Bucs Should Be Favored In Final Six Games
May 14th, 2025
Weeks 13 through 18 of the Bucs’ schedule? Today, on paper, the Bucs should be favorites in each of those six games.
That sets up the Bucs much like last year.
The schedule gods gave the Bucs an early bumpy ride in 2024 and they’re doubling down this year. To close this season, the Bucs have four home games and two road games.
In order, it’s Arizona, New Orleans and Atlanta at home (Thursday night), followed by at Carolina, at Miami and the season finale at home against Carolina.
The Bucs could get out to their typical 4-6 start under Todd Bowles and still cruise to another division title. Joe sure hopes the former doesn’t happen, but it’s nice to know there’s light at the end of the season tunnel. Lots of it. Hopefully.
Week 1 Sun. Sept. 7 at Atlanta 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 2 Mon. Sept. 15 at Houston 7: p.m. (ABC)
Week 3 Sun. Sept. 21 N.Y. JETS 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 4 Sun. Sept. 28 PHILADELPHIA 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 5 Sun. Oct. 5 at Seattle 4:05 p.m. (CBS)
Week 6 Sun. Oct. 12 SAN FRANCISCO 1 PM (CBS)
Week 7 Mon. Oct. 20 at Detroit 7 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)
Week 8 Sun. Oct. 26 at New Orleans 4:05 p.m. (FOX)
Week 9 BYE
Week 10 Sun. Nov. 9 NEW ENGLAND 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 11 Sun. Nov. 16 at Buffalo 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 12 Sun. Nov. 23 at L.A. Rams 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 13 Sun. Nov. 30 ARIZONA 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 14 Sun. Dec. 7 NEW ORLEANS 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 15 Thurs. Dec. 11 ATLANTA 8:15 p.m. (Prime)
Week 16 Sun. Dec. 21 at Carolina 4:30 p.m. (FOX)
Week 17 Sun. Dec. 28 at Miami 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 18 TBD Jan. 4 CAROLINA TBD TBD
PRESEASON DATES/TIMES NOT RELEASED
Week 1 — TENNESSEE
Week 2 — at Pittsburgh
Week 3 — BUFFALO
May 14th, 2025 at 8:31 pm
Hope the Eagles game stays at 1pm. September heat will cook ‘em.
May 14th, 2025 at 8:46 pm
In my first take, I had the Bucs losing to Atlanta on opening day and winning at home … but I’m flipping those. History tells us that the Bucs aren’t winning a Thursday night game vs the Falcons – but I also think we’ll split the series. So let’s hope that Atlanta plays all those rookies on defense on opening day, that should give the Bucs the advantage.
May 14th, 2025 at 9:07 pm
12 or 13 wins. Go Bucs.
May 14th, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Wow! You all should check out how difficult Atlanta’s start to the season is, since most feel they might be closest to us for the division title. Brutal!
First they have a week 5 BYE which royally sucks.
Week 1 home vs Bucs
Week 2 @ Vikings
Week 3 @ Panthers
Week 4 home vs Commanders
Week 5 BYE
Week 6 home vs Buffalo
Week 7 @ 49ers
Atlanta could very easily be 1-6 by week 8. Easily.
And done already.
May 14th, 2025 at 9:18 pm
If Atlanta went 1-6 does that mean Carolina is now a competitor?
May 14th, 2025 at 9:20 pm
Arizona will probably be a much improved team. They have a good “D” that got better this offseason.
May 14th, 2025 at 9:24 pm
Manny, MN will be starting a rookie QB, Carolina isn’t good, and San Fran is not what they were a couple years ago. I would lean towards 3-3 at worst and possibly as good as 5-1. I don’t think that’s a brutal schedule to start the season.
May 14th, 2025 at 9:28 pm
1-6 start easily for Atlanta, Panthers are their lone victory, Vikings with world class coach and much better squad and defense, easy victory by Vikings.
Brutal. And 1-6.
And de facto makes Carolina by end of season the only one to beat for the division title.
May 14th, 2025 at 9:29 pm
Let’s not beat around the bush…week one against a division opponent is always a toss up. Then you toss in a Monday night game on the road. Normally Houston’s environment wouldn’t scare me but it’s a prime time game. Then you get the champs two weeks later….but we’ve handled them ok the last two years, given w/o their WRs. But then you get buffalo, Seattle, frisco, lambs and det.
Have to come out 5-3 IMO at the break. And you can with health and the right approach
May 14th, 2025 at 9:30 pm
First Last Says:
May 14th, 2025 at 9:18 pm
If Atlanta went 1-6 does that mean Carolina is now a competitor?
———–
Anyone sleeping on the Panthers wasn’t paying attention to how their year ended. By all regards they should have beat the Bucs and they did beat the Falcons.
It’s possible the Falcons could start out slow, in particular if they play all those rookie defenders, but quickly looking at their schedule, I’d have them 3-4, with a number of easy games down the stretch.
May 14th, 2025 at 9:34 pm
Yeah 5-3 is doable at the break.
Plus to support the Carolina idea as eventual biggest division for, look at our schedule, and why the league scheduled the two meetings in 3 weeks late to end the season. League did the same thing in all the divisions too, with the frontrunners to meet late twice in 3 weeks. Look at the league schedule.
May 14th, 2025 at 9:39 pm
Nice. First 3 home games at 1pm. Heat bowls! The stadium will be empty those games. Please tell me why. The nfl hates Tampa fans. Go Bucs!
May 14th, 2025 at 10:03 pm
We’re better than Carolina and Atlanta, but I can see a scenario where we split with both of them this year.
But yes, I’d agree that we should be favored in the final six games.
At worst, 4-2 if we win our season opener in Atlanta and they win the late season match up. Then we split wins with Carolina.
May 14th, 2025 at 10:04 pm
Some writer on SI has us going 8-9 and the Panthers 10-7.
Probably barely follows our division.
I hope Licht see that… receipt time.
May 14th, 2025 at 10:04 pm
Atlanta 1-6 to start?
It just might be the opening day that gives Atlanta
their win.
Buccaneers win and Atlanta could be oh for 7.
May 14th, 2025 at 10:12 pm
13-4 is attainable. Let down game at Seattle, night game at Detroit, Josh Allen Magic, and 2nd road trip in a row to Sean McVay. Niners ain’t all that this year, the division should be a walkover, Houston has regressed, Tua will be broken by the time the bucs play the fish, we own the eagles (especially at RayJ) and no one else on that schedule should hold a candle to this team.
May 14th, 2025 at 10:22 pm
Wow ATL’s schedule is much tougher.
Last 6 games are a cakewalk
May 14th, 2025 at 11:09 pm
When i pick games, I always plan on the home team winning the division game.
WINS:
Car
N.O.
Atl
Jets
Frisco
N.E.
Arizona
@ Miami
That’s only 8 wins i see as pretty confident to say yes to.
The away div matchups against atl (week 1) and Carolina (after a Thursday game) are beneficial for tampa. The N.O. game will be tough in NOLA.
Realistically gotta steal 2 of these:
Philly
Detroit
LA
Seattle
Buffalo
Houston
I think it is an 11 win season.
May 15th, 2025 at 12:26 am
I would think with the right approach 11 wins should be the floor. But if we are banking, yet again, on the last 6 weeks – Bowles is finished. He has to proved he can win consistently.
May 15th, 2025 at 12:44 am
Bowles has improved by one game each year. If that holds, we’re looking at an 11 win season.
I love the schedule. Know why?
Because our offense is rockin’ and our defense will be about 5-7 spots better in the rankings. By the time we make the playoffs, we’ll be gelling on defense and will be ready for the NFC Championship.
In my book, we’re Superbowl bound.
May 15th, 2025 at 12:57 am
12-win season
May 15th, 2025 at 1:14 am
I dunno folks…factor in we invariably poop the bed in prime time and I’ve got…9 wins here. Which still might win the division, lol.
May 15th, 2025 at 4:54 am
Buccaneer Bonzai – Well said. Fully agree!
May 15th, 2025 at 8:06 am
I have us 11-6 or 12-5 🙏
May 15th, 2025 at 9:01 am
I’m in the “show me” category.
Show me someone, anyone at LB (other than Lavonte) who can stay healthy, be on the field and do something besides running after someone he was supposed to be covering who caught a wide open pass.
Show me a group of CBs who are coached how to line up in press, or if “off,” then 5 yards off maximum. Then show me the same group defending some passes. Hold a QB to a 65% or less completion rate, instead of 80% plus.
Show me a DL that pushes the middle into the QBs face and that can be effective rushing 4. Show me OLBs that rush the passer rather than drop into empty zones covering grass.
Show me a defense that can create negative plays on 3rd down and punish an opponent for going for it on 4th down.
Show me a defense with an attitude, who are insulted by failure.
And finally, show me a head coach who can make effective game management decisions, all while achieving the above with the defense.
Show me.
May 15th, 2025 at 9:26 am
7 wins if the pass defense is still trash and the offense produces close to what it did last year
9-10 wins if the pass defense is middle of the road and the offense is close to what it was in 2024
10 wins is Todd Bowles ceiling, he has ZERO killer instinct, is bad at scheming pass defense and the clock management is laughable at best
Either way I’ll be there in section 220 every Sunday
May 15th, 2025 at 10:28 am
Aqualung
Look at the SB defense and you’ll have a preview. Todd blitzed less than 10% of the time against KC in the SB and in the regular season game.
AGAIN you play the hand your dealt. So far this hand LOOKS a LOT better than the draw this time last year…and that was before Winfield basically lost a season to injury and SVD went down.