The Patriots weren’t the same team when Tom Brady left New England in 2020, but the Buccaneers avoided the same fate in 2023 by rallying to a surprise NFC South title. Is more success on the horizon in 2024?
Tampa Bay’s run to the divisional round injected life back into a franchise many observers wrote off the moment Brady retired. Baker Mayfield put together a resurgent season, and the front office’s decision to avoid a rebuild and hold onto franchise greats Mike Evans and Lavonte David paid off.
The NFC South figures to offer the Buccaneers a tougher challenge in 2024, with Kirk Cousins now under center in Atlanta and the Saints finishing last season strong. Even the Panthers have made moves to give Bryce Young a capable set of weapons to work with.
Outside of the division, the Buccaneers will have to contend with the 49ers and Lions as a result of last season’s first-place finish.
Here is a complete breakdown of the Buccaneers’ 2024 schedule, including dates, start times, and analysis for their slate of games.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers schedule 2024
The Buccaneers’ full schedule will be announced Wednesday, May 15 as part of the NFL’s schedule release. Their opponents for the 2024 NFL season will be as follows:
Home: 49ers, Broncos, Commanders, Eagles, Falcons, Panthers, Raiders, Ravens, SaintsAway: Chargers, Chiefs, Cowboys, Falcons, Giants, Lions, Panthers, Saints
Buccaneers strength of schedule
The Buccaneers entered 2023 with the 22nd-toughest strength of schedule. Tampa faced a first-place schedule as a result of its division title in Brady’s final season, but the strength was weighed down by the ineptitude of the NFC South.
This season isn’t much different for the Buccaneers. In fact, their schedule is slightly easier by opponent win percentage (.478). Tampa’s schedule is tied for 27th-toughest, and the struggles of their NFC South counterparts are again the biggest factor. The Buccaneers will face five teams that landed a top-eight pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (ignoring trades), so another first-place finish won’t exactly force the franchise to face a gauntlet this year.
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Buccaneers prediction 2024
Toughest tests: The Buccaneers have to go to Kansas City, Detroit, and Dallas in 2024, all of which have become tough places to win. A matchup with the Chiefs is never easy, and Tampa lost to the Lions twice last season. The Buccaneers will also host the Ravens and 49ers.
Biggest breaks: Tampa faces the entire AFC South, which doesn’t look especially strong outside of the Chiefs. With home matchups against the Broncos and Raiders in addition to the Commanders, the Bucs will have plenty of opportunities to pick up wins outside the NFC South.
The Panthers will be a favorable home and away matchup for the Buccaneers if they don’t take a major step forward after a dismal 2023.
Bottom line: Some teams, such as the Texans, were heavily penalized by a first-place finish. While matchups with the Lions and 49ers are far from easy, the Buccaneers already played a first-place schedule last season and can make up for it elsewhere.
The Buccaneers were a team that largely won the games they were supposed to in 2023 and, in turn, lost the games they were supposed to. It’s tough to see Tampa stacking up wins against the Chiefs, Lions, Ravens, and 49ers, but Mayfield has proven he can handle business against inferior competition, and this team has plenty of it on its 2024 schedule. The key might be just how improved the rest of the NFC South proves to be.
Record prediction: 9-8
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