Bucs Have Played Sixth Easiest Schedule
November 26th, 2014
The 2-9 Buccaneers aren’t used to playing good football teams.
That a little scary as they approach a tough stretch of their schedule, starting Sunday with the 7-3-1 Bengals coming to Tampa with a punishing rushing attack and a quarterback who wins plenty of games.
NFL.com compiled current strength of schedule data for all teams, and Bucs opponents have a .434 winning percentage. Only the Falcons (.430), Chargers (.430) Steelers (.417), Cowboys (.397) , and Browns (.393) have had easier schedules.
Joe’s glad the Bucs have big tests ahead of them with the Bengals, Packers and Lions, plus the division games that should have playoff implications for the Bucs’ opponents — at Carolina and the Saints at home.
The Bucs’ improving defense will get all kinds of diverse tests, which should help Lovie Smith and Jason Licht effectively evaluate what they have — and what they need — on that side of the ball.
One good thing about the Bucs’ easy schedule? Strength of schedule is the draft-position tiebreaker. If teams have the same record, the better draft slot goes to the team with weaker schedule.
November 26th, 2014 at 12:05 pm
I’m calling it now, bucs beat the bengals. I called it in the preseason so I’m rolling with it.
#playoffs
November 26th, 2014 at 12:13 pm
Joe – All the Bucs games have playoff implications, they’re just two games out!
November 26th, 2014 at 12:14 pm
The other teams with easy schedules are all over .500 and in the playoff hunt except the other loser team from our division. Just underscores how bad this team has been this season, easily worse than last year.
November 26th, 2014 at 12:15 pm
I was going to be Happy with a 6-10 season at the start of the season. I knew we were going to have a losing season, but I thought we would be competitive.
This is just bad football or as now known as Lovieball.
November 26th, 2014 at 12:16 pm
They are not 2 games out they are 3 out. Have to finish a full game ahead of Atlanta because they swept the season series. 2.5 games behind New Orleans and obviously have to beat them.
November 26th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
Bucs won’t win another game this season
November 26th, 2014 at 12:32 pm
Im wondering if the packers will start Flynn or Rodgers when they play the bucs
November 26th, 2014 at 12:36 pm
bucrightoff
You are assuming Atlanta wins more games too. Not so sure.
November 26th, 2014 at 12:38 pm
Lets face it, no matter what, a crappy team from our division is going to make the playoffs…..so it might as well be our crappy team!
Go Bucs!
November 26th, 2014 at 12:45 pm
@OAR – If we’re going to win some more games then I’d be much happier with coming in 2nd than with winning. It does us no good to get in and get annihilated in the first round and making it to the playoffs means that we’ll have a 20+ pick in the draft, regardless of our record. No thanks.
November 26th, 2014 at 12:54 pm
But if we win the next two games and Atlanta loses them…they are still ahead of us on tiebreaker. We are 3 games behind them, it’s a steep hill to climb.
November 26th, 2014 at 1:01 pm
The sad part about it all is we have Lovie Smith as HC….. 1 of the easiest schedules in a year when the other 3 teams in the same division are struggling and the Bucs are the basement team…. Makes 1 wonder if Schiano would have had the Bucs in 1st place… Lovie given the position to make all those horrible decisions this past off season is torching the Bucs right now!
Even worse, it makes 1 wonder if any HC worth value will be willing to come to Tampa and attempt to fix this mess!
Locked-in at losing with Lovie!
November 26th, 2014 at 1:02 pm
I know the divisions rotate playing each other every yr
Joe do or anybody know what division the bucs play
next yr? I’m guesing afc south or afc west?
November 26th, 2014 at 1:05 pm
@77 – It’s the AFC South. My wife and I are already planning on the trip to Indy to see the Bucs play the Colts since her whole family are Colts fans.
November 26th, 2014 at 1:08 pm
Yeah the Bucs have been sandbagging all season and now they will pull out their secret offense and win out, go to the playoffs wreak havoc and win the Superbowl. Or, they could tank the rest of the way (by taking lessons from Johnson, Collins and Cousins) and get a high draft pick.
November 26th, 2014 at 1:09 pm
Not only it was the 6th easiest schedule, But how many times that the bucs faced these bad teams and were more vunerable due to suspensions or major Injury to star players.
Can’t wait to see the Bengals Manhandled the bucs and the last of the sheep “realize” that the bucs were not improved but just played 3 very bad teams the last 3 weeks!
November 26th, 2014 at 1:10 pm
Worst-case scenario: the Bucs run off 4 straight wins to get to 6-9, and then lose the division on the last game, and wind up with just the 10th pick in the draft.
November 26th, 2014 at 1:25 pm
I hope this playoff talk is just for fun because we have no chance. We can’t even beat the horrible teams in our own division let alone win the division. We are going nowhere fast with Lovie. Better draft spot? Yea that’d be nice if we have coaches who knew how to teach draft picks. This will always be my team but I’ve lost all hope for this franchise. #It’s a Bucs Life
November 26th, 2014 at 1:33 pm
I see Lovie trading for RGme
November 26th, 2014 at 2:58 pm
@ patrick thanks bro
November 26th, 2014 at 3:00 pm
I’m Pretty sure our entire division is in the top 10 of easiest schedules being we all play each other and we all suck. A pretty worthless stat.
November 26th, 2014 at 5:04 pm
The schedule did’nt seem that easy to the players, obviously. I like the Bucs to win every outing, but I won’t be upset if they finish with as little as one more win. A higher draft pick will benefit the Bucs landing an elite player and should bring an easier schedule next year. This season is crumbled toast for weeks now. It’s all about next year for sure.
November 26th, 2014 at 6:14 pm
Imbeciles! Does anyone know math and probability? Yeah, I thought so. If the Bucs win 3 of their last 5–and it doesn’t matter against whom–it is still a mathematical impossibility for them to make the playoffs. If they win 4 of 5, it is about a 13 percent chance. They are 0-4 within the division and the other teams play each other so one of them must win those games. Duhhh!
November 27th, 2014 at 2:55 am
Bengals 40 Bucs 10
November 27th, 2014 at 8:46 am
Buccfan37 Says:
November 26th, 2014 at 5:04 pm
The schedule did’nt seem that easy to the players, obviously. I like the Bucs to win every outing, but I won’t be upset if they finish with as little as one more win. A higher draft pick will benefit the Bucs landing an elite player and should bring an easier schedule next year. This season is crumbled toast for weeks now. It’s all about next year for sure.
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Have to agree here. I want to see this team fight and be competitive, but the losses I don’t mind, at the end of the day. During the game I want to see us win, but every loss, this season, has a silver lining. The defense has turned the corner. Everybody should see that I be happy about it. The Bucs will keep it very competitive against Cincy but hopefully lose.