It’s been determined that our current Tampa Bay Buccaneers team is playing the toughest NFL Schedule in over 18 years! In the last 5 games the Bucs have played the 8-1 49ers, 7-3 Saints twice, 6-3 Bears, and the 7-3 Texans, and now face the 9-0 Packers. To quote Keyshawn Johnson…”COME ON MAN”!
But thats ok, because next year, it all gets a little bit better! Next year the Bucs dont have to worry about the NFC North or AFC South, Next year we play the NFC East (not the power it once was) and the AFC West.
The NFL went to a preset schedule back in 2002 when it realigned, where every team plays every other team once at least every 8 years in the same location. Alternating home and away, that means every team plays every other team in its conference every three years, and every four years for out of conference games. So you can figure out the Bucs schedule in the year 2085 if no other teams enter the NFL or leave, nor is there any rule change!
We wont go that far ahead though, and besides, thats only 14 of the 16 games. Because the last trace of parity left in the NFL is the two AT LARGE games teams play, that are determined by where they finish in the division, first, second, third or last place.
Lets look at the Bucs 2012 schedule. Tampa Bay of course plays home and away games against the Panthers, Falcons and Saints because we are all NFC South teams. Then the Bucs play home games against the Denver Broncos (you can bet if Tim Tebow is still starting, that game will sell out) and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bucs play at the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers. The Bucs also play home games with the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles, while traveling to Dallas to play the Cowboys and at the NY Giants.
Every team in the NFC South also plays the NFC East and AFC West, so when you hear someone say the Bucs had a tough schedule, or soft one, every team in the NFC South also did too. The home and away differ between the sets of teams. The Bucs and Saints have the same schedule, while the Panthers and Falcons share one too. In other words, this year, the Bucs play at Green Bay, as do the Saints. The Falcons and Panthers play the Packers at home. This of course alternates every other time around, so its quite fair. But it COULD give a slight advantage if everything played just right, say playing at Green Bay at 20 degrees or home in a dome if your Atlanta.
Now the at large games for Tampa Bay are home game against an NFC West team and an NFC North team that finishes in the same place as the Bucs. Right now the Bucs are in third place, so if the season ended today, the Bucs would play away against the Bears and home to the Arizona Cardinals, because those teams are tie breakered into third place right now. We wont know who those teams will be until the end of the year or when the teams clinch a certain place in the division.
BUCS 2012 HOME GAMES
Atlanta
Carolina
New Orleans
Denver
Kansas City
Washinton
Philadelphia
Same Place Finished NFC West team
BUCS 2012 AWAY GAMES
Atlanta
Carolina
New Orleans
Oakland
San Diego
NY Giants
Dallas
Same place finished NFC North team
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