NFL Week 1 preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints
By Rob Leeds
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints are kicking off their 2020 NFL seasons at The Superdome in the highly-anticipated week one matchup.
The entire NFL is about to become fixated on the NFC South. This division has been one of the weaker groupings for the last few years, but the competition will be fierce during the 2020 season. With the Buccaneers and Saints as serious playoff contenders, expect the division to be a dogfight for the whole season.
While no one ever qualifies for the playoffs after the first game, the first week will set the tone for the remainder of the season. New Orleans wants to show that they still have the juice to make a deeper run, while the Bucs are trying to prove that they have the necessary chemistry to live up to the hype.
The Saints have a clear advantage on paper. The home-field advantage is huge, even without fans, and New Orleans also has the benefit of returning most of their significant starters from the last few seasons.
On the other hand, the Buccaneers are coming into their first week cold, as they have a brand new quarterback under center in Tom Brady and several rookies in critical positions. These new players and Brady have the talent to do well during the first week, but getting used to a new offense, and a new league for some, will not be easy.