They are coming up on their 10th year without a playoff game.
Still, the Tampa Bay Bucs have to feel as if they’ll be playing with the big boys in 2017.
The Bucs play a prime-time Thursday night game this year against the world-champion New England Patriots (Oct. 5), then later play a Monday night game against the Atlanta Falcons (Dec. 18). The Bucs also play two games against the Carolina Panthers, the Super Bowl runners-up of two seasons ago.
Tampa Bay closes its season with three divisional games, the Falcons, the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints.
The Bucs will play seven games against quarterbacks who were in the top 10 of the NFL in passing last year. They play two games against Drew Brees (first), two against Matt Ryan (second), one against Aaron Rodgers (fourth), one against Matt Stafford (sixth) and one against Carson Palmer (ninth). That doesn’t even count Tom Brady, who finished 20th after being suspended for four games. Still, most people acknowledge Brady as the best. Cam Newton, the league MVP in 2015, finished 21st with a bad shoulder last year.
2017 Bucs:
Sept. 10 at Miami
Sept. 17 Chicago
Sept. 24 at Minnesota
Sept. 31 New York Giants
Oct. 5 New England
Oct. 15 at Arizona
Oct, 22 at Buffalo
Oct. 29 Carolina
Nov. 5 at New Orleans
Nov. 12 New York Jets
Nov. 26 at Atlanta
Dec. 3 at Green Bay
Dec. 10 Detroit
Dec. 18 Atlanta
Dec. 24 at Carolina
Dec. 31 New Orleans Saints
