With a 1-2 record, the Buccaneers enter into arguably the toughest stretch ever as they will play their next six games away from Raymond James Stadium.
The 24-hour rule is in full effect after Sunday’s devastating defeat to the New York Giants. Now it is time for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to focus on next week’s opponent: the defending NFC champion Los Angeles Rams. This game is the beginning of a brutal six game stretch over seven weeks away from Raymond James Stadium for the Buccaneers.
Not only do the Buccaneers face a terribly tough schedule, but the distance they will travel in between home games is unprecedented. Everyone knows the Rams are 3-0 and will be one of the best teams the Bucs will face all season, they are up first as the Bucs will look for an upset on Sunday. Added to that is the 2,154-mile flight to get to L.A., as well as crossing over to pacific standard time.
After that, the team will play division rival New Orleans Saints in the Superdome. In their first game without quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints were able to go into Seattle and take care of the Seahawks with one of the better backups in the league in former first round pick Teddy Bridgewater at the helm. This trip is just a short 657 mile jaunt up I-10, but it is the second of six games away from home for the pewter and red.
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After that, the Bucs will head home for a divisional matchup, well sort of. In reality, they will head 4,416 miles to London to “host” a division game against the Carolina Panthers, who provided their sole win thus far in the season; a game that is still puzzling the schedule makers decided on.
The Buccaneers will finally get a much-needed bye week following the London derby and over 7,000 miles traveled. After their week off, they will again go on the road, this time all the way to Seattle, Washington to take on the Seahawks. The Buccaneers will hop on a plane, back to Pacific Standard Time, to travel 2,529 miles away from home and into one of the most hostile environments in the NFL.
Again, after this road trip, the Bucs are gifted with another road game this time in Nashville against the Titans. Another shorter trip for the well-traveled Buccaneers, but another game away from RayJay, and the last one on their unheralded road trip.
After all of the traveling the pewter and red finally return home to play the Cardinals, 48 days since their last home game against the Giants. This is arguably one of the worst stretches of games in NFL history for any team to have had to endure.
The Bucs will travel about 10,201 miles in the air over this six week trip around the world, passing through multiple time zones, as well as crossing the Atlantic Ocean. This stretch can make or break the Bucs’ season.
They could rally, and come away from this one of the hottest teams in the league. They could play around .500 ball and come out of it still in the thick of things. Or they could get tired and play bad and be towards the bottom of the league. The team didn’t deserve this schedule, but it is what they were given so its time for the team to rally and band together.