Looking ahead at the 2020 NFL schedule, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do have some difficult matchups, but the whole season won’t be an uphill battle.
When the official schedule released for the Buccaneers last Thursday, the first thing that must’ve stuck out to fans was the clear absence of a massive streak of away games like last season.
The Bucs had one of the worst schedules in the NFL in 2019, and despite having to face several playoff-contending teams in 2020, the schedule for this upcoming season looks very promising for Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers have their share of tough matchups. Any game against the Saints is an uphill climb. Playing the reigning Super Bowl champions will also be incredibly difficult, even as a home game.
Despite some of these more formidable opponents, Tampa Bay was fortunate to get a solid stretch of easier games in the first half of the season. From week two to week eight, the Bucs have a real chance of winning every game.
Week 2: Carolina Panthers at home
Week 3: Denver Broncos away
Week 4: LA Chargers at home
Week 5: Chicago Bears away
Week 6: Green Bay Packers at home
Week 7: Las Vegas Raiders away
Week 8: New York Giants away
None of these games are a foregone conclusion, but the Buccaneers do have an advantage in each.
As far as the home games are concerned, the Panthers and the Chargers are both trying to reshape their identities after the departure of franchise quarterbacks. Neither of these teams is expected to make massive waves in 2019, but they do have some solid pieces that threaten the Bucs.
The most challenging game at home during this stretch will be against the Green Bay Packers, but the reigning NFC runner up may not be as dominant in 2020 as it was in 2019.
Aaron Rodgers and Matt LeFleur are a poorly matched head coach and quarterback, and any trouble in paradise could derail this season before it even starts for the Packers.
Tampa Bay could realistically go 2-1 at home during this time, and 3-0 is not entirely out of the question.
Moving on to the away games, the Buccaneers are playing some spunky teams, but none that are fully defined.
More from The Pewter Plank
- Devin White posts cryptic message to Lavonte David on Twitter
- ESPN predicts surprising outcome to Devin White trade saga
- Updated Buccaneers depth chart after signing two players from rookie minicamp
- Todd Bowles sends clear message about Baker Mayfield’s role with Bucs
- The Athletic is wrong about Bucs one ‘must-watch’ game in 2023
The Broncos went deep during the draft to supply Drew Lock with all of the weapons that he could need, but Denver has such a small body of work to view from Lock that nothing about 2020 is guaranteed.
If Lock can keep up the level of play that he displayed at the end of 2019, this matchup could be difficult for the Buccaneers, but until more has been shown from the new Denver quarterback, Tampa Bay still has the advantage.
Another team that has question marks at the quarterback position is the week five opponent for the Bucs, Chicago. The Bears are stuck in quarterback limbo, and regardless of who the starter is, the Bears aren’t much of a threat.
This game may be away for the Buccaneers, but Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky aren’t consistent enough to maintain the home-field advantage for the Bears.
The Giants are a sneaky team assuming Saquon Barkley is healthy, but Tampa Bay’s run defense will likely remain just as strong in 2020. If the Bucs can keep Barkley shut down and prevent Daniel Jones from having another career game, Tampa Bay should come out of that game with another win.
The most trying game from this stretch will be against the Las Vegas Raiders. That’s still going to take some time to get used to saying. The Raiders have a better-than-average quarterback in Derek Carr, an improving defense, and the weapons to compete in 2020.
If making the playoffs is the goal for the Bucs, winning all of these games is imperative. They may be away matchups, but the overall level of competition during the first half of the season is less than Tampa Bay will face is the latter half.
Don’t expect these wins to be a foregone conclusion, but if the Buccaneers can take care of business here, they could go into week eight at 6-2 or 7-1 realistically.