Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2020 Team Analysis & Schedule

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had an interesting past that has produced some good times and some bad. The Buccaneers have a horrible all-time record, but they have won a Super Bowl within the last 20 years.

Tampa Bay has struggled over the past few seasons, and former quarterback Jameis Winston never really found his groove. After moving on from Winston, the Buccaneers are turning to one of the best quarterbacks of all time in Tom Brady.

There are some big expectations surrounding the Buccaneers this season, and they will be featured in several prime-time games. It’s hard to think of any season for the Buccaneers as playoffs-or-bust, but that’s exactly what it feels like for Tampa Bay this season.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2020 Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent
Week 1	Sept. 13	at New Orleans Saints
Week 2	Sept. 20	Carolina Panthers
Week 3	Sept. 27	at Denver Broncos
Week 4	Oct. 4	Los Angeles Chargers
Week 5	Oct. 8	at Chicago Bears
Week 6	Oct. 18	Green Bay Packers
Week 7	Oct. 25	at Las Vegas Raiders
Week 8	Nov. 2	at New York Giants
Week 9	Nov. 8	New Orleans Saints
Week 10	Nov. 15	at Carolina Panthers
Week 11	Nov. 23	Los Angeles Rams
Week 12	Nov. 29	Kansas City Chiefs
Week 13	Dec. 6	Bye week
Week 14	Dec. 13	Minnesota Vikings
Week 15	Dec. 20	at Atlanta Falcons
Week 16	Dec. 27	at Detroit Lions
Week 17	Jan 3.	Atlanta Falcons

Last Year’s History

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the 2019 regular season with a record of 7-9, which was good enough for just third place in the NFC South. First-year coach Bruce Arians was expected to provide a huge boost to the team, but the Buccaneers remained extremely inconsistent. That was mainly thanks to…

Quarterback Jameis Winston became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions, and his play held the team from really taking off. Defense was also a big problem for the Buccaneers in 2019, despite having an All-Pro linebacker in Shaquil Barrett.

Tampa Bay finished just 2-4 against divisional opponents a season ago and went just 2-6 in home games. Both numbers will need to improve if the Bucs want to make the playoffs this season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Key Players

Tom Brady

Tom Brady moved on from the New England Patriots after the 2019 season and decided to call Tampa Bay his new home. Brady will slide into the starting quarterback role and should make the Buccaneers a potent offense with far fewer turnovers.

Brady has thrown for at least 4,000 yards in three straight seasons and is still considered one of the top quarterbacks in the league. Brady did complete just 60.8 percent of his passes a season ago, a number that must improve in 2019.

Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski retired from the NFL after the 2018 season, but he is returning to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The long-time New England Patriots tight end is familiar with Brady, and the duo should hook up many times this season.

Gronkowski has caught 79 touchdown passes during his career and has five seasons of at least 10 touchdown receptions. Staying healthy has been a problem for “Gronk” in the past, but the year off should have him refreshed and ready to go.

Shaquil Barrett

Even though the Bucs struggled as a whole on the defensive side of the ball, that didn’t include Shaquil Barrett. 2019 was the first season that Barrett played in a Bucs uniform, and it was one of the best seasons in recent memory.

Barrett racked up 19.5 sacks a season ago and was close to chasing down the single-season sack record. The outside linebacker is entering his sixth season in the league and is set to have another monster season with Tampa Bay.

Buccaneers New Additions

The additions of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski should transform the Buccaneers from an average team into a playoff contender. Both players know what it takes to win a Super Bowl, and the Buccaneers have one of the best offenses in the league on paper.

Tampa Bay also made some solid selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, and several players could play a role this season. The Bucs selected OT Tristan Wirfs with the 13th overall pick, and he should help protect Brady.

S Antoine Winfield Jr. out of Minnesota was selected in the second round and should help shore up the secondary for Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Key Subtractions

The most notable player moving on was QB Jameis Winston, although it felt like the right time. Winston was a former first overall draft pick but never lived up to the hype with the Buccaneers.

DL Beau Allen is a notable loss from the defensive line, as he signed a free-agent deal with the New England Patriots. Tampa Bay will also be without RB Peyton Barber in 2020 after he left for the Washington Redskins.

Divisional Outlook

The NFC South is not considered one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, which should give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a chance to make a big move this season. The New Orleans Saints are the top team in the division, and it’s their division to lose until someone knocks them off.

The Atlanta Falcons were in the Super Bowl just three years ago, but things have fallen apart for them since. Carolina just let quarterback Cam Newton go, and they are expected to have a down season.

Tampa Bay might not be able to knock off the Saints to win the division, but winning enough divisional games to earn a Wild Card berth is a real possibility, especially with one more slot in each conference.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense

The Buccaneers gave up the 29th most points in the NFL a season ago, and they had some games that were forgettable. But there were some areas of their defense that were solid, including a stout defensive line.

Tampa Bay led the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game, holding teams to less than 74 rushing yards per game. The Buccaneers allowed more than 270 passing yards per game, and their secondary was a major problem a season ago.

Tampa Bay is bringing back Shaquil Barrett, and they are banking on an improved play from the secondary. The Buccaneers’ defense should get a boost from an improved offense in 2020 as well.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offense

Tampa Bay’s biggest offensive problem last year was also their biggest asset, as Jameis Winston led the league in passing yards and was third in passing touchdowns. Their middle of the road rushing game helped them score more touchdowns overall than all teams not named the Ravens or 49ers.

With Winston run out of town for constantly throwing the ball to the wrong team, and Tom Brady stepping in to throw at a loaded receiving corps—even before his former teammate Gronkowski joined it—those turnovers will come to a practical halt and the Bucs should be on the verge of their best season in years.

Much of this team’s success will depend on how well Brady’s team plays in the two games against their division rivals, the New Orleans Saints. Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season will be very telling.