Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2024 Schedule Point-Counterpoint: Toughest Stretch of Bucs' Season

The Bucs' 2024 schedule is littered with potential Super Bowl contenders, and some sections of that 17-game list look more challenging than others…Brianna Dix and Scott Smith argue which stretch seems most daunting right now

May 21, 2024 at 08:00 AM

Scott Smith

Senior Writer/Editor

According to the notes from the NFL that came along with the 2024 schedule drop last week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are tied for fifth easiest schedule in 2023, which certainly sounds encouraging. The thing is, "strength of schedule" is based solely on the standings from the previous season, and we all know that situations can change fast in the NFL. Just look at the Houston Texans, who went from 3-13-1 in 2022 to 10-7 and the AFC South division champs in 2023. Or the New York Giants, who were a playoff team in 2022 before dipping to the league's sixth-worst record last fall.

The Buccaneers' "easy" strength of schedule figure (.478) is mostly the product of playing in a division that had just one team over .500 plus another one that finished with just two wins. In fact, all four teams in the NFC South are listed among the six easiest schedules in 2024. On the flip side, the fact that Tampa Bay finished first in the division last year means it drew such extra matchups as Detroit, Baltimore and San Francisco. That doesn't sound particularly easy.

The point is, you can never be sure what part of a team's schedule is going to prove to be the most challenging. The Buccaneers lost to that upstart Texans team right in the middle of the season, but they played perhaps their best game of the year in a rousing win in Green Bay in December. Who could predict all of that?

Well, Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix and I are going to try. As we continue our week of Point-Counterpoint discussions, today we're looking at what appear to be the tougher spots on their new 2024 schedule. We'll try to keep the focus fairly narrow here; for instance, saying the eight-week stretch from November 4 through December 22 is the toughest part because it includes five road games, is too broad. We'll keep it to stretches of no more than four games.

This is the second in our series of five schedule-related debates. Here's the run-down for the whole week:

Monday, May 20: **What one thing would you most like to** thank the NFL schedule makers for this year?

Tuesday, May 21 What is the toughest stretch of games on this year's schedule?

Wednesday, May 22: What is one thing you would change about the Bucs' schedule if you had the power?

Thursday, May 23 What is your most anticipated game on the Bucs' 2024 schedule?

Friday, May 17: Who is the most interesting rookie the Buccaneers will face on their 2024 schedule?

Brianna and I are not going to duplicate answers (though in this particular case there is a very slight overlap), so the order of our debate is important. It's my turn to go first.

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TAMPA, FL - April 30, 2024 - Wide Receiver Chris Godwin #14 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during an interview the art studio for 2024 Schedule Release at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers