We knew the Bucs would have a difficult schedule this season given their opponents. But now that the dates and times have been set, Tampa Bay has some really tough stretches. It starts right off the bat with a four-game gauntlet.
Two straight road games at Dallas and at New Orleans will be challenging, before coming home to face two of the top teams in the NFL. Matchups against Green Bay and Kansas City at home wrap up a difficult first quarter of the season. The schedule softens a bit with games against Atlanta, at Pittsburgh and at Carolina before resuming with back-to back difficult opponents in Baltimore and the L.A. Rams at home.
The bye week in Week 11 offers a bit of a reprieve after the Bucs’ game against the Seahawks in Munich, Germany. But not for long as they alternate games away and at home for the remainder of the season.
Still, if healthy, the Bucs are a more complete team then a majority of their opponents in 2022. There is a path where they could end up with one of the best records in football and a first-round bye. With that being said, here are my thoughts on the Bucs’ 2022 schedule.
The Good
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The good news for the Bucs is that their toughest opponents are slated to play at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay has played extremely well at home over the last two seasons. The Bucs went 7-1 at home last year in the regular season, which set a new franchise record.
After a tough four-game stretch to start the season the Bucs schedule gets a bit easier. The combined winning percentage of opponents after Week Four is just .412. They also get their only soft spot of their schedule. With games against the Falcons at home, and the Panthers and Steelers on the road, the Bucs needs to stack wins here, and have a good chance to.
The Bad
Two late West Coast trips to San Francisco and Arizona, including one on Christmas night round out the end of the schedule. Most players dislike cross-country trips and to be thrown out of their routine. Those two games accomplish both. Can’t think the team is thrilled about playing in the desert on Christmas night.
I understand why the league chose the Cowboys as the opponent to open the season with. It should be a Week 1 ratings bonanza. Although Tampa Bay kicked off the start of the 2021 season on Thursday Night Football against Dallas, the NFL pulled in 26 million viewers across all platforms. While their Sunday Night Football matchup likely won’t pull those numbers, “America’s Team” versus Tom Brady and the Bucs is a major draw.
The Ugly
Whew, that start! The Bucs season begins with a bang against three playoff teams and a heated division rival in New Orleans – on the road – no less. Brady has said in the past those first four games are the feeling out period for teams. Well, the Bucs better find their groove quickly or they could find themselves in an early hole.
Rotating from home and away every other contest down the home stretch is also less than ideal. Players don’t like to get out of their routine, and traveling every other week for the last seven weeks isn’t going to excite the men in pewter and red.
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About the Author: J.C. Allen
Honestly don’t care how many wins long as we win the division, stay healthy and play great end of year. So Vegas says 11.5. Lol. I have to think if they stay healthy 10 is the minimum and 14 would be about the ceiling. 12 seems about right. Last year I nailed it at 13. Lot injuries last year but also easier schedule.
First of, we can beat any team on any day if we are healthy and play our best. This is about the toughest schedule I can remember us having, BUT! The Packers got rid of Adams giving Rodgers no one to throw to, KC got rid of Hill making them a pedestrian team that will never be the same… the “New Dynasty” is over and the “Baby GOAT” won’t even be in the conversation anymore. Pittsburgh doesn’t know what’s goin on at QB, the Aint’s will finally fall this year with the way Brady is gonna ball out in his… Read more »
Bucs will have a rough start with a 2-3 start but finish the season with an 11-6 record IMO which will be good enough to win the division.
Nobody – you or me or anybody else on the planet – knows how the Bucs record will look at any point in this or any other season.
That’s why they play the games!
This post is written from a media or fan perspective, not from a player or coach perspective. Players and coaches love to play and beat good teams … that is, if they’re a good team themselves. To be the best you have to beat the best .. steel sharpens steel .. competitiveness means you believe you are going to beat every team you face, and the better the team you beat, the better you are as a team. As for road trips, and getting “out of a routine”, I don’t believe that matters either. The entire schedule from pre-season through… Read more »
Obviously, the author of the article is a Bucs’ fan, that’s why he’s writing on PewterReport. Of course, none of us really know for certain how our team will eventually fare, we can only speculate and hope for the best. But, we fans, including yourself, certainly have the right to state our opinions, even with insults that we’re all “just yammering”.
The good thing about this schedule and playing all these playoff teams is that when the playoffs do roll around there’s a great chance we will be playing a team we’ve already faced. I’m kind of surprised the NFL took this route instead of looking to the playoffs for prime matchups with teams that have not played each other yet. But maybe they know something we don’t…