In a Thursday column on PewterReport.com, two Pewter Reporters will debate a Bucs topic with different viewpoints. Which Pewter Reporter wins the debate? You get to decide in the comments section below.

This Week’s Topic: Who Is The Bucs’ Toughest Opponent On Their 2026 Schedule?

Point: It’s Been A Horror Show When The Bucs Play Against The Rams

By Matt Matera

Whether it’s been Tom Brady or Baker Mayfield at quarterback, or Bruce Arians or Todd Bowles as head coach, things typically don’t line up well when the Bucs go against the Rams. Despite being home this year, I believe it’ll be the same when it’s Tampa Bay vs. Los Angeles.

In their previous five matchups dating back to the 2020 season, the Bucs have lost four of those five matchups. This is significant because Todd Bowles has been there for all of those games whether as the defensive coordinator or head coach, plus many core players still on this team were involved, too. Of the four games Tampa Bay have lost, the FEWEST amount of points that the Bucs have allowed were 27. The lone win that the Bucs had over the Rams in 2022 was a sloppy 16-13 game in Tom Brady’s last season where the Rams were coming off of a Super Bowl hangover and missing key pieces on their offense.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

Shall we go their most recent matchup? The lone contest that included Baker Mayfield? Sure. The Bucs were embarrassed on Sunday night football in Los Angeles, getting destroyed 34-7 with the whole world watching. Mayfield ended up getting injured and didn’t play the second half. The offense either turned the ball over or didn’t move it. The defense couldn’t make any stops while Zyon McCollum was picked on relentlessly.

The last time I checked Matthew Stafford, who is the reigning MVP, is still on that team. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are still there at wide receiver, plus the ensemble they have at tight end. Todd Bowles simply has never had the answers for Sean McVay. And while it’s exciting to have a revamped defensive line and inside linebacker room, the same secondary will be trotted out there to fight for their lives against receivers that have already scorched them.

Rams WR Davante Adams and Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: USA Today

It’s similar to the Rams’ defense as well with their star players returning. Plus, they traded for very talented corner Trent McDuffie. The Bucs presumably should be healthier and better this season, but they’re still nowhere near the Rams’ level.

Counter-Point: Green Bay May Be The Heavyweight Of The NFC

By Josh Queipo

The last time the “Battle of the Bays” played out the Bucs embarrassed the Packers 34-20. It was the Dave Canales signature game. It may have been the calling card that earned him the Carolina Panthers head coaching gig.

That 2023 Green Bay team was a young roster finding its footing in Jordan Love’s first year as a starter, still learning what it was. The 2026 Packers are a different animal entirely, and the reason starts under center.

Jordan Love is better. Significantly better.

Three years into starting, Love has gone from “is this guy the answer?” to one of the more dangerous young quarterbacks in the conference. The arm talent was always there. What’s changed is the command of Matt LaFleur’s offense, the comfort working through progressions, and the willingness to take what defenses give him instead of forcing splash plays. Yes, Matt Stafford is the reigning MVP. But I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if Jordan Love was the better quarterback in 2026.

Packers QB Jordan Love – Photo by: USA Today

The Parsons trade fundamentally changed this defense.

Last offseason, Green Bay sent their 2026 first-round pick to Dallas to land Micah Parsons. That alone signaled the urgency, but the impact was bigger than the price tag. Parsons elevated everyone around him. When he was on the field, Green Bay’s pass rush warped offensive game plans. When he went down, the entire defense regressed.

The Packers didn’t stop there. They used a third-round pick on a heckuva defensive tackle in Chris McClellan and a fourth-round pick on Dani Dennis-Sutton, another Penn State edge, specifically to pair with Parsons. They drafted two corners in Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson to feed new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s system. This is a team that knows they can create offense. Their recent moves suggest they are now prepared to stop it as well.

Tucker Kraft is the cherry on top.

Kraft has emerged as one of the best tight ends in football, and he’s exactly the kind of in-line matchup problem that’s historically given Todd Bowles fits. Combine him with Love’s growth and a pass rush built around Parsons, and you have a team that can beat you in every phase.

Compare that to what the Rams did this offseason. Los Angeles came one win short of Super Bowl 60 and responded by drafting Matthew Stafford’s eventual replacement at No. 13. Sean McVay was explicit. Ty Simpson isn’t playing in 2026 barring injury. They drafted a fourth tight end in Max Klare. They already had Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen on the roster. They had five total picks, the smallest class in team history. The Rams are running it back with a 38-year-old quarterback and hoping the window stays open for one more run.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: USA Today

Green Bay isn’t hoping. Green Bay is loading up.

The Rams are a worthy pick for toughest game on the schedule. Stafford, McVay, defending NFC finalists. There’s a real case there. But if I’m circling one game on the 2026 slate as the hardest out, it’s the Packers in Week 4. Tampa will still be installing Zac Robinson’s offense. There’s a Thursday night trip to Dallas waiting on the other side. And Lambeau South is coming to town with a defense built to ruin quarterbacks and a quarterback playing the best football of his career.

These aren’t the same Packers. That’s the problem.