TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a playoff team the past four seasons, have the firepower to challenge the favorites in the National Football Conference.

In 2024, the Bucs scored almost 30 points a game. Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw 41 touchdown passes (second in the NFL) with 4,500 yards (third). 

But Tampa Bay also ranked 29th in passing defense and Mayfield led all QBs with 16 interceptions.

The weapons are multiple on offense: Mayfield, RB Bucky Irving, and future Hall of Fame WR Mike Evans, who will be seeking a record 12th consecutive season of 1,000 receiving yards.

On the power of their offense alone, the Bucs should win the NFC South and perhaps improve on their 10-7 record of a year ago.

A better defensive performance could mean a deeper run in the postseason.

Sept. 7: Bucs 23, Falcons 20

• Who: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons
• When: Sunday, Sept. 7, 1 p.m. ET
• Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga. (Capacity 71,000)
• TV: Fox
• Bucs 23, Falcons 20: Say hello to rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka. The former Ohio State star and the Bucs' first-round draft pick scored two touchdowns in his NFL debut. Perhaps typical of season openers, the Bucs were less than sharp on offense — until the final drive, QB Baker Mayfield completed fewer than half of his pass attempts. The defense allowed the Falcons two drives in the final three minutes, only to be saved by a missed field goal attempt. But wins against division rivals are precious. Take it and run.
• W-L: 1-0

Sept. 15: Bucs at Texans

• Who: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans
• When: Monday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m. ET
• Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas (Capacity 72,220)
• TV: ABC, ESPN
• Meet the Opponent: The Houston Texans ran in place in 2024: 10-7 record again, a second consecutive AFC South title, and another underwhelming loss in the second round of the playoffs. Quarterback CJ Stroud, a 2023 Pro Bowler and Offensive Rookie of the Year, regressed in 2024. Fewer yards and touchdowns. More interceptions and sacks.

Sept. 21: Jets at Bucs

• Who: New York Jets at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• When: Sunday, Sept. 21, 1 p.m. ET
• Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. (Capacity 75,000)
• TV: Fox
• Meet the Opponent: The New York Jets, 5-12 in 2024, have been one of the NFL's worst teams for a generation: nine consecutive losing seasons, zero playoff appearances in 14 years. They are starting over again this year. Aaron Glenn, a Pro Bowl cornerback with the Jets in the 1990s and early 2000s and more recently a celebrated defensive coordinator, is their new head coach. Justin Fields, a former first-round pick playing with his third team, is the Jets' latest quarterback.

Sept. 28: Eagles at Bucs

• Who: Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• When: Sunday, Sept. 28, 1 p.m. ET
• Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. (Capacity 75,000)
• TV: Fox
• Meet the Opponent: The 2024 Eagles rolled to a second Super Bowl championship in six years, scoring 95 points combined in their final two games against the Washington Commanders and Kansas City Chiefs. Philly's roster is arguably the NFL's best, with three Pro Bowlers (Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson and Jordan Mailata) on the offensive line to launch 2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley and make time for Super Bowl MVP QB Jalen Hurts to connect with WRs A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Two more All-Pros, tackle Jalen Carter and linebacker Zack Baun, lead one of the league's best defenses. But lest we forget: In Week 4 of 2024, the Bucs beat the Eagles 33-16, the champs' worst loss. And whattaya know? This is Week 4.

Oct. 5: Bucs at Seahawks

• Who: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks
• When: Sunday, Oct. 5, 4:05 p.m. ET
• Where: Lumen Field, Seattle, Wash. (Capacity 68,740)
• TV: CBS
• Meet the Opponent: The 2024 Seahawks had the same 10-7 record as the Bucs, but finished second in the NFC West and failed to make the playoffs. Under first-year coach Mike Macdonald, Seattle was a middle-of-the-league performer: 18th in scoring, 11th in scoring defense; 14th in yards gained and allowed. There has been significant turnover. Quarterback Geno Smith, the Comeback Player of the Year and twice a Pro Bowler in Seattle, left for Las Vegas. WR D.K. Metcalf, also a former Pro Bowler, is in Pittsburgh. Sam Darnold, who enjoyed a career renaissance last season while leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record, is Seattle's new QB. His chief target likely will be 1,000-yard WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Bucs have a 6-9 history with the Seahawks but have won five of the past seven games.

Oct. 12: 49ers at Bucs

• Who: San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• When: Sunday, Oct. 12, 1 p.m. ET
• Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. (Capacity 75,000)
• TV: CBS
• Meet the Opponent: The NFL can be unforgiving. After NFC West titles in 2022 and 2023 and a narrow Super Bowl loss, the 49ers entered 2024 as an oddsmaker's favorite. They had All-Pros on both sides of the ball. And then the season began. Down went all-world RB Christian McCaffrey, OT Trent Williams, and LB Fred Warner among others. One of the NFL's best defenses fell to 29th in points allowed. San Francisco finished 6-11, last in the division. But those star players are back along with quarterback Brock Purdy. The 49ers' schedule, based on last year's results, is the league's easiest.

Oct. 20: Bucs at Lions

• Who: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions
• When: Monday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m. ET
• Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Mich. (Capacity 65,000)
• TV: ABC and ESPN
• Meet the Opponent: The Detroit Lions became a football darling in 2024. Start with confidence coach Dan Campbell, whose all-or-nothing attitude has lifted the Lions from cellar dweller to Super Bowl contender. Last season's numbers were dazzling: 15-2 record, best in the NFC; the No. 1 offense with an average margin of victory of 13 points. The achievements are staggering when you also consider that the Lions lost 21 players to injured reserve. The stars are back this year: QB Jared Goff, 1,400-yard rusher Jahmyr Gibbs, 1,200-yard receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell, and edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. One question to answer: Will the Lions function as well without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, head coaches now in Chicago and New York, respectively?

Oct. 26: Bucs at Saints

• Who: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
• When: Sunday, Oct. 26, 4:05 p.m. ET
• Where: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, La. (Capacity 76,468)
• TV: Fox
• Meet the Opponent: Rookie head coach Kellen Moore, the youngest at his position in the NFL, has his work cut for him. The Saints finished 5-12 in 2024, last in the NFC South. The offense, which finished 24th in scoring, may require some alchemy by Moore, who last season called plays for the Super Bowl champion Eagles. New Orleans still has Alvin Kamara, one of the greatest all-purpose running backs of his generation and a five-time Pro Bowler. But his three most recent seasons and his upcoming age-30 year suggest a decline. Chris Olave, twice a 1,000-yard receiver, lost most of the 2024 season after a second concussion. Leading them will be QB Spencer Rattler, who has a career record of 0-6 as a starter.

Nov. 9: Patriots at Bucs

• Who: New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• When: Sunday, Nov. 9, 1 p.m. ET
• Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. (Capacity 75,000)
• TV: CBS
• Meet the Opponent: The Patriots, so good for so long, have been so bad for the past three years. They finished 4-13 in 2025 — last in the AFC East — and continued their longest postseason drought since 1993, when Tom Brady was in high school. To rekindle that championship spirit, they have hired Mike Vrabel as head coach — winner of three Super Bowls as a Pats linebacker and an experienced boss who helped turn the Tennessee Titans into a playoff team. He will be expected to do the same in New England with second-year quarterback Drake Maye. There is pretty much nowhere to go but up. The Pats ranked 24th overall in defense and 30th in offense.

Nov. 16: Bucs at Bills 

• Who: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Bills
• When: Sunday, Nov. 16, 1 p.m. ET
• Where: Highmark Stadium, Buffalo, N.Y. (Capacity 71,608)
• TV: CBS
• Meet the Opponent: Is this game a preview of Super Bowl LX? A quantitative analytics writer for ESPN predicts the Bills will finally return to the Super Bowl ... and beat the Bucs. The analysis also forecasts that both the Chiefs and Eagles will fail to qualify for the playoffs. So there you go. But back to the Bills, who are must-see TV because of quarterback Josh Allen. The NFL's reigning most valuable player leads one of the league's most productive offenses — second in scoring in 2025 without a top-tier wide receiver. Barring a catastrophe, Allen and the Bills will win the AFC East and make the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season.

Nov. 23: Bucs at Rams

• Who: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams
• When: Sunday, Nov. 23, 8:20 p.m. ET
• Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif. (Capacity 70,000)
• TV: NBC
• Meet the Opponent: It's fair to say that the Los Angeles Rams will go as far as quarterback Matthew Stafford's back allows them to go. With an upright Stafford, the Rams are dangerous. Ask the Eagles, who barely outlasted LA in their playoff thriller. The Rams' weapons rank among the league's best. Puka Nacua graded out as the NFL's best receiver, according to Pro Football Focus, the analysts who measure the performances of every player on every play. Former MVP Cooper Kupp is gone, but his replacement Davante Adams should thrive in this offense. Jared Verse, the 2024 defensive rookie of the year, is the best player on a unit that rang up nine sacks against Minnesota in the playoffs.

Nov. 30: Cardinals at Bucs

• Who: Arizona Cardinals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• When: Sunday, Nov. 30, 1 p.m. ET
• Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. (Capacity 75,000)
• TV: Fox
• Meet the Opponent: The Arizona Cardinals would appear to have arrived at a crossroads: 4-13 in 2023, 8-9 last year. Where are they headed next? Back to oblivion? They have one playoff appearance and one winning record in the past nine years. Or as a contender in the NFC West? They certainly have the offensive personnel to make a defensive coordinator sweat. Kyler Murray is a better than average passer and a terrifying scrambler. At his disposal are 1,000-yard rusher James Conner, receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., and one of the NFL's best-kept secrets: tight end Trey McBride, who last year had 111 catches.

Dec. 7: Saints at Bucs

• Who: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• When: Sunday, Dec. 7, 1 p.m. ET
• Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. (Capacity 75,000)
• TV: CBS

Dec. 11: Falcons at Bucs

• Who: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• When: Thursday, Dec. 11, 8:20 p.m. ET
• Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. (Capacity 75,000)
• TV: Prime Video

Dec. 21: Bucs at Panthers

• Who: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
• When: Sunday, Dec. 21, 1 p.m. ET
• Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C. (Capacity 74,867)
• TV: Fox
• Meet the Opponent: The Panthers finished 5-12 last season, allowing a league-worst 534 points. The 2024 Bucs scored 502 points. On paper, this looks like a blowout. The Panthers defense ranked last in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. An ESPN analyst predicts that Carolina will record the fewest quarterback sacks. Bad news aside, Bryce Young played his three best games to close out 2024 and Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette are decent receivers. The offensive line, all of whom are returning, allowed only 36 sacks last season.

Dec. 28: Bucs at Dolphins

• Who: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Miami Dolphins
• When: Sunday, Dec. 28, 1 p.m. ET
• Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla. (Capacity 65,326)
• TV: Fox
• Meet the Opponent: It was only two seasons ago that the Dolphins arguably possessed the most terrifying offense in the NFL. The falloff from 11-6 to 8-9 last season probably began with the unavailability of quarterback Tua Tagliavoa, who missed six games. Without him, WR Tyreek Hill's numbers plummeted, from an NFL-best 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns to 959 yards last year. No surprise then that between 2023 and 2024, Miami scored 150 fewer points. The Dolphins defense actually outperformed the offense. Linebacker Chop Robinson, Miami's first-round draft pick, should add to the disruption they can cause at the line of scrimmage.

TBD: Panthers at Bucs

• Who: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• When: TBD
• Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. (Capacity 75,000)
• TV: TBD

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SCHEIBER'S TAKE: Columnist Dave Scheiber has covered many Bucs teams, all of them terrible, in the course of 40-plus years.  In 2025, he knows a very good team when sees one. CLICK HERE