Bucs 2023 Schedule: Game-by-game predictions
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers schedule was released last week, providing a roadmap for this upcoming season. With Tom Brady gone and the roster in the midst of a “reset,” the Bucs face a much tougher road than they have faced in years.
Free agency and the draft are in the rear window, but the Bucs still have many questions to answer. Who will be the starting quarterback? Is the offensive line ready for new starters at almost every position? What will the secondary look like after the depth chart was hollowed out in free agency?
The answers will manifest over the course of the season on the scoreboard and in the standings. Without an entrenched starter at quarterback and cap-strapped churn across the roster, Bucs fans may not be all that pleased with what those answers may look like.
Here are the Bucs’ schedule predictions for the 2023 season:
Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings
(AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
Prediction: Bucs lose 24-17
The season opener could be one of the closer games the Bucs play this season. The Vikings have a flawed roster, but wide receiver Justin Jefferson has a way of putting the entire offense on his back and grinding out a win.
Week 2: vs. Chicago Bears
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Prediction: Bucs win 21-13
The Bucs should bounce back in Week 2 against a rebuilding Bears team. Justin Fields is one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the NFL, but he is still developing as a passer, and the defense is still at least a year or so away from being a legitimate threat.
Week 3: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Prediction: Bucs lose 35-10
Tampa’s 2021 playoff thumping of Jalen Hurts is but a distant memory at this point. Last year’s NFC champions are likely going to embarrass the Bucs offense at home, dominating the trenches and exposing the lack of depth on Tampa’s roster this season.
Week 4: at New Orleans Saints
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Prediction: Bucs lose 21-16
Though the Bucs swept the Saints last year, they no longer get the benefit of a muddled New Orleans quarterback room and an undermanned receiving unit. Derek Carr and Chris Olave could take this game over with a late game-winning touchdown drive.
Week 6: vs. Detroit Lions
(Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
Prediction: Bucs lose 21-24
With a deep roster and one of the league’s best coaching staffs, the Lions will be a trendy pick to win the NFC North this season. Still, this game will be close, with Tampa’s lack of firepower at quarterback making the biggest difference.
Week 7: vs. Atlanta Falcons
(AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
Prediction: Bucs win 24-14
Todd Bowles’ defenses have a tendency to exploit young quarterbacks. Last year, Falcons QB Desmond Ridder faced a Bucs team trying to rest for the playoffs. There is no reason for Bowles to hold anything back in their first contest this season.
Week 8: vs. Buffalo Bills
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Prediction: Bucs lose 31-20
Facing one of the best quarterbacks in football, the Bucs will have a hard time going blow for blow with Josh Allen. The lack of depth in the Tampa secondary will make their heavy passing attack difficult to stop.
Week 9: at Houston Texans
(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Prediction: Bucs win 28-13
Again, the Bucs defense will be the difference-maker here. Second-overall pick C.J. Stroud will have his hands full with Todd Bowles’ blitzes, even with former Bucs guard Shaq Mason blocking for him.
Week 10: vs. Tennessee Titans
(AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Prediction: Bucs win 31-14
Tampa puts together its first back-to-back wins of the season with a win over Tennessee. The Titans are in full rebuild mode and could even be starting second-round pick Will Levis by this point of the season. Tennessee’s lack of weapons on offense should help the Bucs prevail.
Week 11: at San Francisco 49ers
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Prediction: Bucs lose 27-10
The 49ers have one of the best rosters in the NFC outside of the quarterback position, and even without their starting passer decided, San Francisco plays a dominant brand of football. Their defense will likely overwhelm the Bucs offense up front and come away with multiple turnovers.
Week 12: at Indianapolis Colts
(AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
Prediction: Bucs win 24-21
This could be a squeaker of a win for Tampa. While rookie QB Anthony Richardson has quite a bit of growing to do as a passer, his elite athleticism and arm strength will make him a big-play machine in the NFL. The Bucs will have to exploit the unevenness of the Colts offense to pull out a victory.
Week 13: vs Carolina Panthers
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Prediction: Bucs lose 20-12
In what should end up being a defensive battle, the Panthers should be better than expected with a rookie quarterback. Bryce Young may be small, but he has all the playmaking talent in the world. The defense will have a harder time exploiting his inexperience, though he also has few top weapons to leverage. Carolina’s defense, led by edge rusher Brian Burns, should carry the team to a low-scoring win.
Week 14: at Atlanta Falcons
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Prediction: Bucs lose 45-19
The Bucs have a habit of getting blown out by a division rival at least once a year, and this year it could be the Falcons providing the explosives. With a better-than-advertised offensive line and nightmare-inducing run game, the Falcons could leverage their home-field advantage into a highlight reel of ground offense that would make Barry Sanders blush.
Week 15: at Green Bay Packers
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Prediction: Bucs lose 30-14
Tampa’s lack of defensive depth in the secondary could make the final few weeks of the season especially long. While they face another quarterback in his first season starting, the Packers are consistently well-coached and boast solid depth across the roster. The late doldrums of the season manifest in an ugly loss in Green Bay.
Week 16: vs Jacksonville Jaguars
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Prediction: Bucs lose 21-13
The Jaguars are an ascending team in the AFC, and by this point, the Bucs simply cannot put up enough points to grind out wins. Baker Mayfield’s injury history suggests Kyle Trask could be the starter late, and his lack of experience could be fodder for Jacksonville’s defensive coordinator, former Bucs coach and Bowles acolyte Mike Caldwell Jr.
Week 17: vs New Orleans Saints
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Prediction: Bucs win 10-7
The Bucs will try end the season on a high note and maybe even spoil the Saints’ postseason dreams with a gutty win at home. Despite having a top-five draft pick on the line, Bowles is coaching for his job at this stage and a win could convince Bucs ownership that this year was the roster reset made inevitable by the team moves made during the Tom Brady era.
Week 18: at Carolina Panthers
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Prediction: Bucs win 17-13
With nothing but pride on the line, the Bucs eke out a win against a similarly-mediocre Panthers team. Carolina’s lack of offensive firepower becomes their undoing with Tampa’s offense doing just enough to put them ahead.
Final record: 7-10
The Bucs miss the playoffs but enter the offseason with momentum for 2024. Bowles should keep his job, particularly if the defense remains potent. Without a top-10 quarterback, Tampa cannot expect the same win potential they had when Tom Brady was on the roster. Instead, they will have to play the long game, ride out this season and be in a position to get better next offseason.
