Christmas, Spain & Primetime Bucs Dreams (?)
May 6th, 2025
So the Buccaneers’ 2025 schedule will be revealed in eight days (May 14) and every Tampa Bay fan with a pulse is excited.
Some might be concerned.
How will NFL schedule makers treat the Bucs and what might Team Glazer be able to influence?
For Christmas Day, a Thursday, the NFL is planning a triple-header. Well, Joe knows the Bucs have been among the NFL teams volunteering to host a Christmas Day game in past seasons. Not every team is keen on hosting, in part because of staffing considerations (police, stadium attendants, etc.).
Joe assumes the NFL likely wants a cold-weather venue for a Christmas night game in hopes of snow, so might a day game on a Thursday help or hurt the Bucs? Joe’s not sure.
Then there’s the possibility of the Bucs playing a road game in Spain against the “host” Dolphins.
Man, Joe sure hopes the Bucs don’t get stuck with an international game. They have a way of screwing a team up.
The Bucs went 3-5 after leaving Germany in 2022, and Todd Bowles apparently left his mind in Munich. Anyone remember Cleveland two weeks later?
Long-time Bucs fans also remember how the Bucs imploded after a trip to England in 2011 and lost every game the rest of the season. Jameis Winston lost his mind in England back in 2019 and threw five interceptions.
And then there is the Bucs and night games. That’s an X-factor. The Bucs have lost 5 of their last 6 night games in the regular season. Coincidence? Not a chance.
Joe’s greatest hope with the schedule is for the Bucs to get the division opponents relatively early. They’re all banking on a lot of new players and are unlikely to be on solid footing.
Also, Joe would love to see the Bucs get a tough opening day opponent. Bowles has mastered having his team ready for Week 1. How about Buffalo on the road?
Bucs 2025 Opponents
Home games
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
Road games
Atlanta Falcons
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
New Orleans Saints
Seattle Seahawks
May 6th, 2025 at 11:03 am
I think this Joe knows about the international game without spoiling too much.
May 6th, 2025 at 11:08 am
Yeah, Grizz has got to get a few games under his belt before going to Buffalo. Say week 5 or later for at the Bills
May 6th, 2025 at 11:09 am
*Neah ughh autocorrect
May 6th, 2025 at 11:16 am
I have a pulse and I literally yawn at schedule release. We already know who they play. The only question is when (and where?). I don’t care about the schedule. Just win.
May 6th, 2025 at 11:42 am
Division rivals usually end the season. This adds to the drama of each division race. Bucs will end last 3 weeks with at least 2 division games.
May 6th, 2025 at 11:55 am
Im almost positive they will put Atlanta last this year.
Philly and Buffalo will be Prime Time.
I think the 49ers and Detroit should too.
Usually one Atlanta game too.
My guess is 5 Prime Time games and no international games this year.
May 6th, 2025 at 11:55 am
I would actually like to see them play in Spain. That would be cool. Forget the multi-year stats. Each year, different players, different coaches. The organization and owners don’t directly influence outcomes. It’s just coincidence, whether or not you want to accept it.
May 6th, 2025 at 12:07 pm
I hate nationally televised games, they are always at night, and it takes away our advantage of having teams die in the heat
May 6th, 2025 at 12:07 pm
Only two Freezing road games:
Buffalo and Seattle.
Wishing those were in September or October
May 6th, 2025 at 12:12 pm
Bucs play 5 2024 Playoff teams. 6 Games against teams that won 5 or less.
5 Games against teams with 6-8 wins. 1 Game against Seattle 10 win team that just missed the playoffs.
As far as Division Winners Ravens and Chiefs were left off the Bucs Schedule (fortunately)because that is for sure a Prime Time Game any day of the week. Only exception would be the AFC Championship rematch with the Chiefs @ Bills.
Bucs @ Lions will be Fox Game of the Week because it’s the Lions
Eagles @ Bucs might be a Thursday Night Primetime game.
Bucs @ Rams will probably be another Fox game of the week where Brady can be in House with the rest of the Sunday Fox cast.
Bucs @Bills could be anther Thursday game and some here might say it’s a Super Bowl Preview. That would be a stretch at this point in time.
After those 4 games there is not a lot that scream big viewership.
Should the Division be super close there might be a game Flexed in at the end.
If Bucs play in Europe may there be a seat on the plane for Joe? Plenty of Hooters in Europe including Spain.
May 6th, 2025 at 12:15 pm
I’m hoping it’s the Aints and we lose then win Super Bowl like the last 2 times
May 6th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
With American Airlines sure, for a price.
May 6th, 2025 at 12:29 pm
14-3
May 6th, 2025 at 12:32 pm
so, 5-3 or 6-2 at home, 4-5 or 5-4 on the road, somewhere between 11-6 and 9-8 hmmm
May 6th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
The defense will be improved. If the offense can duplicate last year’s success they will win 11-12 games.
May 6th, 2025 at 1:49 pm
Night games on national TV are typically against better opponents so the mediocre record in night games is that simple.
If they play in Spain, I’m going. That would be awesome.
May 6th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
1. We will definitely have at least 3 divisional games in the back half of the season, probably towards the final month or so. The NFL has shown in recent years it loves having a lot of division battles at the end of the season, possibly deciding division winners / playoff seedings.
2. Night games / primetime games have been a curse even through the Brady years with Arians. We just don’t perform well, no matter who is in charge. And that sucks, because primetime games are exciting!
3. At least X-mas is on a Thursday this year, but I’m not a fan of an extra short week, especially that late in the season.
4. More than anything, I just want a bye week that is week 8 or later. No early bye week!
May 6th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
12-5 or 13-4
May 6th, 2025 at 2:41 pm
The head coach and the defensive coordinator need some serious performance improvement feedback from the owners and the GM. Situational coaching eludes the current staff.
May 6th, 2025 at 4:03 pm
Not scared of anybody on our schedule.
10 win floor – 15 win ceiling.
Defensively:
We should be…..
Better @ rushing the passer.
Deeper, better at safety and CB
Better @ ILB (although depth could be an issue)
Solid against the run
Offensively:
We should….
Be top 5 with more quality talent and depth
“Cut back the weakness, reinforce what is strong”
May 6th, 2025 at 4:03 pm
We can use the Rays schedule as a predictor. Looking like we will be away weeks 1 and week 3. Home opener for September 14 is a lock. Im gonna guess its the Jets. You saw it here, folks.
May 6th, 2025 at 5:36 pm
No prime time night games please!!! I don’t know if there’s a worse team at those than the Bucs. I also remember Arians in 2019 brag up the Bucs sport science group and how they had everything figured out just to get destroyed by the Panthers. Joes favorite QB threw for only 5 picks that game as Tampa got sports science shoved down their throats.
Isn’t it true that if a team wants to host a Super Bowls that team has to play so many international games? Those games are BS for the home team and their fans! They lose a game played in front of their loyal fan base!
May 6th, 2025 at 5:52 pm
4 am Bowles might wanna sleep in or take a long nap for the next night game. Guy must be yawning in his pregame address and infecting the room with his tired ways.
Gotta get that sorted, sick of losing under the bright lights. I suppose that might help explain the constant disrespect from the national media. Every time they actually tune in the Bucs lose. Wish we played GB and MIN this season.
May 6th, 2025 at 6:24 pm
Aqualung
Amen.
You’d think they’d have worked it out between them By Now! Maybe this is the year but I’m Certainly Not holding my breath in anticipation of that Revelation…..
Too many seasons have gone by to have almost Any faith in that Dream coming true.
I’ll leave myself a little hope and give it a 5% chance of it to come to fruition. Just think of how our defensive capabilities and rankings “could be” if only we had a “dedicated” DC…
IT WOULD BE THE BEST DECISION FOR THE TEAM. But that takes true understanding of one’s strengths and weaknesses and Courage to make the tough (especially on the ego/ id) calls. Takes a STRONG MAN to Admit he needs help…
May 6th, 2025 at 8:18 pm
Night games almost always mean a matchup with one of the top teams in the NFL. I’m thinking the matchup is the problem moreso than the time of day the game occurs.
I’m in favor of nothing but 1:00 PM home games. Let that Florida sun bake the competition almost as much as Mayfield.
May 6th, 2025 at 8:42 pm
Rastafari , they wont make 2 division rivals play in europe.By looking at the dolphins schedule i think it will come down to saints or bucs. I got a feeling we will be going to spain and play the dolphins. Nfl not gonna let washington mess up their season in spain , nfl wants jaden daniels to prosper. chargers too far way, not fair to dolphins with flight time discrepancies. last 2 teams ravens and bengals. I think its the bucs or saints unfortunately.
May 6th, 2025 at 8:48 pm
could also be bengals playing dolphins as bengals have not been abroad since 2019
May 6th, 2025 at 8:56 pm
I think we get 2 SNF, 1MNF, 1 TNF
May 6th, 2025 at 9:29 pm
Right on , Obvious One. When the subordinate reports to a boss who is himself, there is no universe where that’s a good idea that pans out.
Yet, here we are. Again. For another season.
May 6th, 2025 at 9:37 pm
Just think, if the Bucs get an international game and it is considered a home game, the Bucs will have 10 regular season away games this year for all intents and purposes. That’s gotta be a first. Oh goodie.
May 6th, 2025 at 10:38 pm
I think under the current dual DC/HC regime, the Bucs home record is barely .500 if even, and they’ve been better on the road. Maybe they need all road games, or 9 road games and 8 neutral sites (RIP John McKay).
May 7th, 2025 at 1:50 am
Come on Auqa, that’s not true…
If you’re running a Kool Aide stand with minimal employees (say one), then Heck Yeah You Can!
Then again if you’re blessed with tons of business but the “same ole” is starting to get boring for the customers, well you might just need to hire some help to be able to stir up some new flavors.
We’ll call it a “new strategy”. But if you elect Not to Invest in what is CLEARLY COMMON SENSE and bring in “some help” for the supply, demand, and New Flavors, well there’s a VERY GOOD CHANCE that your Kool Aide stand will TAKE LOSSES!
In fact there’s a Great Risk of Losing your customers to Much More Creative teams (Power Aide) that were wise enough to hire help so that they had the time and focus to make a Better Drink. A WINNING DRINK with NEW FLAVORS that are unknown to you so you could EASILY LOSE IT ALL with the “one man band” Kool Aide stand because your BUSY stirring up the same ole boring grape flavor, instead of getting HELP to have a WINNING SELECTION!
I’m fooling around and making fun. But it Really Isn’t Funny when it’s Your Truth!
The “One Man Band” isn’t working out! These guys NEED some Help and Proper Direction! At this point it’s CRIMINAL to hear Bowles ONCE AGAIN CONFESS THAT HIS GUYS DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE MUCH LESS BE EFFECTIVE!
Un acceptable, Poor Form, Lousy Management! It’s a good thing they like Bowles. But I wouldn’t say they respected him with the CR*P PRODUCT that hits the field game after game!
Get Help Bowles! It WON’T make you less of a man, it’ll ACTUALLY show your Wisdom and Personal Strength of Character…. A LOT of us are quite tired of seeing your EGO Outright Blow It for the rest of us!
May 7th, 2025 at 5:26 am
I’m throwing out a wildcard for a prime time game or isolated time slot. The New York Jets.
Unless I’m overlooking an angle with another of their out of division opponents, the Bucs offer the strongest possible draw for viewers with the Bowles connection. I won’t be surprised to see this game given some Thursday night love, or perhaps one of those last couple of weeks game times on Saturday. Perhaps more likely, one of the early season Monday night double header combos.
May 7th, 2025 at 10:19 am
Hope for Europe and Sunday night in Detroit
Third game in Seattle. LFG
May 7th, 2025 at 11:44 am
Traditionalist here so I hate international games. Plus, they count as home games which is stupid. Bucs need to get the night/Prime Time whammies removed and win more of these games. Every time we hear/read Bucs have a cupcake schedule, it usually ends up being the exact opposite. Oh well. Such is the NFL.
May 8th, 2025 at 8:08 pm
The Bucs are not the home team for any overseas games this year.
So, it would be an away game, anyhow.