Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule Breakdown: Ranking Every Game By Difficulty

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers schedule is officially here and Last Word On Pro Football is analyzing the schedules of all 32 NFL teams. Each team’s 17-game slate will be ranked, with number 1 being the most difficult. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are fresh off their Super Bowl LV victory. How will they fare in 2021?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule Breakdown

1. vs. Buffalo Bills (Week 13)

The Bills and Bucs were the big surprises of 2020. Both teams are incredibly strong and it could go either way. Buffalo’s offense was a powerhouse last season – they sat at the no. 3 spot, while Tampa Bay was 5^th. Josh Allen cemented himself as an MVP-caliber quarterback. However Bills defense could let them down, they are significantly weaker in that area. This will be an edge-of-seat game

2. At Los Angeles Rams (Week 3)

The Rams have given the Bucs a run for their money. On November 23, 2020, Tampa Bay lost to Los Angeles. In fact, their last five meetings haven’t been great – the Rams won four of those games. Their remarkable defense makes them one of the few teams that could derail the Bucs in current times.

3. At New Orleans Saints (Week 8)

Possibly the fiercest of division rivals, the Saints have made an art out of beating the Bucs. In their last five games, the Saints have won four, but their most recent encounter in 2020 didn’t end well for them. One way they can easily take out the Bucs this season is by their impeccable defense. They were 2^nd in 2020, while the Bucs were 7^th.

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4. At Atlanta Falcons (Weeks 2 and 12)

These two division rivals are almost neck-and-neck, with the Falcons winning just one more game out of 55 games. The two teams almost alternate their wins. Atlanta will still be reeling from their 44-27 loss in January 2021, so they’ll be bringing their A-game. However, they’ve struggled to make the playoffs for three seasons in a row, and the Bucs are the reigning Super Bowl champs. You do the math.

5. At Indianapolis Colts (Week 11)

They’ve been pretty much on par with one another throughout the years. Now there is added drama in the fact that Brady already made a fierce foe of the Colts during his days with the Patriots. That could transfer to the Bucs. The Colts had a great 2020 season, making it to the Wildcard Weekend. This one could go either way.

6. At New England Patriots (Week 4)

Once upon a time, the Patriots would’ve blown the Bucs right out of the water. They did for seven out of nine games. This will be one of the season’s most anticipated games. The main reason for New England’s success against Tampa Bay was Tom Brady, and you all know how the story has changed…

7. New York Giants (Week 10)

While the Giants lead the all-time series 16-8, the last four times these teams met were very close games. In a very unusual situation, neither of the teams beat the other by more than three points. They have a surprisingly good chance of winning – but expect it to be close.

8. Chicago Bears (Week 7)

The Bears have had a lot of success against the Bucs. They won three of their last five face-offs, and lead the all-time series 40-20. The Bucs have a more potent offense in the form of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Bears will need to pull out of the stops to secure the dub.

9. At Washington (Week 9)

Meeting each other three times in the postseason, they’ve been equally footed against each other for the most part. Still stinging from their Wildcard Weekend loss to Tampa Bay, Washington will be eager for this matchup. However, Brady simply has a stellar receiving corp around him – he and his receivers were the reason Washington lost, and they can probably repeat it.

10. At Carolina Panthers (Weeks 15 and 17)

All-time, the Panthers sit at 24-17 in this matchup. In their last five games, however, the Panthers have only beaten the Bucs once. Carolina’s offense is severely lacking compared to their divisional rival. If the Panthers have any chance of winning, it will be due to their defense.

11. At New York Jets (Week 16)

It’s mind-boggling that the Jets have been the stronger team all-time. However, they last played in 2017 and they are both very different teams now. The Bucs are far superior across board. The Jets are not even in the same realm.

12. At Philadephia Eagles (Week 6)

They’ve met 19 times and the Eagles lead by one. Their last two encounters were in 2018 and 2015 – both of which were won by the Bucs. Philadelphia hasn’t been the same since they won the Super Bowl in 2018. Their current struggles just don’t give us a reason to think they can possibly defeat Tampa Bay.

13. Dallas Cowboys (Week 1)

The season kicks off Thursday night with a showdown between Bucs and Cowboys. They’ve faced each other 19 times (including two postseason games), Dallas has won a whopping 15 times. The teams last played in 2018. Three seasons down the track, and Dallas has struggled. It will be a shocker if they defeat the Bucs.

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14. Miami Dolphins (Week 5)

We wrap up the Tampa Bay Buccaneers schedule breakdown with the Miami Dolphins. Bucs lead the all-time series by just one, but won four of their last five games against Miami. The Dolphins no longer own Florida, they haven’t since the 1970s. TB and TB own the state now and even though they have a star quarterback in the form of Tua Tagovailoa, it will be a surprise if the Dolphins win.

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