A week away from kickoff, the season opener remains a coin flip.<\/p>\n
The Bucs have won five straight Week 1 games, and the Bengals notoriously struggle early in the season. But this is a tall task for Tampa Bay.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Buccaneers\u2019 young defense, with three rookie starters, will be tasked with going on the road and slowing down one of the most explosive offenses in the league headlined by Joe Burrow and Ja\u2019Marr Chase. They might not be ready for that challenge just yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Week 2: vs. Cleveland Browns: W (1-1)<\/p>\n
The Buccaneers play their home opener against the Browns in a game that Baker Mayfield has circled on his calendar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Browns were already one of Tampa Bay\u2019s easiest opponents of the season on paper, and that was before trading away Myles Garrett, who just broke the all-time single-season sack record.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Bucs should have a field day against this Browns team, getting their first victory of the season in dominant fashion in front of the Raymond James Stadium crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Week 3: vs. Minnesota Vikings: W (2-1)<\/p>\n
The Vikings are a well-coached team with playmakers on both sides of the ball. If the Bucs don\u2019t bring their \u201cA\u201d game, they could definitely be embarrassed here in front of the home crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Buccaneers will have to contain one of the NFL\u2019s best wide receivers in Justin Jefferson, who will have Minnesota\u2019s new quarterback, Kyler Murray throwing him the ball.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They\u2019ll have to deal with exotic pressures from Brian Flores, but luckily, it\u2019s nothing the offense hasn\u2019t seen after practicing against Todd Bowles\u2019 defense every day.<\/p>\n
This is a true toss up, but if the Bucs play their best, they\u2019ll come out with a victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Week 4: vs. Green Bay Packers: W (3-1)<\/p>\n
The Buccaneers caught quite a break here. The Packers are a formidable opponent and a playoff contender, but they\u2019ll face Tampa Bay without Micah Parsons and Josh Jacobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay can\u2019t afford to lose this game against a Packers team without two of their star players.<\/p>\n
Factor in Green Bay having to adapt to the brutal September heat in Tampa, and the Bucs should be able to wear this team out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Week 5: @ Dallas Cowboys: L (3-2)<\/p>\n
The Cowboys are a bad matchup for the Bucs for the same reason the Bengals are. Dallas\u2019 offense is so explosive and features a dominant wide receiver duo in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Containing the Cowboys\u2019 passing game will be a major challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Buccaneers have struggled mightily on prime time in the Baker Mayfield era, and it\u2019s hard to envision that changing here on the road in Jerry World.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Week 6: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: W (4-2)<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh is a team similar to Tampa Bay, in that both teams have been stuck in a pattern of mediocrity, consistently hovering around .500. Both teams frequently make the playoffs, but fail to go on a deep run.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Due to the team\u2019s similarities, this will be a close, hard-fought game. If the Bucs pass rush can generate pressure on the 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers, that should be enough to give Tampa Bay the edge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Week 7: @ Carolina Panthers: L (4-3)<\/p>\n
The Panthers are the reigning NFC South champions, even if the Bucs essentially handed them the crown with their late-season collapse in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Carolina only got better this offseason, thanks to their prize free agency additions, linebacker Devin Lloyd and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Carolina sneaks out with a close win at home, but the Bucs will have a chance to even the score when they meet again in just a few weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Week 8: vs. Atlanta Falcons: W (5-3)<\/p>\n
The Falcons don\u2019t appear to be nearly the threat the Panthers are entering this season. Sure, they still have one of the league\u2019s best offensive trios in Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Buc-killer Kyle Pitts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the quarterback position is an absolute mess. At the time of writing, exactly one week before kickoff, Atlanta hasn\u2019t decided who will start between Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Poor quarterback play will doom an otherwise talented team. Not to mention, the Bucs have a bone to pick with Atlanta after last season\u2019s nightmarish 29-28 loss in prime time. They won\u2019t let that happen again this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Week 9: @ Chicago Bears: W (6-3)<\/p>\n
The Bears are coming off an 11-6 season, and they boast one of the NFL\u2019s most intriguing QB-head coach duos in Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Going to Chicago to play in the cold, in primetime against a playoff contender should be enough to chalk up an L here for Tampa Bay.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I just can\u2019t bring myself to do it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Bears ranked No. 27 against the run last year, and did nothing to fix that weakness. Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell and Sean Tucker should be in for a field day, and a strong ground game will allow the Bucs to keep the ball away from an explosive Bears offense and head into the bye week with a rare primetime victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Week 10: Bye Week<\/p>\n
The Buccaneers enter the bye week at 6-3, but their most difficult stretch is yet to come. Can they avoid their annual mid-season collapse and return to the postseason?<\/p>\n
Week 11: @ Detroit Lions: L (6-4)<\/p>\n
Going to Detroit is never easy, as they boast one of the NFL\u2019s loudest stadiums.<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay has lost two of their last three games in the Motor City, including a humiliating 24-9 loss last season. And that was the Lions without their entire starting secondary.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Buccaneers will have to contend with Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta. There are just too many capable weapons for Tampa Bay to keep up with.<\/p>\n
This could turn into a shootout, and one in which the Bucs come out just short against a legitimate contender in the NFC.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Week 12: vs. Carolina Panthers: W (7-4)<\/p>\n
The Buccaneers bounce back with a primetime win at home to split the season series against the Panthers. Carolina hasn\u2019t swept Tampa Bay since 2015, and that won\u2019t change this year.<\/p>\n
The Panthers improved a ton this offseason, but the Bucs are still the better team, and they won\u2019t allow the NFC South race to slip away from them again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Week 13: vs. Los Angeles Chargers: W (8-4)<\/p>\n
The Chargers make for a difficult matchup<\/a> on both sides of the ball. They were a top-10 defense last season, and they\u2019ve brought in offensive guru Mike McDaniel to call plays for Justin Herbert.\u00a0<\/p>\n This won\u2019t be easy, but the Bucs have one clear advantage: Los Angeles\u2019 offensive line, particularly the interior, is one of the NFL\u2019s worst.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tampa Bay\u2019s new-and-improved defensive front could practically live in the backfield and give the Chargers a day to forget offensively. The Bucs jump out to four games above .500 as they close in on a playoff berth.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Week 14: @ Baltimore Ravens: L (8-5)<\/p>\n The Ravens have historically been a thorn in the Bucs\u2019 side. Baltimore is 6-2 against Tampa Bay all time, and the Buccaneers haven\u2019t defeated the Ravens since 2002.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Ravens will have a fierce defense coached by Jesse Minter featuring dominant pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who the Bucs tried to sign this offseason.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n On offense, the Ravens have two-time MVP Lamar Jackson at the helm with Derrick Henry in the backfield and Zay Flowers as the WR1. This is a Super Bowl contender, and the Bucs aren\u2019t ready to go head-to-head with them just yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n Week 15: vs. New Orleans Saints: L (8-6)<\/p>\n New Orleans is an up-and-coming team that showed flashes of promise last season, going 5-4 in their final nine games after naming Tyler Shough the starter.<\/p>\n They went all-in to build the offense this offseason, drafting wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and signing running back Travis Etienne.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Saints always play the Buccaneers tough, especially when they come to Raymond James Stadium. That trend continues here, but the Bucs will get another crack at the Saints to close out the season with a potential spot on the line.\u00a0<\/p>\n Week 16: @ Atlanta Falcons: W (9-6)<\/p>\n The Bucs pull off the season sweep of Atlanta after back-to-back years of losing a heartbreaker to the rival Falcons.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mayfield wants to stick it to Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski, who is the coach that threw him to the curb in Cleveland.\u00a0<\/p>\n The best way to do that is by playing clean, mistake-free football and beating the Falcons in both matchups. Mayfield and the Bucs will do just that.\u00a0<\/p>\n Week 17: vs. Los Angeles Rams: L (9-7)<\/p>\n This is the easiest game to pick on Tampa Bay\u2019s entire schedule. The Rams are 9-2 in their last 11 games against the Buccaneers.\u00a0<\/p>\n They\u2019ve been absolutely dominant, including a 34-7 win against Tampa Bay last season.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Rams went overboard on improving their roster this offseason, adding Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie while bringing Aaron Donald out of retirement. This is a super team, and they\u2019re the heavy Super Bowl favorites.\u00a0<\/p>\n There\u2019s no reason to believe the Bucs will be able to compete with this team, and that\u2019s not a dig at the Bucs, but it\u2019s an acknowledgement of how special this Rams team is.\u00a0<\/p>\n Week 18: @ New Orleans Saints: W (10-7)<\/p>\n Entering the final game of the season, the Bucs could very well be in position to stamp their postseason ticket with a victory, and they\u2019ll do just that.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Bucs won 23-3 in the Superdome last season, and they\u2019ll close out this season with another strong showing.<\/p>\n The NFC South improved a lot this offseason, but it\u2019s still one of the league\u2019s weaker divisions. A tenth victory should be enough to get into the playoffs as division champions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Final Record: 10-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers playoff outlook<\/p>\n The Buccaneers are a playoff team, but they\u2019re not quite Super Bowl contenders.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019ll be difficult, if not unrealistic, for them to compete with teams like the Los Angeles Rams or Seattle Seahawks in the postseason. Even other playoff teams like the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers would likely be favored over Tampa Bay.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to envision the Buccaneers going on much of a run and defeating teams that are simply more talented or better coached. Winning even one playoff game this year would be a success.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tampa Bay Buccaneers team awards predictions\u00a0Team MVP: Tristan Wirfs\u00a0<\/p>\n It would have been easy to give this honor to Baker Mayfield, but there is nothing more valuable to a team than having a Hall of Fame-caliber left tackle anchoring the offensive line.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wirfs\u2019 presence makes life easier for Mayfield and also opens up big plays in the running game. The whole offense is able to operate at a higher level due to Wirfs.\u00a0<\/p>\n He\u2019s the best player on the team, and he\u2019ll live up to that this season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Offensive Player of the Year: Baker Mayfield<\/p>\n Baker Mayfield<\/a> is entering a contract year, and he\u2019s going to make the Bucs look foolish for not committing to him earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n Expect a return to his 2024 form, where Mayfield threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, leading the Bucs to a 10-7 record. His stats might not be as gaudy this time around, but Mayfield will play winning football and lead Tampa Bay back to the postseason.\u00a0<\/p>\n Defensive Player of the Year: Antoine Winfield Jr.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Home Record: 7-2
Road Record: 3-4
Record vs. NFC South: 4-2<\/p>\n
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