Not many, including yours truly, foresaw the outcome.
Down multiple starters and losing yet another in the middle of action, the Buccaneers persevered and triumphed over the Detroit Lions in the Motor City with a nail biting 20-16 victory.
It saw the stepping up over several homegrown talents, particularly on defense as the unit frazzled one of the most dynamic offenses in the league throughout all four quarters and held them to one of the worst red-zone performances in recent history (only one scoring conversion in seven possessions, a 14.3% success rate).
Tampa sitting at 2-0 going against a frankly terrible Denver Broncos team next week could not be a better table-setter for key games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.