BUCS ARE BACK

Brady, every Buc return for repeat Super Bowl bid

TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady is chasing his own lofty accomplishments.

After leading Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl title and earning his seventh ring last season, Brady and the Buccaneers are trying to become the first team to win consecutive championships since he did it with the New England Patriots following the 2003-04 seasons.

“We’re starting from scratch. That was last year’s team. This team, we can’t assume that we know anything,” Bucs coach Bruce Arians said. “We have to go back to the beginning, start all over, listen in the meetings and learn more from the film we have from last year.”

The Buccaneers are returning all 22 starters, a rarity in a league where players routinely are on the move and salary cap demands often force teams to make difficult decisions. Getting everyone back is an advantage for Tampa in its bid to repeat.

Brady already said: “Our favorite ring is going to be the next one.”

Star wide receiver Mike Evans agrees. “It has to be the mind-set,” Evans said. “You can’t get complacent . ... We’re the defending champs but we’re not the champs of this season, yet. We have to keep working to try and reach that goal again.”

Several teams have a realistic shot at winning it all, including Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs coming off a 31-9 Super Bowl loss to Brady and the Bucs.

The AFC is loaded with Buffalo, Cleveland, Baltimore, Tennessee and Indianapolis.

Tampa’s toughest challenge in the NFC likely will come from Green Bay, which returns Aaron Rodgers following a tumultuous offseason. The Buccaneers knocked off the Packers in the NFC title game on the road last season.

The Los Angeles Rams acquired Matthew Stafford, increasing their championship odds in a tough division that features another legitimate contender in Seattle and Russell Wilson.

Seven teams have new coaches. Most of them inherited rebuilding clubs but the Los Angeles Chargers have the best chance to reach the postseason. Here’s a look at the new head coaches: BRANDON STALEY: The Chargers have a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert, so Staley takes over a team that has figured out the most important position. Staley was the defensive coordinator for the Rams, guiding the league’s stingiest defense. He has a couple stars on defense with Joey Bosa and Derwin James.

URBAN MEYER: The Jacksonville Jaguars hired a winner, hoping to end years of losing. Meyer won three national titles in college and takes aim at the NFL, joining a team that is 39-105 since 2012. He got his franchise QB with the No. 1 overall draft pick, selecting Trevor Lawrence. The Tim Tebow experiment didn’t work out in training camp and first-round pick Travis Etienne, who was Lawrence’s running back at Clemson, was lost for the season.

NICK SIRIANNI:

The Philadelphia

Eagles fired Doug

Pederson just three years after their only

Super Bowl title and replaced him with

Sirianni, an offensive coordinator in Indianapolis who didn’t get another head coaching interview. Sirianni couldn’t convince

Carson Wentz to stay, so he’ll spend his first season trying to determine if Jalen

Hurts is the long-term answer at quarterback. The

Eagles likely won’t be a playoff contender but they’re in the NFL’s worst division.

ARTHUR SMITH: The Atlanta Falcons turned to Smith, the former Titans offensive coordinator, and stuck with Matt Ryan instead of taking one of the talented QBs with the No. 4 overall pick. They gave Ryan a weapon in tight end Kyle Pitts but their defense is a major weakness.

ROBERT SALEH: The New York Jets made history, hiring the NFL’s first Muslim American head coach. Saleh had success as defensive coordinator in San Francisco. He got his franchise QB when the Jets drafted Zach Wilson No. 2 overall. Saleh and Wilson will try to lead the Jets back to the playoffs for the first time since Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez reached consecutive AFC title games in 2009-10. DAN CAMPBELL: The Detroit Lions, who haven’t won a playoff game since 1991, made Campbell the latest coach to try to end years of futility. The former tight end and tight ends coach certainly doesn’t lack passion and emotion but he takes over a team lacking talent. The Lions traded Stafford for Jared Goff and a slew of draft picks. They’re in full rebuild mode.

DAVID CULLEY: The Houston Texans gave Culley a tough task dealing with Deshaun Watson’s trade demands and off-field troubles. Culley has little chance to succeed in Houston with a poor roster and all the uncertainty surrounding the organization.