22 in most NFL power rankings.

One position that provides the biggest reason for optimism is Tampa's offensive line, which may be the best in the NFL. After being one of the league's top units in 2024, injuries caused the line to regress last season.

Star left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who is not only arguably the best tackle in the NFL but also one of the league's top franchise players, missed five games. Joining him on the sidelines were fellow starters Luke Goedeke (6 games missed), Ben Bredeson (5), and Cody Mauch (15).

Now healthy, Tampa's line is looking to return to its dominant ways. 

As shared by Rick Stroud, new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is excited to have all five starters ready to go to begin the new season.

Robinson was OC for the Atlanta Falcons before coming to Tampa this season. As a division rival, he was able to get a good look at the Bucs' line, especially how great they were in the 2024 season. Robinson talked to reporters and divulged that he is seeing glimpses of that stellar play in practice.

"It's been a long time coming for those guys. Even though I was not here last year, seeing from afar, seeing how much movement was required up front with Graham (Barton) playing tackle...Getting Tristan back out there now and seeing those guys collectively work, it reminds you of the '24 tape...Seeing how in sync they were. They were working well together. They were playing extremely physical. It was impressive to watch. Getting kind of a glimpse of that in practice, and just can't wait to see those guys in real game action."

The effect a healthy Wirfs will have on the line cannot be overstated. Even though injuries caused his play to dip slightly last year, his 92.7 overall grade from PFF was still second among tackles. 

Having all five starters at full strength should act as the catalyst for an offensive resurgence in Tampa. The Bucs' offense was one of the NFL's most explosive in 2024 with Liam Coen as offensive coordinator. Robinson's offense is very similar to Coen's and will allow the players to play to their strengths.

The Bucs' offensive line will be the engine that propels the team to success this season. Now that it is back to full strength, it raises the ceiling of the entire squad.

As long as the starters can remain on the field, Mayfield should be able to avoid many of the nagging injuries he played through last year.

Our first chance to see the offensive line back in game action together is tomorrow at 1 PM.