TAMPA, Fla. -- After a 20-16 victory on the road over the Detroit Lions in Week 2 in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were 7.5-point underdogs according to ESPN BET, coach Todd Bowles assembled his team inside the locker room at Ford Field for an important message.
"That was a hell of a win in a hell of a place. And that was a hell of a team over there," Bowles said. "But like last year, it only gets us to 2-0 -- we didn't win the championship today. ... Enjoy the day, enjoy the night, enjoy the ride, we'll watch the film and we've gotta be on to Denver.
"We've got to act like we've been here. Act like we've been here, but that was a hell of a job."
He's talking about the Bucs' Week 3 contest hosting the Denver Broncos (0-2) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX) at Raymond James Stadium, where the Bucs will try to go 3-0 for the first time since 2005 and for just the fifth time in franchise history. And he's reminding them of the big picture and the volatile nature of the league.
"This is the big game for us," Bowles said. "We've only played two games. We can't look ahead for anything. Not good enough. We got a lot of work to do."
Quarterback Baker Mayfield echoed that sentiment coming off a career-best five touchdowns (plus a sixth on the ground) through the first two games of any season.
"Yeah, 2-0 is 2-0. But a lot of ball left," Mayfield said. "We know last year we started out 3-1 and hit the opposite turn."
The Bucs came out of their Week 5 bye last season and lost their footing, dropping six out of seven games. They were able to finish strong to get to 9-8 and win the division over the New Orleans Saints because of a tiebreaker.
"We're only human, so of course it's a big win and we are going to feel the emotion of that," cornerback Zyon McCollum said. "We also know that it's a long season. We started 2-0 last year, and we all saw what happened.
"The leadership of this team has been keeping us together and keeping us grinding, staying humble and focusing on the Broncos."
Mayfield and the offense look dramatically different from a year ago with six offensive touchdowns through the first two games, tied for fourth-most in the league.
Wide receiver Chris Godwin is off to a strong start since moving back to the slot this season. His 200 receiving yards left him tied for the second-most in the league after Week 2, and he and Mike Evans' two touchdowns apiece tied them for the league lead with nine others.
First-round pick Graham Barton is already turning heads as a rookie center with his blocking prowess up front.
Then, the defense has overcome a rash of injuries, including losing defensive tackles Calijah Kancey (calf) and Vita Vea, who left Sunday's game with a knee injury -- leaving Greg Gaines and two practice squad call-ups (Mike Greene and C.J. Brewer) to fill the void. They were also without All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and their top two reserve cornerbacks in Bryce Hall (IR) and Josh Hayes (ankle).
"Honestly I didn't even know Vita left the game," inside linebacker Lavonte David said. "I was on the sideline one time, and I was looking around, you know I dap everybody up or whatever, and I didn't see him so I sat back down. I was like, 'What happened to Vita? Where's Vita?'
"Even though we've got a young team, we've got a great group of leaders, man. Everybody knows when one guys goes out, we have those guys that are like, 'OK I have to seize the moment. This is my opportunity.'"
McCollum stepped into a full-time starting role opposite Jamel Dean and after trading Carlton Davis to the Lions in the offseason. McCollum notched his first career interception on the first pass play of the game Sunday.
"I was like, 'Whew!'" Dean said of McCollum's pick. "I did tell people that he was going to have a breakout season. I've watched him put in the work since OTAs. ... It didn't shock me."
They converted Christian Izien, who also had an interception, from a starting nickelback to a backup safety this summer and Izien made some of the most important plays in Detroit, along with safety Jordan Whitehead, including a fourth-and-8 stop at the Tampa Bay 6-yard line on the second to last drive.
"This group, with the smart players we have, the guys that have been through this understand that if you don't bring your best stuff on whatever game it is -- whoever you're playing -- you can get beat," Mayfield said. "For us, it's the singular-game mindset. One focus, one week at a time, and handle it the best way you can."
The Bucs now stand 2-0 for the fourth straight season, and they won the NFC South in the prior three -- with Bowles leading the charge for the last two as head coach and defensive coordinator in 2021.
A fourth straight division title would be nice, but that's only a piece of what the Bucs are hoping to achieve.
"I mean, the main goal is the Super Bowl," Dean said. "We're just trying to just check off different milestones as we go."