Confirmed: Bucs Will Open Season At Home
May 10th, 2021
Has news for Bucs fans.
Tradition suggested so.
Peter King claimed it would be so.
Now a colleague of King’s at NBC Sports who has been assigned the 2021 kickoff game says so.
And that employee is Father Dungy. The former Bucs coach who has his name in the Buccaneers Ring of Honor took to Twitter today and announced to the world he’s been assigned the annual NBC Kickoff Game to start the NFL season.
And his assignment is Tampa, Fla, at The Licht House. On a Thursday night no less.
Yes it is. Our entire @SNFonNBC crew will be at Raymond James Stadium to kick the season off.
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) May 10, 2021
Mark your calendars on your phone: Thursday, Sept. 9. will be the date the Bucs defend their Super Bowl title.
The full 2021 NFL schedule will be released Wednesday night on NFL Network. Of course, there will be unofficial leaks and each individual team will release its schedule on their website. The Bucs will be no different.
So now Bucs fans can begin to make plans in earnest. Take off that next day, Friday, Sept. 10. You may need a three-day weekend to recover.
So now, who will the Bucs play?
2021 Bucs home opponents
Atlanta Falcons
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
May 10th, 2021 at 4:56 pm
Lol .. what’s up with that aspect ratio in TD’s photo 🤭
May 10th, 2021 at 5:01 pm
It will be New Orleans and Winston of course.
May 10th, 2021 at 5:05 pm
Since the opening games creation in 04 only twice has the defending champ opened away from home. Pretty sure we all know we where the game is going to be played.
May 10th, 2021 at 5:12 pm
Gimme NO to start the season. Chomping at the bit to see Jameis eat that “L”
May 10th, 2021 at 5:13 pm
Bills
May 10th, 2021 at 5:20 pm
It’s totally going to be the Bills, two playoff teams and not a divisional or conference game, so it doesn’t affect playoff tiebreaker scenarios much.
May 10th, 2021 at 5:26 pm
Sweet.
May 10th, 2021 at 5:31 pm
Cowboys.
It’s all about ratings, folks.
Their dubious abilities don’t seem to matter to multitudes of brainwashed Americans.
May 10th, 2021 at 5:39 pm
Raiders.. big promotion and real opening of their palatial stadium
May 10th, 2021 at 5:53 pm
🤞🏻Fingers crossed for the Saints. We opened against them both times we won the SB. Yes I know we lost and were swept both times. It’s good luck 🍀
May 10th, 2021 at 6:08 pm
How bout them cowboys
May 10th, 2021 at 6:08 pm
My guess is that it’s DALLAS.
May 10th, 2021 at 6:13 pm
Would love to see it be the Bills. The defending Champion against one of the top threats on our schedule.
May 10th, 2021 at 6:16 pm
I think it’s going to be NO. Of a storm is brewing, we can swap home and away games w them. Go Bucs. Crush the saints!
May 10th, 2021 at 6:19 pm
Would love to see Jay Miss and the Saints, if Jay Miss can beat out Hill.
May 10th, 2021 at 6:20 pm
^That games gonna be fun but I think the Brady vs Winston match is more of a regional storyline than a national one.
My guess is Cowboys to kickoff the NFL season.
May 10th, 2021 at 6:21 pm
I hope its the Cowgirls. Would enjoy seeing them start the season with an L.
I just love them so much……..Not.
May 10th, 2021 at 6:21 pm
Dallas = TV $$$
New Orleans = Good drama (My choice)
Buffalo = Possible SB match
May 10th, 2021 at 6:22 pm
Only Bucs fans care about the Winston drama. The rest of the counrty could care less: It will be Dallas Cowboys for a ratings sweep
May 10th, 2021 at 6:23 pm
Everyone is interested in Brady including Howard.
Very few are interested in the latest JW news
May 10th, 2021 at 6:25 pm
Will Howard go to hell if he makes a Gollum joke?
May 10th, 2021 at 6:52 pm
I’ll give the NFL credit. I figured they would jump at the Bucs going on the road strictly for the ratings. Brady return to New England ? Bellichik vs Brady ?
Ratings wise, would’ve been higher than a playoff game.
May 10th, 2021 at 7:13 pm
Doubt it’s the Bills. I’d like a division win then ten days of rest and practice.
May 10th, 2021 at 7:19 pm
Bills will visit for the opener, Cowboys will visit for Thanksgiving.
Gobble, Gobble, bring them on!
May 10th, 2021 at 7:51 pm
Guys……..What CalBucs just said.
First off the Cowboys were HORRID last yr. Why put the SB champs up against a losing team on Opening night????
Cowboys will be coming to Tampa on Thanksgiving.
EVERY chance the NFL can get the SB champs on prime time they will take it.
May 10th, 2021 at 8:03 pm
cowboys
bears
miami
top 3 choices
May 10th, 2021 at 8:09 pm
Joe, true to his word, retired the “den of depression.” Love the new moniker, “Licht House”!
May 10th, 2021 at 8:09 pm
I would bet on the Cowboys. It’s all about the ratings. That game would blow the Bills game out of the water.
May 10th, 2021 at 8:33 pm
SB~LV I guess you missed the part that said Dungy will be broadcasting opening night in Tampa. Maybe he will be covering a Rowdies game I guess and the Bucs will be out in Vegas. SMDH!
May 10th, 2021 at 8:44 pm
First guess is Buffalo, 2nd would be Dallas. Either way 1-0 is going to look just fine. GO BUCS!!!!!
May 10th, 2021 at 8:47 pm
May Sound crazy but something tells me it will be Miami
May 10th, 2021 at 8:57 pm
Because so much right now talked about is the Bucs returning all 22 players and the Bills having a good team, that would make the most interesting 1st game for Super Bowl Champs…
Saints having to get use to life without Brees no matter the next qb, makes it less appealing to the NFL fan world and Cowboys starting a recovering qb or a backup would make that game less appealing..
Falcons, Panthers, Bears are less appealing because of new systems or QBs in early stage of learning…
The Giants or Dolphins would be interesting because of 2nd tear in system but still the most intriguing:
Bills vs Bucs
May 10th, 2021 at 9:55 pm
I’m guessing cowboys or giants. One has the biggest national following, one has the biggest market.
The bills are the obvious football choice but it won’t draw the rating a cowboys or giants would
May 10th, 2021 at 9:57 pm
Dallas always host a Thanksgiving game like the Lions. It will be Buffalo, they were a final 4 team last year. We don’t really have any other home games that would be interesting to a national audience. Cowboys were garbage last year, Saints are more of a regional thing (although a playoff rematch and the Jaboo story line would be interesting). The Bears were an 8-8 playoff team and beat us on national TV last year, I could see that as a matchup. But the Bears got to play Packers in the opener 2 years ago (100th NFL season) so maybe they won’t give them a go this soon. I say Bills as my 1st choice, Saints 2nd, Bears 3rd. I don’t see them putting in a non playoff team.
May 10th, 2021 at 9:57 pm
@ Howard Cossell
Gollum? Hahaha. You’re Fired!
I’ve always wanted to polish Father Dungy’s skull with an orbital buffer
May 10th, 2021 at 10:02 pm
And the opening game always gets the ratings, regardless of matchup. It’s the 1st meaningful NFL game of the season, has the defending Champion playing in it, and we have TB12. It’s gonna have the ratings regardless who we play.
May 10th, 2021 at 10:07 pm
By the time the game day arrives, Dungy’s ears will be bigger than his head and he’ll look like one of the refugees from the Star Wars bar scene.
May 10th, 2021 at 10:10 pm
@Colonel Angus
I absolutely agree with everything you said,
That’s why my bet is on the Bills coming to Tampa to start this race off!
May 10th, 2021 at 10:11 pm
@Swampbuc
He already does!
LOL
May 10th, 2021 at 10:18 pm
I could see us playing at LA on Thanksgiving, that 3rd game is typically a west coast game. Detroit hosts early game, Dallas the late afternoon game and a western team hosting that late game. I’d rather play LA on a Sunday night game if it were up to me. I’m usually hammered or passed out for that late Thanksgiving game.
May 10th, 2021 at 10:32 pm
@Colonel Angus
Tsk Tsk,moderation my man!
May 10th, 2021 at 11:01 pm
Guessing either Bills for an entertaining match up with one of the AFC’s strongest contenders or Cowboys because of how many eyes they always draw on TV.
May 10th, 2021 at 11:06 pm
That’s horrible news! We need the first two games to be away games because of Thunderstorms and possible Hurricanes!!!
May 10th, 2021 at 11:07 pm
Oh crap! I have a show on Thursday nights that I host! Argh! Double bad news!!!
May 10th, 2021 at 11:57 pm
The chat room with a handful of preteens discussing magic will have to wait then.
May 11th, 2021 at 7:14 am
Does it really matter as Bucs fans? I don’t care what the rest of the country or the networks think about the matchup. As long as the Bucs win, it will be a good game.
May 11th, 2021 at 9:02 am
Bills game might be better, but Buffalo is a small market, don’t see it. Besides there will be more then one national game for the Bucs, so any team we don’t play on Thursday night we can always play on Monday night down the road.
May 11th, 2021 at 6:42 pm
“Kobe just got some inside info
NY Giants”
Kobe Faker