Buccaneers Will Open The Season At Atlanta
May 13th, 2025
Michael Penix, look out for a new and energized Bucs pass rush!
After taking it on the chin last year against Atlanta twice, courtesy of an abysmal pass defense, the Buccaneers have been granted an early shot at revenge by the NFL scheduling gods.
JoeBucsFan.com has learned that Tampa Bay will open the 2025 season at the Falcons on Sunday, Sept. 7, a day game.
Joe loves this. The Bucs have been a good road team under Todd Bowles and Tampa Bay fans have traveled well to Atlanta in recent years. The Falcons also have a lot of new parts — rookie parts — on their defense and should be a work in progress on that side of the ball.
Also, the Bucs are undefeated in Week 1 with Bowles as head coach.
The NFL officially releases the full 2025 schedule on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
May 13th, 2025 at 9:49 pm
That sucks. I want afternoon games in Tampa in September, to give as much of a home field advantage as possible.
May 13th, 2025 at 9:51 pm
Rod:
You can thank the hurricane that destroyed the Fruitdome.
May 13th, 2025 at 9:54 pm
Last game ATL?
May 13th, 2025 at 9:58 pm
Joe – Yeah, nothing good has come from the Thunderdome since the Lightning and Storm left.
BTW, I was just reading the official winds numbers from Milton last night – did you know that nowhere in the Tampa Bay region did we have sustained hurricane winds. Sarasota only got to 70mph, and St Pete was just 65mph. They had higher gusts (up to 100 in Sarasota), but hurricanes are determined by sustained winds, and recorded winds never got above tropical storm force anywhere in the area. So if/when we ever actually get hit by something, what a mess it’s going to be.
May 13th, 2025 at 10:10 pm
Rod
My mom’s place in Brandon was pretty torn up. So while not official, it sure looked like a hurricane..
May 13th, 2025 at 10:13 pm
It’s not surprising.
Cowboys v Philly.
KC v LA Chargers
The League is scheduling Division games to start and end the season.
May 13th, 2025 at 10:16 pm
[You believe a “leak” over Joe’s sources? — Joe]
May 13th, 2025 at 10:27 pm
C’mon Joe, Hurricane Helene hit on Sept 26 and Hurricane Milton hit on Oct 9. This area is always at high risk until Halloween, so the storm season is not to blame for the early season away games.
It’s much more likely that the NFL realizes it’s hard to sell tickets for day games in high heat and humidity conditions of early September.
May 13th, 2025 at 10:30 pm
Opportunity to set the tone in the division week one.
May 13th, 2025 at 10:31 pm
Schedule Leak: Feb 8, 2026 Buccaneers will be on the road at
Levi’s Stadium. Opponent TBD…
May 13th, 2025 at 10:31 pm
You’re missing the point. The Fruitdome was destroyed you may have heard. Rays play home games at Steinbrenner. Rays also play a home game at Steinbrenner on Sunday of Week 1. You think there’s enough parking for both (they share parking facilities)? Just imagine how much overtime Tampa cops (which are funded by Tampa residents) would have to pay for the extra cops.
May 13th, 2025 at 10:33 pm
HOPE SO!!!
May 13th, 2025 at 10:48 pm
For anyone who wants to witness a true hurricane and, get in a Time Machine and travel back to Cape Coral Sept 28th 2022… now that was a storm that I’ll never forget. Was here for Charlie too (which was a strong cat 4) which was another direct hit.. if those wind stats are correct (which doesn’t sound accurate..) for Milton then yea Tampa could be screwed if it gets hit by prolonged 150+ mph winds. But honestly idk if 65+ was correct as we were getting about that in SWFL during that same storm, and center of the storm was more Sarasota-Tampa
May 13th, 2025 at 10:59 pm
Bucs at Rams Turkey Night!
May 13th, 2025 at 11:15 pm
Given what happened last season when the Bucs were 0-2 against the Falcons, our players will be very motivated.
Bucs will win 34 – 17!
May 13th, 2025 at 11:21 pm
Glad the Falcons are the opponent at their crib for the opener. Todd is good at openers. They’ll probably start trying the same short passing read option play action boot quick slant stuff that slaughtered the Bucs D for two years. Fo one game maybe we can see press man and some double coverage on Drake London.
And if you’re handing the ball to any of our RBs at the end of the game to salt it away, remind the backs to use two arms on the damn football. Bucky. Rachaad. Tucker.
May 13th, 2025 at 11:54 pm
I remember when Winston and the Bucs stole one on the road to start the season so many years back. Let’s do it again 🏴☠️
May 14th, 2025 at 12:22 am
Opening pening against a division rival. Seems like it might be a trend this year across the league
May 14th, 2025 at 12:56 am
This is perfect because Bowles has them ready game 1.
Without Grady Jarrett do you honestly think Walker and Pearce are gonna win against Wirfs and Goedeke?
2 first round edge rushers don’t help them win this year IMO.
Let’s get that division win out of the way early.
May 14th, 2025 at 1:27 am
LFG go.
1-0
May 14th, 2025 at 2:04 am
Bucccnnasty, I never saw another storm like Charlie. It passed by quickly, but WOW. I stood out in the street but could barely stand at all. After 5 or 10 minutes I was so cold my teeth were chattering.
May 14th, 2025 at 2:27 am
Good, we can plan extra for this, it is a must win.
May 14th, 2025 at 3:10 am
At Atlanta…Love it!
Tell the guys that they are gonna have to beat the Flacons and the refs. As usual.
Roger and hs refs are gonna do all they can to derail the Bucs this season.
Go Bucs!
May 14th, 2025 at 3:12 am
Jmarkbuc Says: May 13th, 2025 at 10:10 pm
Rod
My mom’s place in Brandon was pretty torn up. So while not official, it sure looked like a hurricane..
——–
I thought we got some official hurricane winds, at least near landfall, but the official NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORT from NOAA shows max recorded winds of 60 knots in Sarasota, which is 70mph. But hours of that, along with 100 mph gusts, it all adds up, in particular if it’s a home built before all the Hurricane Andrew building codes went into effect around 2002 (I believe).
May 14th, 2025 at 4:36 am
Go Bucs! Looking forward to the game. Glad it’s a day game too.
garro – So true about the refs and the bad calls.
May 14th, 2025 at 6:09 am
Good to start on the road. I remember what Scot Brantley said: playing in the heat is not an advantage as it wears the Bucs out and injuries for weeks afterward. Years ago, the NFL made a rule after fan heat strokes for the Bucs to play at 4 or later in September at home and would give an extra road game early. If you think 1 pm in Tampa n September is an advantage, Denver crushed us week 3 at 1 pm here.
May 14th, 2025 at 7:33 am
I always prefer away games in September. Less chance of cancellation due to storms. Usually.
But then again, I live in the Sweet Spot of Bradenton, and we usually do not get hit directly here. That changed last year.
Weather is totally changing over the past year.
May 14th, 2025 at 7:40 am
I see Bucs opening at Carolina. 5 of 8 Divisions having a game. AFCW,NFCW,NFCS,NFCE,NFCN. Then until it official you don’t know. Has the Saints@ Titans and Falcons @ Patriots also.
May 14th, 2025 at 8:24 am
bowles is good when he has time to prepare , traveling to la on a short week not looking forward to that
May 14th, 2025 at 8:41 am
I don’t see how the bucs don’t have advantage in the heat they live in year round the broncos r in cold weather nation so how the heck wud they have any advantage in Tampa on Sept. afternoon games
May 14th, 2025 at 9:01 am
We’ve started fast then slumped midseason the last two years. Let’s see if we can stick it to the Birds and then keep the pedal to the metal.
May 14th, 2025 at 10:04 am
this is fine…one less day to bake in the florida sun with an early season home game…
we usually start off seasons by flying out the gate, under coach B…
so let’s grab an early W and get in the drivers seat in the south
May 14th, 2025 at 10:09 am
i don’t like the bucs at the rams on thanksgiving night tho…
there’s a handful of reasons for it – no need to explain all the pitfalls in this one – all true bucs fans know the obstacles involved in a game of this sort for us…
was hoping for an earlier in the day match up in detroit…oh well…
by 8 pm i could very well be zonking out on tryptophan and a box of zingers
May 14th, 2025 at 10:42 am
markbuc Says:
May 13th, 2025 at 10:10 pm
Rod
My mom’s place in Brandon was pretty torn up. So while not official, it sure looked like a hurricane..
Sorry to hear that. I lived in Brandon my entire childhood. When we moved there it was just my house and my neighbors back in 1983. I git to explore everywhere. Catch snakes, swim with manatees, fish blue gill with bread, go to the beach. I loved growing up there. When we moved to Cali in 1998 I was horribly torn up. All we had was a wal mart. I went to Alafia plenary school. Been a Bucs fan my whole life. I so badly want to go back andcwatch a game. Since im surrounded by 9ers and raiders fans I got 2 big Bucs tattoos to let them know how we roll!!
May 14th, 2025 at 1:20 pm
DrunkInYbor – Now being in California, when they see you got two tattoos of Bucco Bruce on you, don’t they take that the wrong way? Or maybe it’s the right way, who am I to judge.
May 14th, 2025 at 3:28 pm
@ the Fruitdome
Lmao
Wonderful timing to play ATL away