The Bucs have a lot of tough games on their 2026 schedule. So, any little advantage on a week-to-week basis could be huge for Todd Bowles and his team, especially when it comes to the best teams on their slate. Not to mention, with the NFC South typically coming down to a single game or even a tiebreaker, anything helps.

Speaking of which, did the Bucs catch a break with one of their toughest games this season?

Under Dan Campbell, the Detroit Lions have turned into one of the NFC’s best teams year in and year out. They went 9-8 and missed the playoffs last year, but they’re still 36-15 over the last three seasons. The Bucs have seen them plenty as of late. Detroit beat Tampa Bay in the regular season back in 2023, then won a rematch in the NFC Divisional Round later that season. The Bucs got some revenge in Week 2 of the 2024 season, but the Lions then returned the favor in Week 7 of the 2025 season.

Now, in 2026, the two teams are set to meet at Detroit’s Ford Field in Week 10 on Sunday, Nov. 22. And the Bucs might’ve caught a break – even if it’s the slightest one – with the way this matchup sets up.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and Lions QB Jared Goff – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs getting this game out of their bye week feels like an advantage in the first place. Not only does their Week 9 bye mean they essentially split the regular season into two stretches, but they also get extra time to rest up for what will certainly be a physical matchup against Campbell’s squad, which prides itself on its grit and toughness. It also gives Todd Bowles extra time to map out a game plan for Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta and the rest of Detroit’s playmakers on offense. That’s good news.

But here’s the kicker: Not only are the Lions not coming off a bye to play the Bucs – they’re coming into this game off an international trip. In Week 9, the Lions head to Munich, Germany, to face the defending AFC champion Patriots as part of the NFL’s International Series. Teams playing internationally get the option of having their bye week after the international game, but Detroit declined it.

So, instead, the Lions will travel 4,347 air miles from Detroit to Munich for a game against the Patriots, then head 4,347 air miles back home to host the Bucs seven days later. Yes, they get the benefit of playing at home, at least. But surely this has to play into Tampa Bay’s favor, right? In a game between a team coming off its bye week and one coming off an international trip, you’d think the team coming off its bye has a bit of an advantage.

Oh, and how about the fact that after playing the Bucs, the Lions face a short week as they’re set to host the division rival Bears, last year’s NFC North champs, on Thanksgiving Day 93(ish) hours later?

How Much Of An Advantage Will This Actually Be For The Bucs?

You’d think teams would always opt to have their bye week following a trip to Germany, England, Spain or wherever their international game is. But not everyone does, and the Lions obviously opted to do without it. Their bye instead comes earlier on in the season in Week 6.

Lions QB Jared Goff and HC Dan Campbell – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Jeffrey Becker

So, what do the numbers say about teams playing the week after an international game with no bye? ESPN1530 Cincinnati’s Mo Egger shared the stat late last week after the NFL’s schedule release.

Interestingly enough, teams playing the week immediately after an international game are 12-9. However, in 2025, teams playing under such circumstances went 1-3.

So, history would say it’s not all that big of a disadvantage for the Lions to be coming back home from Germany to immediately play the Bucs the following Sunday. The against-the-spread record of 9-12 tells something of an interesting story in that the team returning to the U.S. has failed to cover the spread more often than not. But the numbers don’t say that this is going to be some kind of insurmountable advantage for Tampa Bay.

Of course it isn’t, right? But there has to be some kind of intangible edge. It may not come into play, but it’s hard to say you’d rather be the world-traveling team in this scenario.

What may help the Bucs more than just the fact that the Lions are coming back from Germany to play them is the sheer intensity of the stretch that the Lions will be in the middle of. 

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

After their Week 6 bye, the Lions play two divisional games at home against the Packers and Vikings. They then go down to Miami in Week 8 before that Week 9 trip to Munich to face a very good Patriots team coming off a Super Bowl appearance. And we already mentioned the fact that there’s the Bucs game and then a Thanksgiving matchup – and it’s probably going to be a crucial one in the NFC North race – against the Bears four days later.

On the other side, the Bucs have that Week 9 bye, and after the Week 10 trip to face the Lions, they actually have an extra day of rest as their next game comes on Monday Night Football – at home against the Panthers. So, theoretically, Tampa Bay will be well rested and in position to empty the tank eight days before playing another game.

Will all of this matter come November? Maybe not. But again, every little advantage can help. It’s just about exploiting those advantages and capitalizing.