The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be featured in several marquee games throughout the 2020 season. Here are the five most exciting QB battles we’ll see.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have become one of the hottest teams in the league and it’s all because of the addition of QB Tom Brady.
Brady, who will be stepping in as the starting quarterback for Tampa Bay after two decades in New England, is a big-name draw and- as a result- we’re seeing the Buccaneers given preferential treatment for several prime-time match-ups.
As we continue to look at the 2020 Buccaneers schedule, here’s a look at the five most intriguing and exciting quarterback battles that we’ll see between Tom Brady and his opponent.
5. Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons)
We’ll start out with a quarterback that Tampa Bay fans have come to hate quite a bit.
Matt Ryan isn’t the most exciting or talented quarterback in the league, but he is solid and there’s no doubt that the match up between Brady and Ryan will be intriguing to say the least.
Brady and Ryan are close friends and you have to believe that there will be some juice behind these two games when they’re played at the end of the season- especially that first match-up in Atlanta.
Keep in mind that Brady has never lost to the Falcons and the second-to-last time he played against Atlanta, he led the Patriots to a come-from-behind victory in Super Bowl LI.
4. Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
The Los Angeles Chargers aren’t rushing Justin Herbert, but let’s be honest here: It will be an absolute failure if the rookie QB isn’t starting over Tyrod Taylor by Week 4 when the Buccaneers come to town.
It’s not necessarily an exciting match-up because of name recognition. It’s more about the implications and the measuring stick aspect.
Before signing Brady, there were tons of Bucs fans who were in love with Herbert and wanted to see Tampa trade up to get the quarterback.
In addition to the fact that he could’ve very easily ended up in Tampa had it not been for the Brady signing, it’s also interesting to see Brady go up against a rookie QB who has aspirations of one day having the same type of career as him.
3. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be hosting the Green Bay Packers in Week 6 of the season and this will be a match-up that has analysts talking from the get-go.
The game is slated in the 4:25 p.m. slot and is one of the more intriguing match-ups of the week. Why? Because of the quarterback battle.
It’s Aaron Rodgers vs. Tom Brady.
Rodgers and Brady have only played against each other a couple of times and they have split the series. This game serves a rubber-match between the two for bragging rights early on in the 2020 season.
2. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
Perhaps the biggest name profile to come to Raymond-James Stadium in 2020 will be the Kansas City Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes.
The game- which is slated for the 4:25 p.m. slot in Week 12- is a rematch of AFC rivals in Brady vs. Mahomes.
Mahomes got the best of Brady the last time the two played and you can be sure that the new Buccaneers QB will be looking for revenge this time around, even if it’s still the regular season.
1. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)
The most anticipated QB battle of the season will happen in Week 1 of the season when Tampa Bay and New Orleans play a cross-divisional game in the Superdome.
We’ll have the treat of seeing Tom Brady vs. Drew Brees twice this season (assuming health) and we could even see the match-up a third time in the postseason.
Keep in mind we’ve only seen the two quarterbacks play against each other a total of five times in their respective careers.
In the series, Brees currently holds a 3-2 edge and this season will give Brady a chance to not only even it up but potentially even move ahead if things went right.
What quarterback battle are you most anticipating for the Bucs this season? Comment below with your thoughts!